Summary
Valve is introducing a new authentication system for game developers following a massiveSteamsecurity breach. Valve believes this may cause friction with developers, but the company sees it as necessary to protectSteamand its users from future attacks.
Steam is the largest online distributor of PC games, featuring from AAA studios to indie solo developers. However, that also makes Steam a significant target for online criminals. Recently, hackers compromised the accounts of several Steam developers, allowing hackers to install malware as game updates. Fewer than 100 players were potentially affected, and Valve notified them of the risk by email. However, while the attack didn’t do too much damage this time, it represents a significant breach in Steam’s security.
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In order to prevent future attacks, Valve will soon require developers to pass a two-factor authentication check before updating a released game. Steam partners must have a phone number associated with the account, which Steam will text an authentication code. Developers will also need two-factor authentication to update a game or give new users access to their Steamworks group.
The FAQ on Steam’s post acknowledges that someindependent game developersmay not have access to a mobile device. However, Valve’s reply was that they will need some way to receive text messages if they want to update games on Steam or give new users access. The new policy does not affect unreleased games or beta updates, only the main branch updates that Steam installs automatically on a user’s computer.
Furthermore, only the administrators of a Steamworks group will be able to invite new users. Additionally, Steamworks developers can no longer update their games using the SteamCMD tool. They can still use SteamCMD for beta testing, but developers must log in to and use the Steamworks website to update a game’s default branch. Additionally, developers using SetAppBuildLive will need a valid Steam ID and to download the Steam App in order to continue updating their games utilizing that method.
The new rules go into effect on Tuesday, October 24, though Valve encourages Steamworks developers to set their two-factor authentication up now to prevent gaps in access. Valve also says that it will begin requiring two-factor authentication for other Steamworks functions in the future, but the post did not go into specifics.
As the new rules apply to Steamworks developers, the averageSteam userwill probably not notice any changes. Hopefully, however, these new policies help prevent future security breaches.
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