account-theft
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SOE's advice on keeping your account safe from theft
We can't stress it enough, but most account theft is preventable. Whether you've let your significant other borrow your account for a day, or your password is "12345", just like it is on your luggage, you've probably had a hand in your own account's demise in one way or another.Over at SOE, they're trying to make the whole process a bit smoother by informing players on the dangers of account theft and how serious it can be. They've heard the stories of emptied guild banks, disbanded guilds and stripped characters, which they say is often the direct result of sharing account information. Check out the entire article for more of their tips and recommendations for keeping your account safe, and making their job a bit easier....And change the combination on your luggage!
Blizzard's WoW Authenticator to be revealed at WWI
An added security feature for those worried about account theft, Blizzard is introducing an Authenticator at this weekend's Worldwide Invitational (WWI) in Paris. The Authenticator is a piece of hardware (we're guessing USB-related) has a button you press whenever you start World of Warcraft that must be inputted to log in. The purpose of the dongle is to prevent keyloggers and other instances of account theft. We doubt it's the big suprise, but it's certainly good news for those worried about security. More information can be found via the FAQ.
Blizzard Authenticator to be introduced at the Worldwide Invitational
The problem with keyloggers and other methods of account theft has been well documented here at WoW Insider, and it seems like a constant problem. Even the most conscientious of players has fallen prey to it. However, at the Worldwide Invitational, Blizzard is introducing a little piece of hardware that could make those problems vanish. Say hello to the Blizzard Authenticator. The Authenticator is a small piece of hardware that you can associate with your World of Warcraft account. Once the Authenticator is associated with the account, you will need it to log on. Every time you log on, you press a button on the Authenticator to generate a six-digit code that you must input to log on. Since only you know the code, and it's generated apart from your computer at the time you're ready to log on, it will be safe from trojans, keyloggers, and other hacks. The Authenticator will be available at the WWI to start, then eventually at the Blizzard Store. The starting price being quoted by Blizzard is $6.50 -- a small price to pay for safety from a ransacked bank and naked server transferred characters, for many. Is this the big announcement though? It's possible, of course, but we like to think there's more in store at the WWI. Stay tuned here, and we'll let you know.
McAfee report reveals the most dangerous web domains
In an era where clicking on the wrong link while browsing the web could mean your account will get hacked, and one of your guild members clicking on the wrong link means your guild bank could get emptied as well, it's always good to protect yourself and keep abreast of web security issues. In that vein, it's worth checking out a new report released by McAfee called Mapping the Mal Web Report Revisited. It tested 9.9 Million websites in 265 domains to find out which ones had a higher risk of exposing visitors to malware, spam, and malicious attacks via a red, yellow, and green system.
Beware of scam e-mails!
I've heard of plenty of reports of scammers trying to get your account information with e-mails claiming to be from Blizzard, but after having one land in my Around Azeroth mailbox, I thought I'd share it with you. And while we're at it, we can talk about how you can tell that an e-mail came from Blizzard or not.First off -- this didn't come to my primary e-mail address. Blizzard doesn't know me as "aroundazeroth@gmail.com" so any mail going there has to be bogus. And secondly, it's coming from Blizzard Europe, while I don't have a European account. However, if this had landed in my primary mailbox, and substituted US contact information for EU contact information, I'd have to take it seriously -- after all, it appears to have been sent from blizzard.com and it sounds awfully ominous. They suspect me of trying to sell my account and they're going to suspend it unless I verify it! Yikes!However, here's the big catch: after going through all of their ominous threats, they tell me to give them my account name and password. Nope, sorry. A Blizzard representative will never ask for your account name and password -- so don't give it out to anyone claiming to be with Blizzard, because that's all the information they need to take over your account. And if you get a mail like this that you're just not sure about -- don't give them any information, but confirm its authenticity with Blizzard, first. Get in touch with their billing support team by phone or e-mail!For those of you curious as to what one of these scams looks like, the full text of the e-mail is after the jump.
Is Your Warcraft Account More Valuable Than Your Credit Card Info?
Microsoft has caught on to what many Warcraft players already realized - our characters and in-game items are valuable. And for some, the value of your account itself is higher than that of the credit card you use to play the game with, making account theft a lucrative target. And, while Blizzard can help restore stolen in-game goods, once your account has been compromised, it's a long and tedious process to get it back. So in all cases, it's better to protect your account before-hand - while most of it's common sense, Blizzard has some good advice on that front.[Fan art by Sarah Jaffe]
