Is Discord Secure? The surprising answer.

You may be looking for a private, secure, encrypted voice, video, and chat service. In an age like today, security is one feature that trumps all others in a chat app. So, what are security and privacy in Discord like? Well, Discord itself says that they place a high priority on security. They also claim not to share your data with third parties or sell them.

While this sounds alluring, you should note that Discord is not built for encrypted communication. True, it features standard encryption but does not provide end-to-end encryption for its video chats. 

Is Discord secure? Yes, Discord is secure most of the time, but hackers can still find ways to target unsuspecting users. The most common way is by a hacker claiming to have a link for free Discord Nitro, while in reality, simply clicking on the link will hack your account.

This article addresses threats like spamming and abuse and how to set up your Discord security settings against them.

What Should I Know about Spamming and Phishing on Discord?

Phishing messages are very common on Discord. Teenagers are often the target of lots of phishing attacks. This is especially when they want to purchase Discord Nitro. Discord Nitro is the platform’s subscription model with many improvements constantly being updated.

Most scammers usually promise free Nitro subscription as a way of luring victims. Such messages are often linked to fake sites that demand user account information. If the user falls for this and provides it, they successfully hand their money and personal data to cybercriminals.

Malicious accounts often spam users by providing phishing links and messages. These messages could come from public channels or as direct messages. This does not generally imply that all links are malicious. This makes it even more confusing, as some servers usually host legitimate giveaways of free Nitro. 

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The good news is that there are certain ways you can protect yourself against phishing scams on Discord. 

  • Check the spelling: false giveaway messages and their links often are ridden with wrong grammar and weird phrasing. A typical case of this is a URL like dlscord-app.com. The L instead of I already marks it as a malicious link. This technique is known as typosquatting.
  • Scrutinize the sender’s identity: If the user is an admin or mod, the giveaway is more likely to be real. However, if it’s coming from a regular user, the chances of it being fake are higher. 

How Do I Report Users who Violate Server rules on Discord?

If you encounter an inappropriate message, you can report a user responsible for it to a server mod or admin. The rules guiding this may vary among servers, but generally, a user can message an admin to report the situation. Reporting offenders not only benefits you, but also goes a long way in keeping other people safe from such abuse.

You can block a user in discord with the following steps:

  1. Right-click on the user’s profile picture (for desktop users). For smartphone users, tap on the three dots in the upper right corner. This works regardless of your being on the same server with them or in their DMs.
  2. A “Block” prompt appears. Click on it.
  3. A pop-up asking if you’re sure of this action appears. Click the red Block button to confirm it.

 

What are the Security Options on Discord?

One of the best ways to evade spammers is by setting up your security notifications to protect your Discord. There are different security options on Discord. Discord supports many security features such as two-factor authentication and the use of strong passwords. These are all designed to make your account more secure. 

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However, the absence of end-to-end encryption may be one serious downside to Discord. This may discourage potential users from using the platform for video calls, especially for sharing sensitive information. Discord’s constant security updates slightly compensate for this.

They also offer a bug bounty program geared toward identifying and remediating vulnerabilities. Another security-based benefit of Discord is that the company doesn’t necessarily have to know your personal information. You can simply register by only using your email.

You can explore other security features provided by Discord to keep hackers away. Some of them are 2-factor authentication, privacy settings, and notifications as well as personalization.

How Do I Get Rid of Spammers on Discord?

Discord is one of the most versatile apps regarding privacy options. You can simply configure your notification in the exact way that suits you. To prevent spammers from swamping your messages, set your privacy as follows:

  1. Open Privacy & Safety 
  2. Under Safe direct messaging, choose to keep me safe

Enabling this option tells Discord’s artificial intelligence to scan all incoming messages and keep out junks. You may prefer to save your friends from this scrutiny by choosing the option that says “My friends are nice.” Setting this prompts the AI to skip messages from them.

You may also be worried about how to prevent random people from adding you to their friend list on Discord. You can simply do this by going to the section “Who Can Add You as a Friend.” In that section, designate groups you’re open to accepting friend requests.

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How Do I Set Up Two-factor Authentication on Discord?

One of the best ways to keep out cyber criminals in Discord is by turning on Discord’s 2FA. This way, Discord will demand a one-time passcode from you when you log into your account. Here is how to set up two-factor authentication on Discord:

Setting up two-factor authentication in a computer:

  • Go to My Account and click Enable Two-factor Auth
  • Launch the authenticator app, scan the QR code, or enter the code manually. 
  • In the field “Login with your code,” activate by entering the six numbers the authenticator app provides.

 To set up 2-factor authentication on Discord using a smartphone:

  • Go to “Account” if you’re an iOS user or “My Account” if you’re an android user and enable Two-factor Auth.
  • Click “Next,” copy the code from Discord, click on another “Next,” and open the authenticator app. Enter the code provided in the app in Discord.

Your setup is complete!

Conclusion 

It is ideal to say how secure Discord is depending on what you’re using it for. Certain activities in Discord are safer than others. For instance, you may spend all day chatting on Discord about video games and wouldn’t have to worry about malicious users eavesdropping. Discord provides considerable security for this.

However, in cases where you use it for exchanging sensitive business data, especially via video calls, you may have to worry. How to effectively set up your privacy settings on Discord has been explained in this post. Now that you have that sorted out, you can be more comfortable using the app.

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