- DDoS attacks can kick gamers offline by flooding their internet with excessive traffic.
- A VPN can serve as a shield against DDoS attacks, especially when considering titles that rely on peer-to-peer connections.
- Taking precautions like keeping firmware updated and avoiding suspicious internet users is also important.
Online gaming is at the heart of the gaming industry today, but it isn’t without its risks. Between privacy concerns, hacking risks, and potential DDoS attacks, there’s a lot that gamers need to watch out for today when playing online.
In particular, DDoS attacks can be very troublesome, so it’s important to take precautions to ensure they don’t ruin your gaming experience.
Why it matters: Games like the recent Black Ops ports have shown exactly why online gaming can sometimes run into hurdles, especially due to online attacks and hacks.
What A DDoS Attack Does
A DDoS attack effectively floods your internet connection with excessive traffic, leading to a point where necessary packets are unable to get through. This can translate to players getting booted offline while playing or simply being kicked out of a match.
One thing to note is that a DDoS attack usually starts from the IP address, so masking it using a VPN can help alleviate the issue at the source. There are three main types of DDoS attacks gamers usually face.
First, Volumetric floods push traffic to a single address. This is where a free VPN can come in handy. Protocol attacks abuse elements like TCP handshakes, and Application-layer attacks target matchmaking services that can only be dealt with by the companies and those handling matchmaking.
Why Gamers Are Targeted
Players are typically targeted for personal reasons. For instance, someone might be hit by a DDoS attack after an argument during an online match. Similarly, bigger YouTubers might be targeted simply due to their influence and reach.
It should also be understood that your IP address visibility depends on the game itself. When running P2P (peer-to-peer) connections, the IP is easily visible since gamers connect to each other’s hardware directly using specific IPs.
On the other hand, when using dedicated servers, only the publishers have access to player IP addresses. Dedicated servers are, therefore, more popular today for their security benefits, with the likes of Xbox switching away from peer-to-peer connections to server-based connectivity over six years ago.
Identifying And Stopping A DDoS Attack
The telltale sign of a DDoS attack lies in how it targets the entire connection instead of a specific game. When hit by one, all devices, like phones, TVs, PCs, etc., experience problems before eventually going back to normal in a few minutes or hours.
Taking necessary precautions is recommended to fight against a DDoS attack. Keeping the router’s firmware updated to the latest version is one such precaution. Meanwhile, turning off remote management in the settings and using unique passwords is also a good idea.
When playing games on a PC, using a VPN is a great idea, especially before connecting to peer-to-peer lobbies. A PS5 can’t benefit from a VPN, but when an application like X-VPN runs via the router, it can even put the PS5 behind the VPN.
Xbox can benefit from router-level VPNs in a similar manner, though changing privacy settings on consoles to friends-only is also a good idea.
What To Do When Hit With A DDoS Attack
As soon as a DDoS attack goes into effect, switching off all routers for a while is a good idea. This usually leads to an IP reset due to dynamic IP settings across most home connections.
Similarly, contacting your internet provider is recommended to ensure a new IP is assigned to alleviate the DDoS attack. Also, it’s advised to report players who are involved in suspicious activities online, especially when said activities ruin the gameplay experience.
Elsewhere, general actions like checking for malware and malicious software, keeping devices and software updated, avoiding suspicious downloads, and other internet practices are best kept in mind when attempting to avoid DDoS attacks and other issues online.
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[Senior News Reporter]
Avinash is currently pursuing a Business degree in Australia. For more than 5 years, he has been working as a gaming journalist, utilizing his writing skills and love for gaming to report on the latest updates in the industry. Avinash loves to play action games like Devil May Cry and has also been mentioned on highly regarded websites, such as IGN, GamesRadar, GameRant, Dualshockers, CBR, and Gamespot.
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