77,000 Steam accounts are hacked every month, according to Valve Software.

In a blog post, the developer and online retailer outlined the extent of Steam's account-hacking issue.

With the addition of trading and the Steam economy, "enough money now moves around the system that stealing virtual Steam goods has become a real business for skilled hackers," the company said.

"What used to be a handful of hackers is now a highly effective, organized network, in the business of stealing and selling items."

"Practically every active Steam account is now involved in the economy, via items or trading cards, with enough value to be worth a hacker’s time. Essentially all Steam accounts are now targets."

The prevalence of hacking is the reason why Steam now has a three-day wait on delivery for traded goods – unless the user has had two-factor authentication enabled for at least one week.

"We see around 77,000 accounts hijacked and pillaged each month. Hackers can wait months for a payoff, all the while relentlessly attempting to gain access. It’s a losing battle to protect your items against someone who steals them for a living."

Steam's mobile app, featuring a two-factor authenticator, is available now for iOS and Android.