Smartphone apps existed before Apple decided to launch the App Store for the iPhone, but they created a unified marketplace to get your apps. Prior to that, everything was scattered in all sorts of different repositories across the web. The same can be said about PC games in the past too, but that’s why we love Valve Software and their Steam service so much. It’s just so convenient to get games like The Walking Dead from the comfort of a single unified marketplace. And apparently, the price of convenience is a potential security risk, because a new Steam phishing scheme has been unearthed.
And before you assume that the Steam Guard service will keep your protected against such a threat, it’s being said that this new Steam phishing method can get around that verification process. In fact, the scheme is using this system to hack into your details. You get a message via email or through Steam that sends you to their phishing site. From there, you’ll be asked for your SSFN file (and not your username and password). That’s what the evil-doers need to get past Steam Guard. The SSFN file is what Steam Guard uses to authenticate your account and authorize your computer to access your Steam account.
But why would someone want to steal your Steam account in the first place? Well, you may have invested hundreds of dollars in all the Steam games and DLC that you’ve purchased over the years and your account could then be sold on the black market to someone else. Considering that Steam has over 65 million active users, these hackers have a lot of potential victims within reach. Be careful out there! If something looks fishy (or “phishy”), it could be the Steam phishing scheme swimming around in the online pool.
Via Bright Side of News