SteelSeries

Game profiles

A game profile is a collection of antivirus, firewall and general settings. By default, the game profiles are designed to minimize system resource usage while still maintaining a responsible level of security. All game profiles can be edited to suit specific needs.

 

 

The topmost profile is always "Normal Profile". When this is active, SteelSecurity is in Normal Mode, and the settings you have chosen in the antivirus and firewall plugins are in effect. Below the "Normal Profile" you will see a range of game profiles. When a game profile is active, SteelSecurity uses the settings from this profile.

 

You can see which profile is currently active by looking for the red radio-button to the left in the list of profiles.

• To add a new profile, click the "+" button
• To delete a profile, click the "-" button
• To edit a profile, click the "Edit button"
• To export a profile for use on another computer, click the "Export profile" link
• To import a profile from the SteelSecurity website or another computer, click the "Import profile" link
• To activate a game profile manually, click the "Activate" button

 

Launching a game for the first time

When a recognized game is launched for the first time, you are asked to confirm that this is indeed the game in question.

It is recommended that you use the 'Remember this answer' checkbox. If you confirm, the game-profile will be activated.

 

 

Consecutive launches of a game

The second time you launch the game, you will be asked if SteelSecurity should always automatically switch to this profile. Once again, it is recommended to use the 'Remember this answer' checkbox.

From then on, SteelSecurity will automatically switch to this game profile whenever you launch the game.

 

 

When in game mode

When a recognized game has been launched, SteelSecurity enters in game mode. The game profile will be loaded, so that antivirus and firewall settings are changed to the exact needs of the game. When in game mode, you will notice that the normal access to antivirus and firewall settings has been removed - when in game mode, only the settings of the current game profile are relevant.

 

Automatic and manual switch to Game Mode

As described above SteelSecurity will automatically transition into game mode when a recognized game is launched. When you exit the game, SteelSecurity will switch back to normal mode.

 

Note: If you switch to game mode manually, by clicking the "Activate" button in the gaming plugin, you overrule the automatic switching, and you will only leave game mode if you choose the "Normal Profile" manually and click "Activate" again.

  

 

Editing a game profile

You can edit a game profile, by double-clicking it.

All game profiles offer settings for three main sections;

• General settings: Here you control when the game profile should be triggered, and how.
• Anti-virus settings: Here you control the antivirus settings used while the game profile is active.
• Firewall settings: Here you control the firewall settings used while the game profile is active.

 

General settings

Here you control when the game profile should be triggered, and how.

Enable profile: Use this setting if you want to enable or disable the profile, without actually deleting it. If a game profile is not enabled, SteelSecurity will ignore it when a game is launched.

 

Suppress SteelSecurity messages: This setting will make sure that popup messages from SteelSecurity are not shown, risking to take focus from a game.

 

Merge firewall application-list from Normal profile: This will make sure that the applications you normally allow net-access, like an Instant Messaging application will still be allowed net-access when you are in game mode. SteelSecurity will merge all your normally allowed applications with whatever firewall rules are active in the game profile.

 

The filename list

This list is the heart of a game profile. It decides when the game profile should be triggered, and what should happen when it does.

 

Filename: This is the filename which will trigger the game profile. If this file is executed, SteelSecurity will take action.

 

Action on launch: This is the action SteelSecurity should take when the file is executed.

 

The choices are;

• Ask: This will trigger a question, asking you if you want to activate the game profile.
• Switch: This will automatically activate the game profile.
• Ignore: This will ignore the event.

Confirmed path: This is the path of the file, if it has been found on your computer. Once SteelSecurity has confirmed the path of the game, it is able to switch automatically to the game profile, when the game is launched.

 

Note: If, by accident, you have confirmed an incorrect path for the game, and now find that SteelSecurity doesn't properly recognize the real game, please use the “Unconfirm" button below the filename list, and SteelSecurity will start asking you again, when you launch the real game.

This sometimes happens if the installation-file for a game has the same name as the actual game.

 

 

Anti-virus settings

Here you control the antivirus settings used while the game profile is active.

The antivirus settings for a game profile are the same as you have available when SteelSecurity is in Normal Mode. All these settings concern the on-access protection of your computer, meaning the scanning of files that you open, run, use or in other ways access while using the computer.

 

On-access scanning is resource consuming, and has a negative effect on your computers performance. While it is necessary to have on-access scanning ON when you use your computer in normal circumstances, you may find that it is overkill when you are playing a game, and you are not accessing any new files.

The default setting when in game mode is to have the on-scanning off. You may adjust all the settings at will.

 

 

Firewall settings

Here you control the firewall settings used while the game profile is active. The firewall is the essence of the gaming plugin.

 

It has 6 main sections:

• Application list
• Advanced rules
• Local Area Network
• Logging
• Security
• Notification

Application list

This is the well-known rule-list that most firewalls have, with specific application which are allowed or blocked on the network when the game profile is active.

You can edit any entry in the list. Right-click to add or remove an entry.

 

For more information on how to use the Application list, please refer to the trouble-shooting guide, which will answer specific questions.

 

Advanced rules

Advanced rules allow you to configure your firewall down to the smallest detail, when the game profile is active.

You can edit any entry in the list. Right-click to add or remove an entry.

 

Note: Advanced rules will overrule Application rules. If you have blocked access for an application here, it will not help to grant it access in the Application rules.

 

For more information on how to use the Advanced rules, please refer to the trouble-shooting guide, which will answer specific questions.

 

Local Area Network

Here you can select your different network interfaces, and choose the rules for browsing your and others computers when the game profile is active.

 

Logging

Here you choose how and what SteelSecurity should log when the game profile is active.

 

Security

Here you configure the intrusion detection for SteelSecurity when the game profile is active.

 

Notifications

Here you configure which notifications the firewall should give you when the game profile is active.

Note: These settings are overruled by the "Suppress SteelSecurity messages" setting in the General Settings of the game profile.