Apparently Blizzard is releasing a SecurID-like device to add a level of security to WOW authentication. Details can be found here: http://us.blizzard.com/support/artic...660&rhtml=true

This should add an interesting twist on not only account security and account sharing, but ebayed accounts as well. I'll probably get one for the price they are selling it for ($6.50 US) simply because it's worth that much to me to not have to wait two weeks to get my gear back.

If you're not sure how SecurID's work, here's more information on that: Hardware Authenticators

**EDIT**
wowinsider.com is now reporting that The Blizzard Authenticator is one of the things being announced at WWI. Source: Blizzard Authenticator to be introduced at the Worldwide Invitational - WOW Insider

Would someone be willing to [ quote] the article in question for those of us at work?

Here:

I like it. Keyloggers be damned.

Have fun sharing accounts though, oi.

Sounds like a way to assure security for those afraid of keyloggers etc. I doubt it'll stop account selling, since you can send the Authenticator tag to the buyer. In fact, this makes it more secure for the buyer as well, as the original owner won't be able to take the account back as easily.

Do a lot of folks share their accounts with friends? This seems to be the biggest obstacle to getting folks to try it.

I personally don't share my account except for my wife. I don't want anybody accessing my account when I'm not aware of it. I get paranoid when I log in and I'm not standing in the place I left myself.

If anything, with this I'll feel safer sharing my account with friends because I'll know they have to call me when they want access.

I don't share my account information but I know of multiple people that share accounts with friends or others in case they are gone for a raid or event and the rest need a tank, healer or whatnot. I always get a good laugh when the primary user logs back and on and says something like, "Hey! Where'd my spellcloth go?" or "Why am I dead in Stormwind?"

That's a fantastic idea for regions of the world that heavily rely on shared computers.

$6.50 for a fob or NoScript for free...

edit: already said

This does nothing to help people who buy accounts. The FAQ states that it can be removed with a call to Billing dpt. If the person would have had enough information to take back the account without the key, they will probably have enough information to disable the key.

This reduces the ability to account share and the ability to get keylogged, plain and simple.

I am curious as to what web portions will require the token to log into. Account management? Forums? Armory?


And as great as NoScript is, it still doesn't prevent some stuff.

Heck, this means I'm much more likely to rent out some time at a local gaming shop for a guild event.

In my neighborhood we've got this place that has XBoxes, PS3s, Wiis, and a ton of PCs, and a ton of games for them. You can go in and pay like $5 an hour or something to try out a console and play some games on it, or you can rent the whole place out for parties. They have WoW on all their machines and advertise that fact, but I've considered it basically insane to consider using them as you have no idea who else has been doing what on those machines. But these gadgets make that completely safe, so suddenly hosting a WoW party there will no longer be irresponsible.

Yay!

Great idea and super low price! I play WoW with people at work in our game room. The entire company has access to those game room machines. I'll feel a lot safer knowing my account and my guild's bank is safe.

To me, $6.50 is a small price to pay for the extra peace of mind of not having to worry about some other vulnerability compromising your account. Even more so if, like me, you're a GM so your guild's entire bank could potentially be looted through your account.

Any word on if you can have 2 keys per account? Or somehow get 2 copys of 1 key? I am terrible with losing stuff so keeping 1 around my house and 1 on my keychain would be nice. Losing the key would be just as bad as getting hacked in terms of the time it would take to get back to playing

The FAQ states that you can disable the Token via Support & Billing after proving your Identity. e.g. copy of your ID etc...

I would expect a couple of those dollars are going towards shipping. A portion actually goes towards purchasing the physical device. There is also the cost of training support staff with this new program.

Doesn't seem like a huge cost for a one time fee, if you're concerned about security. I'm not seeing a huge potential profit here, just a mostly break even service overall. I do agree that to actually NEED it is a sign of poor personal security practices, but I just can't see it as this huge money grab.


Correction: They may see an increase in profit due to less support time/money being devoted to restoring accounts that have been keylogged.

These fobs are growing in popularity in all sorts of applications. It was only a matter of time before WoW, infested with keyloggers as it is, caught on. I don't see any malice in this.

I noticed when I logged in recently that it said it was uploading nonpersonal computer specs or somesuch. Has this been happening for a while and I forgot about it, or is it something else new for account sharing folks to worry about?

Many professional applications require USB dongles to use them as well, in order to check the rampant piracy. If these fobs become cheap enough, I could see them being packaged with games for the same reason.

Hey, their customers will not get keylogged if they use this, 6.50 is worth it for some people. It may cost more if there is a shipping cost, but still a nice move on Blizzard's part.

The nonpersonal computer thing has been around since pre-tbc, might have even been pre-naxx. I remember the concern about what that meant when it first came out but I can't remember exactly what they were sending and what they needed it for

It just sucks up demographic assumptions about you; Valve does this with Steam too (albeit you can opt-in or out, depending). This process will also poke for various external mods you might be using (or unaware of having).

The Warden (software - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia) for your reading enjoyment.