Are you a crypto investor and also a gamer

[r_victory]

I have two computers. One of them is used exclusively for gaming, and I don't download torrents anymore. I used to download games; nowadays, even with these reported issues regarding insecurity, I still prefer Steam, Epic Games, and GOG. I've never had any problems, but it seems like it's best to keep an eye on things; you never know when an attack like this might occur.

[Pablo-wood]

...

It is funny that many of us mostly gamers usually think platforms like Steam are 100% safe, but clearly, attackers are always finding new loopholes. The scariest part is how the antivirus couldn’t even detect the malware, which shows how advanced some of these attacks have become.

I have two computers. One of them is used exclusively for gaming, and I don't download torrents anymore. I used to download games; nowadays, even with these reported issues regarding insecurity, I still prefer Steam, Epic Games, and GOG. I've never had any problems, but it seems like it's best to keep an eye on things; you never know when an attack like this might occur.

Having two computers is definitely a good alternative solution, but the challenge comes when one of them breaks down completely. What happens if there are no available resources to fix it, or it gets damaged beyond repair, especially when there are other pressing responsibilities more important than buying a new computer? It’s always good to have backups, but we also need realistic strategies that don’t depend solely on owning multiple devices.

[pawanjain]

There are countless warning via this forum about malware and viruses that can infect crypto investors computers, we are been warned to avoid downloading of games and softwares using Torrent websites which have been proven to be one of the fastest way to get your PC compromised but what I am about to share now is somewhat different.

Some of you must have already heard or read about it but I am forced to bring this on the forum today because it seems the attack is growing, Our favourite Valve's Steam platform for PC gamers is now a breeding ground for crypto hijacking viruses.

Someone very close to me bought a game called slime rancher on steam and lucky for him he isn't new to computer, while the installation was ongoing he noticed that a small window was running on the background, installing something else, after a while the PC start acting abnormally, the mouse pad start to freeze, becoming less responsive. 

Even the antivirus got nothing after several scans, he had to wipe the whole computer and reinstall windows 11 again, he got lucky because he noticed as someone who is very familiar with such attacks, Steam is not safe anymore.

There was some reports about stolen crypto assets and the attack so far have robbed people of $150,000, here is a link but it is not over, I thought they fixed the problem but I was wrong.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/another-steam-game-infects-players-pcs-with-malware-steals-150k-in-crypto

I am not a regular gamer but I had recently installed steam for testing out a game.
Good that you bought this up. I didn't knew viruses could be installed using steam too.
But luckily I had uninstalled steam right after testing that game and my PC was behaving normal too.
I did a virus scan too and everything was fine and so I guess I am good but anyway I don't use my crypto wallets on this PC anyway.

[Awaklara]

Even the antivirus got nothing after several scans, he had to wipe the whole computer and reinstall windows 11 again, he got lucky because he noticed as someone who is very familiar with such attacks, Steam is not safe anymore.

I am not someone who is interested in games, but I heard information regarding a Steam game that brings malware from my friend even earlier this year.
Besides the game you mentioned, it seems there are several games that have already been proven to carry dangerous malware. Shouldn't Steam also have verification before those problematic games are published? But if there are still issues and risks like that, it's better for Steam users to be cautious.

[Cookdata]

. 
Even the antivirus got nothing after several scans, he had to wipe the whole computer and reinstall windows 11 again, he got lucky because he noticed as someone who is very familiar with such attacks, Steam is not safe anymore.

There was some reports about stolen crypto assets and the attack so far have robbed people of $150,000, here is a link but it is not over, I thought they fixed the problem but I was wrong.

https://www.pcmag.com/news/another-steam-game-infects-players-pcs-with-malware-steals-150k-in-crypto

I think it's high time people that doesn't have money for hardware and want to use software wallet on a PC like Windows normalize not downloading any app on your laptop than just the wallet software and probably the follow come browser, this will save you from alot of malware. Windows are the most targeted software devices hackers used to steal things from people, the better we normalize this the better for our safety unless if you are going to be using watch only wallet on the laptop.

We also need to normalize buying hardware wallet, it doesn't cost anything if you have one. I mean, if you can invest more than a thousand worth of dollars that you expect to be more valuable in the future, then get a wallet as good as Trezor safe 3, it's cheap and very affordable instead of doing hide and seek with your Bitcoin, they will gladly take your Bitcoin if you don't do this as permanent solution.

[sunsilk]

I have two computers. One of them is used exclusively for gaming, and I don't download torrents anymore. I used to download games; nowadays, even with these reported issues regarding insecurity, I still prefer Steam, Epic Games, and GOG. I've never had any problems, but it seems like it's best to keep an eye on things; you never know when an attack like this might occur.

I also use them and they're safe. But this time, one of these games from Steam was the culprit and able to penetrate to someone's wallet. That is the intention of the game developer and publishing it on game libraries like Steam is just a front and beginning of the act.

While these platforms are still the best places to get the games we want to play and they're safe. This also means that we have to double check the games that we're downloading and playing on them.

So nothing is 100% safe and foolproof even for libraries like these known ones. And definitely, those that are from torrents and piracies, they're never safe.

[promise444c5]

Lastly regarding Stream, that is of real concerning. Normally people tend to suspect if it's from an unknown/unofficial sources. But we are talking about a reputable game distribution platform here! By default I wouldn't suspect a thing! But recent news shows ( 1, 2 ), this is not the first time, platforms like stream were exploited... and these are becoming more frequent.

I think it's pushed through updates, which means the initialy the games are always clean since it goes through a review process under  Valve..Not sure how the whole thing works but i guess the update isn't really reviewed/verified like the initial upload from the dev, because, most  news about the malware stated it was carried out through an update including this one:

The attack worked by essentially using BlockBlasters as a Trojan horse, which was updated starting on Aug. 30 with malware files.

the painful part ,  one of the victim is a cancer patient($30k victim,RastaLandTv).. saw the livestream though but the article explained how he became a victim :

To entice users to download the game, the hacker apparently messaged cryptocurrency holders to try out BlockBlasters as a paid promotion, according to the malware library organization Vx Underground.

Well the point still stands, don't trust.. it's just much better to have a separate PC to handle your crypto wallets.

[lizarder]

There are countless warning via this forum about malware and viruses that can infect crypto investors computers, we are been warned to avoid downloading of games and softwares using Torrent websites which have been proven to be one of the fastest way to get your PC compromised but what I am about to share now is somewhat different.

I'm not an active gamer, so my PC usage is limited to specific investment-related uses. I've also heard about this happening frequently, which can ultimately be dangerous. This awareness should be a priority to avoid being harmed by the efforts of others when downloading games or other things. It's best to avoid any unknown sources, such as downloading games through Steam, to avoid unwanted risks.

What you need to think about is how you can still play games without endangering the assets you have stored on your PC, because for me it's not funny when you like playing games but you decide not to play them anymore because you are afraid of losing assets due to viruses or malware from third parties.

[Smartvirus]

I have two computers. One of them is used exclusively for gaming, and I don't download torrents anymore. I used to download games; nowadays, even with these reported issues regarding insecurity, I still prefer Steam, Epic Games, and GOG. I've never had any problems, but it seems like it's best to keep an eye on things; you never know when an attack like this might occur.

I met a gamer once, a real gamer and it was interesting on how much he knew and liked his field of expertise. I play games but, I can’t call myself a gamer, I don’t share the passion like you lots and isn’t very devoted to it.
Buying and selling gaming accounts, having several updates and upgrades. There is just so much in the industry but, I’m really just into cryptocurrencies or should I say Bitcoin. In several ways, I’ve built myself about this niche and prefer it to a good many things.

[VRExpress]

I have two computers. One of them is used exclusively for gaming, and I don't download torrents anymore. I used to download games; nowadays, even with these reported issues regarding insecurity, I still prefer Steam, Epic Games, and GOG. I've never had any problems, but it seems like it's best to keep an eye on things; you never know when an attack like this might occur.

I met a gamer once, a real gamer and it was interesting on how much he knew and liked his field of expertise. I play games but, I can’t call myself a gamer, I don’t share the passion like you lots and isn’t very devoted to it.
Buying and selling gaming accounts, having several updates and upgrades. There is just so much in the industry but, I’m really just into cryptocurrencies or should I say Bitcoin. In several ways, I’ve built myself about this niche and prefer it to a good many things.

You sound like you are into cryptocurrencies full time, if I am right then you should have enough time for you to play some video games too, I have a passion for gaming and I want to make money doing so, I am thinking about making money out of it as well.

The only way this can be possible is by streaming my games on YouTube, and there are already some web3 games that are looking great and there are only very few web3 games streamers online today, it will be great to make money out of something we do for fun. I am hoping to get the right equipment and I will start streaming.

[Abu-Naim]

I won't say you should give up your gaming desires because your are into Bitcoin or crypto-currency but you can manage things to see that you aren't exposing yourself to any possible attacks.
First you should probably not have them on same device, the device you use for your gaming experience should be different from the device you use for anything relating to Crypto-currency.
You can definitely check out cold storage wallet to keep your wallet protected offline.

Is there a need to give up his gaming desire? Some people are very passionate about games, and they will pay every amount to get their games downloaded or installed in their computers, so we can’t just advise them to stop playing games just because they want to protect their computers from malware attacks.

They can have separate device for their crypto activities; they should make sure their pc they use in playing games don’t have any of their crypto wallets in them, or for easy access, they should just set up offline wallet for themselves to avoid been linked with the PC they used in playing games.

Furthermore, they can as well try by downloading every game from their official website that might be safe from such malware attacks and always be sure that they check and confirm the websites while installing, then also have strong and reliable antivirus softwares in your systems.

[The Cryptovator]

There are countless warning via this forum about malware and viruses that can infect crypto investors computers, we are been warned to avoid downloading of games and softwares using Torrent websites which have been proven to be one of the fastest way to get your PC compromised but what I am about to share now is somewhat different.

Some of you must have already heard or read about it but I am forced to bring this on the forum today because it seems the attack is growing, Our favourite Valve's Steam platform for PC gamers is now a breeding ground for crypto hijacking viruses.

You may get an attack whether you are a gamer or not, but you are a crypto user. Your wallet means your responsibility. Downloading something from unknown sources is extremely risky for crypto users. Even lately known sources for software seem affected by malware. Since you aren't aware when you may get attacked, you have to secure your wallet somehow. You must use an air-gapped wallet or hardware wallet to secure your funds. There is no other way to protect your crypto from hackers.

I always prefer keeping your wallet separate from your regular device. So even if your regular device becomes affected, your crypto will still be safe on the other device. So to avoid hassle, it's preferable to get a hardware wallet for more security.

[Maliceprime]

I don't just understand some people.

Why can't we all use a gaming device as a gaming device only?

Repeat the same with crypto too, keep your coins on a device made for coins storages only.

Stop using gaming devices as your cold storage for coins, if your gaming device is infected with viruses that steals crypto it is bad luck for the scammers, because there is not crypto on your gaming device.

Computers have brainwashed many people, thinking because computers can do almost everything, this doesn't mean you should store your money or assets on them.

I have my gaming laptop here, and just because it is capable of running a crypto wallet does not mean i will use it, i don't do anything on this laptop than gaming and video editing, my crypto coins stays in my hardware wallet, i am free to run anything i want on my laptop.

[Rustam Meraj]

Your friend story is great warning that even trusted platforms like Steam can have viruses. These hackers are getting smarter and they hide bad programs inside games that antivirus software can not find. When your friend noticed his computer acting strangely he was right to be suspicious. Wiping computer completely was best way to get rid of virus. This whole situation shows that we must always be careful ourself because platforms and antivirus programs can not protect us from everything. Best way to keep our crypto safe is to use hardware wallet which keeps our money secure offline.

[Patikno]

Based on the information I got from the Steam site, I saw that they have strict rules for game developers or game publishers. Steam will check games to be published, even they do it up to 5 days. In addition, they also have several strict rules, one of which contains a prohibition on malware or viruses in games to be published. So, we can conclude that Steam has strict rules and regulations when publishing a game for their customers, and they should check everything to maintain their good name based on their information, but if that is the case, why does this still happen?

Source : partner.steamgames.com

However, this incident can be a valuable lesson for us all, and I believe this is why it is important for us not to store large amounts of money or assets on online devices. Here are some discussions we can read regarding this : asktom.cf @_act_ - Do not have high amount of money on an online device.

Furthermore, I also recommend immediately reporting anything dangerous to the relevant authorities or community. In this case, it should be better to report it to Steam immediately, so they can find out and hopefully prevent any untoward incidents from happening to other users. Based on the reference, if we need to report a game on Steam, we could report it using the "REPORT" feature on the Steam store page. Here is the reference : steamcommunity.com

[batang_bitcoin]

Based on the information I got from the Steam site, I saw that they have strict rules for game developers or game publishers. Steam will check games to be published, even they do it up to 5 days. In addition, they also have several strict rules, one of which contains a prohibition on malware or viruses in games to be published. So, we can conclude that Steam has strict rules and regulations when publishing a game for their customers, and they should check everything to maintain their good name based on their information, but if that is the case, why does this still happen?

It's because they can't monitor everything at the beginning. I'll give an example, if YouTube, Google, Facebook(Meta) and other known platforms are strict with their policies, scams won't exist on their platforms. But because of social engineering and whether they admit or not, they just can't handle all of these cases at once. They cannot monitor everything that happens on their platform and it will only be handled once they receive reports from the users. If there are no reports happen, these scammers will continue to freely move on their platforms.

[Wiwo]

Best that as a cryptocurrency investor that holds large amount in cryptocurrency assets, you should try as much as possible to have a separate device that holds your cryptocurrency wallet and keep the mostly offline to enhance your security and prevent possible hackers access into you pc then stealing your sensitive information.

Use another for games and other online works, this is the best approach one need at least to limit or minimize possible attempt hack on your privacy and property.

[Zigabel]

I remember some times ago there was a thread about how to protect you crypto asset and when i commented on that thread i remember emphasizing on the point that if it were possible make sure to have two devices which one will be for your crypto transactions and activities exclusively, then you can further proceeded to using the other device for any other activities and be sure your assets are safe and you will not stand a high risk of having it been hijacked, as a gamer who is also into the crypto space, it is very important you have two devices and not using one for everything.

The best way to staying safe will be having a separate device for your gaming and another for your crypto, that way you can be sure to a far greater extent that there will be no interference of any sort on you devices and costing you all of your crypto assets, apart from your crypto assets there are some of other of your data that should be protected and we should protect our device not to allow access to your data which could be very vital an information.

[lionheart78]

Lastly regarding Stream, that is of real concerning. Normally people tend to suspect if it's from an unknown/unofficial sources. But we are talking about a reputable game distribution platform here! By default I wouldn't suspect a thing! But recent news shows ( 1, 2 ), this is not the first time, platforms like stream were exploited... and these are becoming more frequent.

Should not steam be responsible for this malware infections?  They get commission from the game they sell on their platform so they should bear the responsibility if anything happens.  I am curious on how the steam platform responds to this hacking, any news from this @OP?

Btw, I am also a gamer and I install a lot of cracked games until now, so I can relate on how frustrating it can be when we pay for a game just to get our crypto funds stolen.  I would also recommend having a separate unit for browsing and gaming and cryptocurrency stuff.  This way we can minimize the possibility of injecting malware to our unit used for cryptocurrency activities

[finaleshot2016]

I don't pirate games and just trust those who have a good review. Of course, no one will spend time to download a free or cheap game if it's not really good or known to gamers, right? In that way, you'll be able to avoid those trash games that scams you. Also, I don't put important stuff on my PC since this is just a personal pc for games and a tool for watching movies or a workstation sometimes, so I download some necessary assets frequently. I have a different device for my crypto stuff to avoid these malwares and of course to avoid getting scammed from fake and phishing sites.