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 enhance their account security by setting up the Steam Mobile Authenticator. This tool provides 2-factor security, which Valve describes 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, the initial reports understandably caused concern among users. The gaming industry has seen its share of significant data breaches, such as the infamous 2011 incident when PlayStation 3 and PlayStation Portable networks were hacked, resulting in a nearly month-long outage and compromising 77 million accounts.
Moreover, it's not just customer data that's at risk. In October of the previous year, Pokémon developer Game Freak suffered a significant hack, leading to the leak 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. Additionally, in December 2023, hackers breached confidential data at Marvel's Spider-Man developer, Insomniac.
