89 million Steam accounts are being sold online by hackers

According to CNET , the Steam gaming community is in an uproar over the news that 89 million phone numbers believed to belong to users have been sold on the black market online, raising concerns about information security. Although Steam quickly denied that its system had been directly hacked, users are still advised to take an important security step immediately to protect themselves.

Tens of Millions of Steam Accounts Leaked Online

The incident was first reported by cybersecurity firm Underdark. Accordingly, information including text messages containing authentication codes and phone numbers to receive the codes of 89 million Steam accounts is being auctioned by a threatening subject with a starting price of $5,000 on the dark web. However, Steam (owned by Valve) immediately responded: "We have examined the leaked sample and determined that this is NOT a breach of the Steam system." The company affirmed that this data does not link phone numbers to Steam accounts, passwords or payment information in their system and that old text messages containing authentication codes cannot be used to compromise accounts.

Steam suspected of leaking sensitive data of more than 89 million accounts

PHOTO: GAMERANT SCREENSHOT

While Steam says users do not need to change their passwords or phone numbers following this incident, the exact source of the phone number data leak remains unconfirmed. This is an important reminder that users should always treat any unsolicited security messages as suspicious. While not required by Steam, changing your password periodically, especially in light of recent data breaches, is still a smart security measure to protect your large game library and personal financial information.

More importantly than changing your password, Steam strongly recommends that users set up Steam Mobile Authenticator, a two-factor authentication (2FA) feature that uses a phone number and email. Enabling 2FA adds an extra layer of protection, making it much more difficult for unauthorized access to your account. Since Steam currently does not support hardware security keys, this internal 2FA solution is considered the best and most effective protection option for Steam users.

Additionally, users should regularly check their personal email for suspicious activity related to their Steam account. Ignore unsolicited OTP (one-time password) messages and change your password if you have any doubts. It is also important to use a password manager to create and store complex passwords, and to be on the lookout for scams in the form of game offers or other Steam-related content in the near future.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/89-trieu-tai-khoan-steam-bi-tin-tac-rao-ban-tren-mang-18525051609193454.htm