www.welivesecurity.com Open in urlscan Pro
2a02:26f0:6c00::210:ba10  Public Scan

Form analysis
5 forms found in the DOM

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---

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USING DISCORD? DON’T PLAY DOWN ITS PRIVACY AND SECURITY RISKS

It’s all fun and games until someone gets hacked – here’s what to know about,
and how to avoid, threats lurking on the social media juggernaut
Márk Szabó
3 May 2023 - 11:30AM
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It’s all fun and games until someone gets hacked – here’s what to know about,
and how to avoid, threats lurking on the social media juggernaut

There are several tools or software applications that enable us to stay
connected with our fellow teammates even during gameplay, with the best of them
having a low impact on our network connection while allowing important elements
like tap-to-talk or messaging capabilities.

Discord is one of the online services that combine a traditional online forum
(remember those?) with voice chat and social media-like resources, so even after
a heated gaming session, you can stay in contact with the same people.

The difference is that Discord has a server-based core, where you can connect or
join servers established for specific topics, rather than having a focus
strictly on gaming or movies. This way a person can cover most of their
interests and interact with hundreds of people daily.

However, since Discord is also a bit more immediate and interactive than your
regular forum or chat service, it comes with its own issues, and scamming is one
of them. Since this week is Privacy Awareness Week, we’ll look at what you
should know about Discord and how you or your children can steer clear of
threats lurking on the platform.


IMAGINE A PLACE…WHERE YOUR PRIVACY IS AT RISK

Perhaps the most immediate thought that comes to mind when thinking of free
instant messaging combined with forums is the aspect of privacy, and the way
your data can be used for the company’s purposes. After all, when it comes to
free services, you are the product, since you provide data that can be sold to
marketers.

We have gotten used to all the tracking that happens to us daily, as your email
service might use data within your messages to create personalized ads, or your
phone can track your app interaction to do the same. Privacy concerns have
become increasingly relevant today, and in a survey conducted in the US in 2019,
79% of the respondents were concerned over the use of their data, with 81%
feeling they lack control over their data.



RELATED READING: Hybrid play: Leveling the playing field in online video gaming
and beyond



Since Discord is a free service, you might ask how it finances its operations.
Servers are not cheap and the company staff does not work for free, and while
their Nitro subscription might account for some revenue, there is still a
question of how the data on Discord’s servers is being handled. All your
messages are passing their servers, unless you use Discord through a web
browser, which can partially block some trackers. Discord’s Privacy & Safety
Policy states that you can agree with the use of your collected data but not
whether it’s being collected.

And therein lies the problem, as Discord collects your data in case you would
allow its usage in the future. However, since the data is already in their
hands, how can you be sure they are not using it? What’s more, what if a data
breach happens? Discord conversations include a lot of useful info about you, so
that is another thing to consider.




BE CAREFUL WHAT YOU SAY OR SEND, OR HOW PEOPLE GET DOXED

Doxing is not a new term; it means that a certain person might unwittingly send
or reveal some information about themselves that can give away their location,
looks, address, or any other sort of personally identifiable information (PII)
to an unintended audience, or get exposed because of that information by someone
else.

This sort of connects to the privacy aspect, as in a way, through server-side
discussions, you slowly reveal more and more about your interests as you get to
know the other users. And on public servers this can be dangerous, since they
can host malicious lurkers (a user of an internet message board or chat room who
does not participate), who could sometimes easily track you. A user of a server
they frequent often can dox themselves by revealing their desktop on a gaming
stream or by having a file with their name or picture on it. Likewise, when a
user regularly posts pictures of their route to and from work, they could
theoretically enable a stalker to locate them during specific times of day.

Some users might find face reveals interesting, but uploading pictures of
yourself to a public server could mean that a malicious actor might access and
use your face image for nefarious purposes, like phishing, or in worst cases
even blackmail, depending on the content of the picture. Moreover, a profile
picture inexplicably links you to your anonymous account name, and it might not
take long for someone to find you online just by using your picture and combing
through some of your messages.


SMOOTH CRIMINAL(S)

Honestly, online gaming, or online communities in general, have never been 100%
safe. Apart from data privacy concerns, there is also the shadow of
cyberbullying, exemplified by all of the news reports on kids being bullied by
their peers online on social media. And again, Discord kind of fits into that
box. If a bully knows someone’s username on Discord, for example, they can make
their life miserable on the servers they visit or harass them via direct
message.

However, bullying is only one aspect. Just to recall a previous point, Discord
can be frequented by malicious actors who, just like bullies, can coerce you
into doing something, either through blackmail (using your picture, location,
personal data) or by phishing, taking on the appearance of a Discord admin or a
user whom they know you frequently message with.



RELATED READING: Hidden in plain sight: How the dark web is spilling onto social
media



Add to this the fact that Discord allows file sharing, meaning that anyone can
easily share a picture, video, link, or anything of that caliber on a server or
through a private message. This makes it easy for someone to share an IP
Grabber, which can be used to track users’ IP addresses for a variety of
reasons, such as targeted advertising or identifying the location of a user. A
malicious actor can, in some cases, also crash a whole router for a period of
time. The worst-case scenario is that they send data packets to one’s router and
if said router lets them through, they could see all devices connected to its
Wi-Fi and even install spyware onto them.

All in all, from a cybersecurity perspective, Discord shares many
vulnerabilities with email services or social media, with a focus on user
(human) error to compromise one’s devices. And even though Discord’s terms of
service specify that users below the age of 13 are not allowed to use it, they
often do, due to the gaming nature of the service and how it attracts younger
crowds in general.


IMPROVISE, ADAPT, OVERCOME

Firstly, the best advice that anyone could get when it comes to Discord is to
alter their online behavior. Consider changing how many data points you share
about yourself. Do not share your location, hometown, workplace, or
travel-related information, as that can be used to track you.

Secondly, consider a more anonymous approach. Do not use your actual face as a
profile picture, do not link Discord to other services (like music streaming)
established under your own name, and above all, try not to have your actual
given name as your username.

Lastly, for a piece of more technical advice, do not click on any suspicious
links or files. In addition, use robust security software like ESET Smart
Security Premium or ESET Mobile Security to erect a strong firewall against
internet-borne threats.

With all of this in mind, Discord is still a very useful tool for connecting
with like-minded people and communities. Don’t let bad apples like
cybercriminals or malicious users sow the seeds of discord, but be ready to
harvest the fruits of interesting conversations with your security in mind.


Márk Szabó
3 May 2023 - 11:30AM


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