Can You Get Doxxed On CS:GO?

Doxxing is a coherent attacker tool since the internet can dish out crucial public information about almost anyone. Online gamers are prone to doxxing. You might get doxxed when the gaming opponent you beat does not wish to concede.

AllenCC got doxxed by a gamer from an enemy team, “We were winning against the enemy team and started to sh*t-talk quite a bit, but suddenly the quiet kid starts arguing confidently and then says he will kill my family and other cringy trash.

I didn't think much of it until he put my address in the chat. No idea if he actually would have done something, but how can he get someone's IP by typing?? I wasn't even the only one typing, and he just got my IP, only mine.”

Who Uses CS:GO?

As long as you can afford to go online, you can stream and interact with CS:GO at message board communities. Twitter and other social media gamer platforms use the hashtag #CS:GO and memes. You can access it at the /r/csgo subreddit community if you are a Reddit user.

Do people get doxxed on CS:GO?

2017 CS:GO leaked source code

Whoever has access to a source code can easily exploit the game. An old 2017 CS:GO source code leaked on 4chan and torrent sites around April 2020. Gamers received hacking warnings. Reddit’s /r/counterstrike gamer accounts were filled with warnings of the same.

CS:GO years-old bug

There’s a Steam’s first-person shooter invite link carrying an exploitative bug. A doxxer can bait you to click the link to gain full access to your computer. The Secret Club discovered the bug in the Valve’s Source game engine. Florian reportedly flagged it to Valve in 2019 through the HackerOne platform. Surprisingly, the game is a decade old but remains the world’s famous and biggest Esports league.

How to avoid getting doxxed on CS:GO

1. Limit yourself from online communications

Online presence in the gaming platforms exposes some, if not all, of your confidential information to the public. During sign-in, you provide your identity details; name, physical addresses, contact, profile picture, interests, etc.

That’s what forms the basis of doxxing. Yet the platform has privacy settings that may work for you. You can use burner usernames, for instance. You may choose to participate in the game without commenting. If all else fails, you may decide to quit the platform and ensure you delete every detail, including cached data.

2. Vary passwords

You probably have several social media accounts. It’s common practice for most people to use a single password across these platforms. Doxxers can make a single brute force attempt and discover your password. Can you imagine what may happen next?

• Refrain from using the same password across your accounts
• Use unique patterns, usernames, and passwords for every online account you create
• Use burner email addresses and usernames across social media accounts
• You can use password manager tools for more complex and secure password creation

3. Do not log in with Facebook

CS:GO, and other gaming apps have the ‘sign in with Facebook’ option when creating user accounts. The primary intention is to sync your account quickly. Cheap is expensive.

Are you sure that your credentials are protected? Some of these apps collate your information. If a doxxer spares their time and resources to collect and compile your information, you may get doxxed anytime. Now you know why and how you may avoid CS:GO dox.

4. Beware of data brokers

These are the sites that collect random personal data for compilation and sale. Data brokers do not announce what they do nor request access to your information. CS:GO might be no exception.

The compilation may include your preferences, browsing history, etc. the only way out after realizing this offense is to opt out. However frustrating it might be, you have to commit yourself and do it anyway.

You can use a trusted application like Clario Software.

Can gaming companies take legal actions against rogue doxxers?

CS:GO considers doxxing a violation of terms of service. Report the offense, immediately you realize, to the CS:GO team. If the information has your phone contacts posted, an investigator may easily track the caller-if any.

If the exposed pictures have physical addresses in the background, the doxxer may use them to threaten or harm you. You should report to the nearest police station.

Is doxxing illegal?

Internet and cybersecurity laws vary from one geopolitical region/country to another. Your online presence or registered website account places your information in some databases and the cloud.

In the US, if you repost an individual’s publicly available information or data, you are not guilty but may face legal charges for what you did with it;

• If you acquired information fraudulently; phishing, brute force, hacking, etc., it’s illegal to post or publish
• It is illegal if you post individual information intending to defame, intimidate, infringe their privacy or harass them, assault intention, or instruct other people to read their information. You can be prosecuted for assault because you intended to threaten or intimidate the victim with violent conduct, though laws are bound to change.

In a nutshell

CS:GO is a gaming platform that attracts thousands of global online gaming enthusiasts. Not every gamer participates with good intentions. As much as your confidential credentials are available in the public domain, you can get doxxed for any reason.

Doxxing cases have been on the rise since the inception of the mainstream internet. Beware of the legal actions you can take against doxxers and the CS:GO platform.

For more insights on doxxing, visit these pages.