How to Prevent Your Twitch Account from Being Hacked

Your Twitch account can be compromised just like any other online account if you don’t take the right precautions.

Keep your Twitch account out of trouble

From fake “free Bits” giveaways to shady bots asking you to “verify” your login, attackers are very good at turning a split-second click into a compromised account. The good news is that a handful of healthy cyber hygiene habits can thwart most of these attacks.

In our guide, we’ve put together a consumer-friendly hardening checklist you can implement as soon as possible, plus quick response steps if something ever feels off.

Start with the basics

Perhaps one of the most common tips to secure any online account is to set up a solid, unique password. However, nowadays, a robust password is unfortunately not enough to keep threat actors from breaching your account.

Here are some basic tips you can use to keep your Twitch accounts from falling into the wrong hands:

• Use a unique, long password: Re-using the same password across sites is still one of the easiest paths to account takeovers, as it paves the way to credential stuffing attacks. Set a strong, unique password for your Twitch account. Bonus tip: use a password manager like Bitdefender SecurePass, as it will help you generate and store unique, complex passwords without significant effort. You’ll only need to remember one master passphrase for all your accounts.
• Verify your Twitch email: Your email is how you’ll reset a password or receive security notices. Twitch’s own security page reminds users to keep a verified email on file so they aren’t locked out during recovery.
• Keep devices patched: Malware and malicious extensions can hijack sessions even when your password is strong. Twitch’s security guidance literally calls out keeping things up to date, whether it’s your OS, browser or extensions.

Turn on Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

MFA is a solid security feat that can stop most account takeovers cold. Like most modern services, Twitch also supports MFA as an added security step to protect your account. You can enable it in Settings -> Security and Privacy. Twitch supports both SMS codes and authenticator apps (scan a QR code and use time-based codes); to set it up you’ll need a verified email.

Twitch also notes it doesn’t recommend VOIP numbers for MFA verification. Furthermore, if you stream, MFA is required to go live.

Accounts with MFA enabled are dramatically harder to hijack. Even if they somehow get a hold of your password, threat actors will have to pass an additional security check to breach your account, which makes most of them give up.

Tip: if possible, always choose an authenticator app for your MFA instead of SMS, as the latter can be exploited with SIM-swapping attacks.

Audit every connection to your Twitch account

Most threat actors prefer pivoting through linked apps and accounts. In other words, if they compromise one account or app, they try to move laterally and do as much damage before finding another target. With that in mind, a good way to limit account takeovers would be auditing connections to your Twitch account, including:

• Third-party apps and bots: Visit Settings -> Connections and review “Other Connections.” Remove anything you don’t recognize or regularly use. This is one of Twitch’s own recommended steps when securing an account.
• Amazon/Prime Gaming: If you’ve linked Amazon for Prime perks, treat that account as part of your attack surface: secure it with MFA and unlink it if you stop using the benefits.

Treat "Twitch" emails and DMs as suspicious by default

Phishing attacks, often carried via email or Discord DM, is how many account takeovers begin. Urgency is always a red flag you should look for; messages like “verify your account to avoid being banned,” “confirm a payout,” “free crypto/Bits” or requests to log in via non-Twitch domains should always be treated as potentially dangerous.

Many giveaway scams have been spotted impersonating Twitch, so you should always stick to official domains and avoid typing credentials after clicking unsolicited links. When in doubt, don’t click links. Instead, open twitch.tv in a different tab and check notifications or the Security and Privacy page directly. This simple habit can break most phishing flows.

Lock down money and streaming secrets

If you suspect trouble, here is what you should do:

• Remove stored payment methods: In doing so, you block new charges, which should give you some time to investigate.
• Reset your stream key: Streaming requires a key; by resetting it you can prevent intruders from broadcasting as you from stolen software. You can find the stream key reset option in Creator Dashboard -> Settings -> Stream.

Use dedicated security software

If you want security that goes beyond changing passwords and enabling MFA, specialized solutions like Bitdefender Ultimate Security can give you the boost you need.

It integrates malware and ransomware protection modules, has a built-in password manager, includes unlimited VPN, boasts Dark Web monitoring and breach notifications, and features email protection and scam detection tools.

It can detect and deter viruses, worms, Trojans, worms, zero-day exploits, spyware, ransomware, rootkits and other digital intrusions.

If you think your account was compromised

Sometimes it can be too late, as the threat actor might have already breached your account.  In this case, you should act quickly. Use the list below, move fast and work top-down:

1. Secure your email: If your email has been compromised, attackers can immediately undo anything you fix on Twitch. Change your email password and enable MFA before anything else.

2. Change your Twitch password: If attackers breached your account, changing your password will prevent them from logging back in. Ensure MFA is on and try going with an authenticator app instead of SMS.

3. Revoke third-party connections: Untrusted or no-longer-used connections should be removed from Settings -> Connections.

4. Delete/replace payment methods: Doing so can prevent threat actors from spending or stealing your funds. Also make sure to reset your stream key to avoid impersonation.

5. Open a support ticket: If you find yourself unable to access your account or see unauthorized access, you should open a support ticket.

Bonus - If you feel like going the extra mile to secure your Twitch account, you should consider the following tips:

• Make your Twitch password “uniquely” Twitch: Twitch’s MFA guidance explicitly advises not recycling passwords anywhere else. Although Twitch’s password policy calls out eight characters as minimum, you should go longer for maximum efficacy.
• Log out of shared devices: After using Twitch on a friend’s PC, smart TV or hotel console, log out. If you can’t change your password to invalidate sessions.

Conclusion

Although Twitch accounts are typically known for their entertainment value, they also connect to other sensitive data, including payment methods, personal info and entire streaming communities, making them highly appealing targets for threat actors.

By taking simple steps such as using strong passwords, enabling MFA, auditing connected apps, staying skeptical of unsolicited communications and using dedicated security software, you can drastically reduce the odds of ever facing an account takeover.