No, not just by joining the server. You may, however, be exposed to malicious content through the Discord server, which will result in you being hacked.
Hi, I’m Aaron. Information Security is my job and passion and I want to share my experience with you all to hopefully make you safer online!
In this article, I’ll tell you why the act of joining a Discord server is safe, but the use of that server may not be.
Table of Contents
Why Joining a Discord Server is Safe
Unless there’s a latent vulnerability in Discord that can expose your device to malicious content, the act of joining a Discord server won’t result in your computer getting hacked. Joining a Discord server will just open the ability to consume content from that server.
Why Your Safety Ends There
That content may be malicious and potentially poses a threat. If you don’t know the source of the content, you should consume it judiciously. You shouldn’t download or open it. Most risks to your computer occur with the local interaction with malicious content.
That interaction either involves opening infected files or running infected programs. You can find both in spades on Discord, as well as elsewhere.
You can also succumb to a social engineering attack. Social media platforms like Discord are especially dangerous because of the ability to interact with others in real time and develop relationships with them.
Social engineering attacks, like phishing, rely on relationships and the trust that comes with them. That trust enables a threat actor to entice the provision of money or information seemingly legitimately.
Safety Tips
Staying safe on Discord is similar to staying safe online generally:
- Don’t download untrusted content. Files and applications you don’t trust may contain malicious content that can result in you getting hacked.
- Don’t trust everything you read. Social engineering relies on trust, so the more wary you are, the safer you will be.
- Don’t give money or information out online. If you expect to provide money or information, for example if you’re buying an item, that’s legitimate. Unsolicited requests for money and information likely aren’t.
- Don’t divulge personal information. That can be used to further later social engineering attacks or could be used in combination with other information to compromise your finances, devices, or information.
FAQs
Here are some answers to popular questions related to being hacked by joining a Discord server.
Is it Safe to Join a Discord Server?
It’s not inherently unsafe. You should be cautious of who you interact with online and what Discord servers you join because they may increase your susceptibility to and the likelihood of encountering social engineering attacks.
How Do I Know if My Discord Link is Safe?
It will have the discord.com domain in the URL. If that’s missing, then the link is illegitimate.
Can My Friends on Discord See What I’m Doing?
Yes. But you can modify your activity settings to hide some or all of that information.
Conclusion
Being safe online is difficult. While joining a Discord server is safe, what happens after that may not be. You need to exercise caution when interacting with others online and being cautious will keep you safe.
Do you have any Discord stories? Share them in the comments below.