Project Lore

Awhile back WoW.com reported that Blizzard was having serious discussions about forcing players to use Authenticators.  The behind-closed-doors talks came about due to an increasing number of hacks on player accounts.  Furthermore, many of the compromised users claim to not have shared their passwords with anyone.  The recent Google Ads-based WoW Armory scam was probably the most prolific phishing attempt to date, and has become a prime example to the means people are going to for WoW accounts.

Being a business, Blizzard wants to do everything possible to keep our accounts secure.  Let's not kid ourselves, Blizzard isn't being entirely altruistic in its intentions.  The company has a reputation to hold, it has a service to run, which is only possible with happy users, and by increasing account security as high as possible the company would save a ton of money in support costs.  As it stands right now, the customer service lines can take upwards of an hour to get through to someone.  That's with some 2,500+ customer service personal.

The only thing stopping Blizzard from making Authenticators mandatory is us, the users.  Ever since the rumor started there's been a back-and-forth between users.  Despite an Authenticator offering the utmost security (no confirmed hacks) players are reluctant to apply them because of the hassle or the cost.  Even with the shipping fee now waved, many players are still finding reasons not to purchase the $6 item.

My suggestion to Blizzard is to kill two birds with one stone by giving players a monetary incentive to using the Authenticator.  Any account that has an Authenticator applied, be it mobile or actual, can get a reduction in their subscription fee.  I'm not talking half off, just a dollar.  In six months an actual Authenticator would pay for itself, and in 18 months players would essentially "earn" themselves a free month of play.  All while making Blizzard look good.

It's something us consumers would jump at, but Blizzard will only resort to it as a final solution (the Core Hound Pup being the first attempt). To me, a long-time paying customer, it'd be a nice olive branch.  After all, shouldn't Blizzard's savings be passed on to those that are make it possible?

By employing this tactic players wouldn't feel "forced" into using an Authenticator, so much as "rewarded" for it.



I've been sitting on an Authenticator for months.  Despite receiving a free one as part of my BlizzCon 2009 goodie bag I didn't enable it until two weeks ago.  My delay was partly because I feel that I am an incredibly secure computer user.  I don't head out to fishy sites, I have all sorts of security measures, and, here's the big one, I am the only person that uses the computers that I play on.  Friends and relatives that are not as careful as us, using our otherwise secure computers is a huge culprit in the account security world.  It wasn't until my equally paranoid and security-minded officer was hacked that made me enable my Limited Edition BlizzCon Authenticator.

It only took two weeks for something to go wrong with it.

Okay, that's a bit of a white lie.  Something didn't actually go wrong with the Authenticator per se.  It simply locked me out of my own account.  You'll notice that when I mentioned who used my computer it was actually plural.  That's because I play on multiple machines, two in my house, one at work, and one at my parents house (basically, wherever I spend most of my time has a WoW installation ready for me).  This was the second reason I was resistant to applying my littleRSA token, I knew I'd forget it somewhere eventually.  That's exactly what happened yesterday.

/me thanks C'Thun that it wasn't a raid night.

My mental lapse got me thinking 'What information do I need if something actually happens to my Authenticator.'  Luckily, there's an app FAQ for that. 

Blizzard simply tells you to call in (1-800-592-5499) to verify certain information about your account to resolve all Authenticator issues.  If you can do so, then it's all honky dory.  But what if you can't because that information is outdated, such as college students who move all the time (six times in five years for me).  Keeping the phones numbers, addresses and apartment variables all in order can be a bit difficult alongside a busy class load.

Here's what we need to do to expedite any claim:

• Write down the Authenticator's Serial Number somewhere, this is "the most important thing." Unlike passwords, Blizzard will actually ask for this.   According to the rep, the iPhone's or iPod Touch's Serial Number will change when the item is updated.  She suggests that you remove the Mobile Authenticator from your Battle.net account before the update, and re-apply it after with the new Serial Number.
• Make note of your WoW CD keys.  I have a file on paper and on my computer (encrypted) with CD keys to my most beloved games.  That way I can image the disc and reinstall whenever I need to without digging through boxes or worrying about busted game discs.
• Be sure your Battle.net information is up to date.  This means your phone number, physical address, e-mail address and billing information.  A Customer Service rep may also ask for your World of Warcraft information, which may or may not mirror your Battle.net stuff.  Unfortunately, WoW account information can no longer be changed as far as I can tell.
• Oh, and don't forget the answer to your Secret Question.

It's really not all that much, but it's something we can easily forget to do during our busy lives.  Especially since when we think of World of Warcraft, we think of playing it, not any other "frivolous" activity. 

Think of the maintenance like wearing a helmet when riding a bike.  You may never need it in your life, but if you do, the time spent putting it on every time makes it more than worth the trouble.

Edit: Direct Link to Battle.net Mobile Authenticator on iTunes App Store WoWInsider is reporting that the rumored iPhone Authenticator App is now available for free download on the App Store. I quickly grabbed my iPhone and did a quick search for "Blizzard" on the App store and a scrolled towards the bottom, revealing that it was indeed available for no charge! iPhone users will have to convert their WoW accounts to Battle.net in order to take advantage, but the App is a great alternative for those who haven't been able to find the $6.50 Authenticators due to the constant Sold Out status on the Blizzard store. This should also help relieve some of those supply issues as most users who have the ability will likely choose to use the iPhone over an extra device to carry. The description of the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator on the iPhone App Store is:

Do you play World of Warcraft using a Battle.net account? Protect the account with the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator for you iPhone, an optional tool that offers an additional layer of security to help prevent unauthorized account access. The Battle.net Mobile Authenticator gives you the security of two-factor authentication. Each time you log in to a Battle.net account, you'll use the Battle.net Mobile Authenticator to generate a unique one-time use password to use in addition to your regular password. Log in with both and you can rest easy knowing that the account is more secure against unauthorized access.

Now, since installing the program, I haven't been able to find it again on the App Store. Also, many users seem to be having problems finding it in other regions like the UK and Canada. Anyone out there able to get the App installed on your iPhone or iPod Touch? For now, I'll hang on to my key fob, but I may soon be able to get rid of it since I'll always have my phone on me. Of course, that also means I'll have to keep the iPhone charged.

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We saw a glimmer of this when installing Wrath, and its now beginning. Players now have the option to create an overarching Battle.net account and link all of their Blizzard games together. This may become mandatory in the future. After registering, you can "merge" your WoW account and your Battle.net account. Whenever you login to WoW, you then use your Battle.net credentials, namely the email address you used for your Battle.net account and your new password. Login for the non-WoW Blizzard games still uses their existing logon system and they will not (yet?) accept the new Battle.net credentials. You can add StarCraft Anthology, Warcraft III, Warcraft III: The Frozen Throne, Warcraft Battle Chest, Diablo II, Diablo II: Lord of Destruction, and Diablo II Battle Chest into your Battle.net account by providing the site with your CD key. You can also buy a CD key online from the Blizzard store. You are then able to download the fully patched game to your computer using the standard Blizzard downloader used for all WoW patches and media, and in the future there may be more integrated features to unify the games. Warcraft II Battle.net edition is notably not on the list. In the future, its likely that we will see "account wide achievements" and other such things. Its unclear how or if the older games will play into this, but you can be certain that Starcraft II, Diablo III, and the currently unannounced MMO that Blizzard is working on will use the new Battle.net heavily. Warcraft II, Warcraft III, Diablo II, and Starcraft all shared the same Battle.net servers and game channels could be joined by anyone from any of those games. I'd love to see WoW join in on this, as I still hop on Warcraft III and Starcraft once in a while and would like to chat with players across all of these games. In addition, Blizzard annouced that the highly popular Blizzard authenticator will be available as an application for mobile devices, namely the iPhone and iPod touch. Its a great piece of equipment that improves account security. It is being re-branded as the Battle.net authenticator. The authenticator will work with all Battle.net games. Downloadable software is much easier to keep in stock than hardware, so hopefully this will provide players with a venue to get an authenticator. Price is not yet announced, and it may be free to increase account security. Since mobile devices (especially the iPod) must authenticate over the internet, I don't think its unlikely that an exploit to replicate the authenticator will happen at some point in the future.

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So I'm all for taking some risks every once in awhile, but from time to time it's best to play it safe. Ever been in a pug and some tool rushes in and pulls the boss? Or worse yet, they tell you in chat that they know what they are doing or how close they can get but still pull the pat? Holy crap that makes me got nuts! I wish there was an ingame fine or something we could give to tools, not noobs cuz we were all noobs at one time, but tools who think they know the game inside and out and end up wiping the raid and costing me 5 dailies worth of gold. So for group sake, play it safe... a little at least if you don't really know what the heck you are doing. Don't rush into rooms. Don't pull mobs until a ready check. Don't back into another pat because you weren't looking. Just think. Play smart. Play safe. And in RL, play it safe too. Get yourself a Blizzard Authenticator today. I know too many people who have had their account hacked or keylogged only to see their gold and gear gone when they finally get their account back. I don't get any kick back from this and I have no contact with the people who sell them. I even play on a Mac for the most part and I still use a authenticator. Why? Cuz I put years into this game and I want to put years more into it and I want to play it safe and protect my account. If you don't get this, do virus checks or check your computer for strange apps or weird network traffic or memory usage spikes. Or better yet, play on a Mac exclusively. I would but I sometimes have to log in at ProjectLore and play on a PC, hence the account authenticator. What ever your choice is, play it safe, and for group sake, don't pull the boss.

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Reading through the comments, it seems like a few of you got what I like to call the perfect gift: cash. The possibilities are endless when you get a gift like cash. Of course you can use it on whatever you like, be it video games, movies, comics, or silly things like food and rent. The choice is really yours, but my suggestion to anyone who has put any significant amount of time into WoW should spend just a few dollars to keep that investment safe. Most of you have met someone who's account has been compromised. A few months back I was without internet and needed to get my WoW fix, so I logged in at a public WiFi hotspot. Turns out that was a pretty bad decision, since the next day I woke up with emails concerning a character transfer that I didn't initiate. After I called Blizzard to get my password reset and got most of my equipment restored (I had most of my gear back within an hour), the first thing I did was purchase a Blizzard Authenticator for the low low price of $6.50. A couple of days later, I got a small manila envelope with the device, then learned that there were authenticators included in the BlizzCon swag bags. Well, now I have an extra that I'll be giving to a friend who recently had his account compromised. I hate to sound like an advertisement, but this is just some advice from me to you. Besides, demand is so high that authenticators aren't even in stock right now. There are other ways to keep your account safe while Blizzard gets authenticators back in stock, like following Blizzard's Account Security tips, but many people I know who have lost control of their accounts have said that they follow all of those. Of course, I made a critical mistake with my own account, but using the Authenticator gives another level of security, and to me the peace of mind is worth the $6.50. Now if only we could get other online services like banks to use Two-Factor Authentication

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Well, it's officially official. Activision Blizzard is now the world's largest publisher of video games. While Blizzard's FAQ states that the merger will have no effect on anything of much importance at Blizzard, the company has already started selling (and has already sold out of) plastic accessories designed to enhance the World of Warcraft experience. Remind you of any other games published by one of these companies? The problem is that this piece of plastic is just for security purposes, and all you do is punch in numbers from one screen onto another. What is this game, a giant spreadsheet? Far from a new game enhancment. Blizzard should grab a couple of developers from Activision to make a guitar that requires a kick ass solo before you can log in to WoW. Everyone knows that Vivendi could learn a thing or two from Blizzard, but Blizzard still has a ways to go with accessory based gaming experiences.

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