Valve has firmly denied recent reports suggesting that its Steam platform experienced a "major" data hack, stating emphatically that there was "NOT a breach" of Steam systems.
Despite concerns among some users about the potential compromise of over 89 million user records, Steam's investigation revealed that the incident involved only a leak of "older text messages." Importantly, these one-time code SMSs did not contain any personal data.
In a statement released on Steam, Valve explained that after analyzing the leak, it concluded that no customer data was compromised. The statement clarified: "The leak consisted of older text messages that included one-time codes, valid only for 15-minute periods, and the phone numbers to which they were sent. The leaked data did not link the phone numbers to any Steam account, password information, payment information, or other personal data."
Valve further reassured users, stating: "Old text messages cannot be used to breach the security of your Steam account. Additionally, if a code is used to change your Steam email or password via SMS, you will receive a confirmation through email and/or Steam secure messages."
Valve took this opportunity to encourage users to enhance their account security by setting up the Steam Mobile Authenticator. This tool provides 2-factor authentication, which Valve describes as "the best way to send secure messages about your account and ensure its safety."The concern over this alleged breach is understandable, given the increasing frequency of data breaches and the fact that Steam boasts over 89 million users. The most infamous video game-related data breach occurred in 2011, when the PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable networks were severely compromised, resulting in a nearly month-long outage and the compromise of 77 million accounts.
It's not just customer data at risk; corporate data breaches are also a significant concern. Last October, Pokémon developer Game Freak suffered a significant hack, leaking data about its current and former staff as well as its development pipeline. In 2023, Sony confirmed that data of nearly 7,000 of its current and former employees was compromised in two separate breaches. Additionally, in December 2023, hackers breached confidential data at Marvel's Spider-Man developer, Insomniac.
