Valve has firmly refuted recent reports suggesting that its Steam platform experienced a "major" data hack, emphasizing that there was "NOT a breach" of Steam systems.
Despite concerns from some users about reports claiming over 89 million user records were compromised, Steam's thorough investigation revealed that the leak involved only "older text messages." These messages contained one-time code SMSs but did not include any personal data.
In a statement posted on Steam, Valve clarified that after analyzing the leak sample, it concluded that customer data remained secure. The company stated, "The leak consisted of older text messages that included one-time codes that were only valid for 15-minute time frames and the phone numbers they were sent to. The leaked data did not associate the phone numbers with a Steam account, password information, payment information, or other personal data."
Valve further reassured users, saying, "Old text messages cannot be used to breach the security of your Steam account, and whenever a code is used to change your Steam email or password using SMS, you will receive a confirmation via email and/or Steam secure messages."
While addressing the issue, Valve took the opportunity to encourage players to enable the Steam Mobile Authenticator for enhanced 2-factor security, noting it as "the best way to send secure messages about your account and your account's safety."
Given the increasing frequency of data breaches and the fact that over 89 million users have Steam accounts, concerns about a potential security compromise were understandable. The most notorious video game-related data breach occurred in 2011 when PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable networks were severely compromised, resulting in a nearly month-long outage and affecting 77 million accounts.
It's not just customer data at risk. In October of the previous year, Pokémon developer Game Freak suffered a significant hack, leading to leaks of data about its former and current 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 breaches that year. Additionally, in December 2023, hackers breached confidential data at Marvel's Spider-Man developer, Insomniac.
