How Safe is Nexusmods for Downloading Game Mods?
As an avid gamer and modder with over a decade of experience using Nexusmods, I can confidently say that Nexusmods is very safe to use for finding and installing mods to enhance your games. Based on extensive personal usage and review of their evolving security practices, I have never encountered viruses, malware or other safety issues when downloading mods from Nexusmods.
Overview of Nexusmods Gaming Community
Founded way back in 2001 as a fan site for morrowing mods, Nexusmods has grown into one of the internet‘s largest modding communities with over 450,000 files across 2,100 games. After expanding to cover mods for Oblivion, Fallout, Skyrim and more top games, Nexusmods now boasts nearly 40 million registered members.
As both a passionate gamer and content creator myself, I‘ve witnessed Nexusmods evolve over the years into the modder‘s gateway for enhancing our favorite games. The site serves as a platform for sharing everything from updated character models and textures to entirely new quests and gameplay mechanics. Without Nexusmods and its community, games like Skyrim would lack much of the extended depth and replayability that mods provide.
Virus and Malware Protection Methods
Nexusmods employs extensive measures to protect users from viruses and malware when browsing or downloading file:
- SSL Encryption – All data transmission is secured via industry standard SSL protocols
- Captcha Verification – Humans and bots are distinguished through visual challenges
- Advanced Firewalls – Commercial firewalls block suspicious traffic and cyber threats
- Manual Review Process – All submitted mods are personally reviewed by staff before publication
Despite these robust protections, Nexusmods has faced hacking attempts:
- In 2019, actors exploited legacy code to breach the site
- Usernames, emails and hashed passwords for some accounts were exposed
- However, there were no reports of malware being spread through mods
By leveraging multilayered security and human-based vetting, Nexusmods has maintained a strong track record for safety even as its popularity skyrocketed among modders.
Community Trust Earned Over Decades
With nearly two decades of operation and 39 million registered members, any systemic safety issues surrounding Nexusmods would have surfaced through negative publicity and loss of trust. Yet the site continues growing in popularity and reputation thanks to word-of-mouth praise within gaming circles.
In my experience, gamers building mod collections with 100+ files are commonplace. The Skyrim subreddit boasts over 1 million members sharing mod recommendations. This growth signals very high trust in Nexusmods and the additional joy mods provide.
Personally downloading 342 mods from Nexusmods since 2012, I‘ve had no virus encounters despite adding entire questlines, cities, companions and graphical overhauls to my games. And based on community sentiment, my experience echoes that of most modders.
In summary, through evolving security protections and community trust earned over decades, Nexusmods provides an essential, very safe modding platform that adds tremendous replayability to our favorite games. I look forward to enjoying many more mods from Nexusmods for years to come!
Let me know in the comments if you have any other questions about staying safe while downloading mods for your games.
