Building a secure online gaming environment: server and security considerations

If you're running an online game - whether it's a first person shooter with millions of daily users or a small puzzle platform - security isn't something you can afford to overlook.

A single vulnerability can take your game offline, damage player trust, and leave you scrambling to recover from financial and reputational damage. And once players lose faith, they're not coming back.

The good news is that you can stay ahead of the game if you know where to look for the weak points and how to shore them up before trouble hits. From DDoS attacks that flood your servers to hackers exploiting unprotected payment gateways, the threats are real.

That's why, in today's article, we're diving into the critical server and security considerations that keep your gaming platform safe.

Security in online gaming and common issues

Online gaming is becoming a new social platform that will only grow with time, but it's not without its risks.

After all, players trust you with sensitive information, whether it's account details, credit card numbers, or personal data. One security lapse can leave these players vulnerable to fraud, phishing, or worse.

Beyond protecting players, maintaining secure servers also helps keep your game running smoothly. The trouble is, hackers can target weak points in your infrastructure from several angles. Some of the most common issues include:

●      DDoS attacks: With DDoS attacks, hackers overload your servers with traffic, taking your game offline and frustrating your user base.

●      Account takeovers (ATO): Cybercriminals use weak passwords or brute-force tactics to hack player accounts, leading to unauthorised transactions or data theft.

●      Cheating and exploits: Players or hackers find vulnerabilities in your game's code or server, giving them unfair advantages or ruining the game for everyone else.

●      Unsecured payment gateways: Handling in-game purchases without proper encryption or security leaves players' payment details vulnerable.

How to secure your game environment

Use Secure Servers

When it comes to the best server options for online gaming, there's no single best option for everyone, as you'll need to consider the type of game you're hosting, where most of your players are located, and hardware specs you need.

Whichever server you choose, it's essential to secure it against malicious online attackers.

Enable firewalls to filter traffic and block suspicious IP addresses, and use strong, unique passwords for server access. On top of that, consider adding DDoS protection, which shields your server from being overwhelmed by malicious traffic.

External Attack Surface Management

External Attack Surface Management (EASM) is your line of defence to monitor and manage all entry points that hackers could exploit. This includes everything from APIs to third-party services you've integrated into your game.

When you continually scan your attack surface, you can identify and patch vulnerabilities before they're discovered by malicious actors.

Implement Secure Payment Integrations

The moment you allow in-game purchases, you become a target for payment fraud.

To protect both your players and your reputation, ensure that your payment processing is integrated with secure payment gateways like Stripe or PayPal. These providers have encryption and fraud detection baked into their services, reducing the burden on you to manage these risks.

Strong Authentication and Encryption

Make sure your players have access to multi-factor authentication (MFA), as this can thwart most account takeover attempts.

You'll also want to encrypt all sensitive data - whether it's stored on your servers or transmitted across the network. SSL/TLS encryption ensures that players' data isn't intercepted in transit, and encrypting data at rest adds another layer of protection.

Monitor for Real-Time Threats

Finally, set up monitoring systems to catch suspicious activity before it escalates. Services like Splunk or Datadog can track anomalies in traffic or user behavior, helping you address threats as soon as they arise.

Real-time alerting will keep you on top of issues and allow you to react before serious damage is done.