Protecting Your Steam Account Against Hackers (And Scammers!)

With items such as CSGO skins having huge amounts of value attributed to them, Steam accounts have become a prime target for hackers and scammers around the world. This article shares a few simple methods that will help to protect your Steam account against unauthorised access.

1. Choosing A Secure Password

I know, I know… It’s common sense to have the most secure password possible, however many Steam users still don’t. Make sure your password includes a few upper-case letters, numbers and symbols. You can also use an online password generator to create a key that has an incredibly low chance of being cracked.

2. Ensure All Recovery Methods Are Updated And Verified

Open up your Steam account and click ‘settings’ in the top left-hand corner. Take a look at the phone number and email address on record, ensuring they are still correct. If someone tries to hack into to your account, you will be notified on either of these and you should be given the option to deny access.

3. Make Use Of The Steam Authenticator

After installing the official Steam app, open up the menu and select ‘Steam Guard’ from the list. You will then be sent a verification code to either the email or phone number associated with your account. Input this code and the authenticator will now be ready to go. When you sign in from an unrecognised device in future, you will have to open the app and enter the code from the authenticator.

Note: This code changes every 30 seconds and can only be used once. You will also receive an additional code during setup, make a note of this code – It can be used to gain access to your account if your mobile device is lost or stolen.

4. Avoid Unknown Links and Friend Requests

Another pretty obvious step, but one that has caused thousands of users to lose their accounts. Never click on links that you can’t recognise and only accept friend requests from people you personally know. While you may have good intentions and use Steam purely for social recreation, not everyone is the same.

5. Carefully Check All Trade Offers Before Accepting Or Declining

This measure is particularly important if you trade, or purchase items from one of the various ‘skin gambling’ websites on the market. Some users will try and flood your trade offers, in the hope you accept the wrong trade by accident. Always check, and double check, each offer before making your final decision.

If you enforce all of the above measures, your Steam account is about as safe as it possible could be. Always pay close attention to emails you receive from Valve and contact Steam support if you think someone has accessed your account without your express permission.