account-security-guide
Latest
The Heartbleed bug and its effect (or lack thereof) on Battle.net
The Heartbleed bug, as it's been dubbed, is certainly hot news lately, with various sites being impacted and password reset advice abounding. But Blizzard has some good news: Battle.net was unaffected. However, the advice is to change your password if you used the same one elsewhere. This is especially true if you're using the same email and password combination as you use for your Battle.net account on other sites. A big way that players get hacked, especially those without authenticators, is that their guild forums get hacked, or their email gets hacked, or their Facebook. Once those username and password combinations are known, it's possible for hackers to try them in various different places, one of which might be your Battle.net account. So be careful, mix up your passwords, and in light of these recent security issues, consider changing your passwords. It's also a good idea, again as a general rule, to get into the habit of changing your passwords fairly regularly, for everything. So now might be a great time to start, even though Battle.net is unaffected by the recent issues. Hit the break for Blizzard's full post.
Resolve to improve your account security in 2014
Blizzard's European Customer Support team has invited players to make a New Year's resolution that we at WoW Insider can definitely support. It's easier than giving up chocolate, and probably more useful than that gym subscription you were planning on getting. Thinking about New Year's resolutions? Improve your account and computer security! http://t.co/8mO7przV68 #SafeGaming - Blizzard CS EU (@BlizzardCSEU_EN) December 28, 2013 Following the link in the tweet above will take you to their page on account security that is just packed with helpful tips to secure your battle.net account, and your computer. Some of the most common causes of account theft relate to lax security on the side of the user, and following these tips can really help you avoid that. There's also legitimate links to all the major sources of free anti-virus software, and the article is packed with other tips to avoid things like phishing sites, spyware, and malicious processes. In the absence of physical items on the battle.net store, there's also advice on retailers that can sell you authenticators.
Blizzard posts new account security guide
Make no mistake: it really sucks when your WoW account gets compromised. Even with the speed with which compromises are handled by the support department nowadays, it's still a pain to have to wait to get your stuff back -- and it's even worse to know that someone was in there mucking around with your dudes, you know? Blizzard's been better about helping people with account security problems recently, like giving out free authenticators to some hacked accounts and offering a free phone-in authenticator service, but in the end, a lot of the responsibility falls on you the player to keep your account secure. To that end, Blizzard has assembled a new account security guide. It's a pretty comprehensive list of the steps you can take to secure your account, from getting an authenticator to learning how to recognize phishing emails to making sure that your computer itself is secured through the use of antivirus software. Learn it, live it, love it. In account security, as in Planeteering, the power is yours.
