Twitch accounts are being hacked left and right, and the company has yet to do anything conclusive about it. But there’s no need to stress yet because there are steps users can follow to secure their accounts. To be fair, the problem doesn’t actually lie with any of Twitch’s servers or cybersecurity systems. Instead, it comes down to the users themselves – hence the streaming service’s inaction.
A lack of awareness about account safety and good password management is causing all these Twitch account hacks. Unfortunately, people still use simple passwords and continue the bad habit of reusing them across multiple accounts.
This has widespread consequences, but Twitch users have been feeling the heat, especially as of late. Hackers take advantage of passwords that have been stolen from other accounts to get access to this popular platform.
Why do they do this? How do they gain access to all those Twitch accounts? And what can users do to increase their online safety and safeguard against future account hacks?
Continue reading for answers to all of these questions.
Why Are Twitch Accounts Being Hacked?
Twitch isn’t the target – the users are. Hackers aren’t just trying to get into Twitch accounts, though that certainly is a bonus for them. Instead, they’re taking a broad approach and trying to gain access to any accounts they can. Because through them, attackers can reach almost any account they want – because of the reused passwords.
How do they do it? They use stolen passwords and email addresses from breached accounts to access other unrelated ones. This is exactly what happened when the Town of Salem login details were stolen earlier this year. It led to a slew of Twitch account hacks. This type of infiltration has been going on for quite some time, and no one is safe. Not even some of the biggest creators on the platform.
These methods are very lucrative because people tend to reuse passwords on different accounts. Password breaches are common these days too. A massive collection of over 773 million email accounts and over 21 million unique passwords was recently released on a hacker forum.
So hackers use automated login tools to help them get access to as many accounts as possible. Even unused Twitch accounts can be valuable because they’re after the payment information people have stored there.
How to Stop Twitch Hackers in Their Tracks
Breached accounts are a big hassle and some claim that it takes Twitch up to 4 weeks to give their accounts back. There are a couple of things Twitch could do to make it harder for hackers to get away with this. But ultimately it’s up to the users themselves to stay safe.
Do these three things to keep online accounts safe:
1. Enable Two-Factor Authentication on Twitch
Two-Factor Authentication is an extremely important tool in keeping an account safe. Most people have used this somewhere already. 2FA is an additional security measure that sends a code to a different account or device when someone tries to log in. Twitch has this feature, but it’s still up to the users to enable it for themselves.
2. Make Use of a Password Manager
All these leaked password headaches can be solved by simply making sure that no passwords are reused. It’s nearly impossible to remember individual passwords for every account, though, so people’s best option is a password manager. Then all anyone has to remember is their master password because the others are protected by strong encryption.
3. Get a VPN for Laptop and Other Devices
No one method of protection is infallible. That’s why people use multiple layers of security. A VPN for laptop and other devices is another one of those layers – it protects users by encrypting their connection. Hackers gain access to your device by performing Man-in-the-middle attacks through unsecured networks. A VPN prevents that.
The Bottom Line
Hackers have strong motives to gain access to people’s Twitch accounts. Thanks to lax password habits, they get it too. But by taking these three steps, people can protect all of their online accounts, not only Twitch.