Posts with tag wow-account-security

We know that all of our readers are swell guys and gals who would never cheat at World of Warcraft, but just in case you needed another reason to avoid that kind of thing, anti-virus maker AVG is reporting that 90% of game hacks contain malware. And beyond the fact that using a hack will get your account banned by Blizzard, malware has a good chance to steal your WoW account and other sensitive information -- like bank account information or credit card numbers.

We know it seems to take forever to grind for gold or levels sometimes, but if you see something offering to get you gold, levels, achievements, or anything else with the click of a button -- don't click! If these things sound too good to be true, they probably are. So instead, keep your account secure by avoiding hacks and being sure you only download addons from trusted sources. Your account, safe and secure, will thank you!

[Via The Escapist]

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If you follow WoW account security, then you've probably heard about (or personally encountered) a recent change to the way Battle.net authenticator devices work. Basically, when you log into the game, the client attempts to determine if you're logging in from your "home" computer or at least a computer you use regularly. It uses several factors to make this determination, such as your MAC address and your IP address. If the information doesn't indicate that the login is taking place from a safe machine, it'll prompt you for your authenticator code. If it is a safe computer, then you'll only be asked for your code randomly, once a week or so.

The change, aimed to make authenticators less of a hassle for those who log on from the same computer quite a bit, caused an odd uproar on the official forums from players who were worried that this change somehow made their account less secure. Addressing these concerns, Blizzard Community Manager Zarhym announced today that Blizzard is working on providing an opt-out option for this convenience feature.

Details were scarce since, as Zarhym noted, Blizzard hasn't quite nailed down specifics yet, but he assured players that it's something Blizzard's been looking into since the authenticator change was first announced.

The full announcement post and followups are after the break.