Ever had an account hacked? Yes? But you don't know what you did wrong! Well if you read through this I will explain a few methods on how to improve your security of your account(s) by just using basic measures.
First you need to know a few thing about the types of account thefts.
The following point could be your cause of the loss of your account;
-Sharing Account Info
-Phishing Emails
-In-game Phishing
-Gold Sellers and Leveling Services
-Malicious Add-ons
-Malicious Websites
I'll go through each of the points stated above.
Sharing Account Info
Sharing your account information is not smart at all, even if its your closest friend or even family, I'm not saying you shouldn't trust people but it might not be wise to share something that can change a person by greed.
Phishing Emails
These are ones of the most used methods these days, there is not a day when you won't get e phishing mail in your e-mail account. These are easy to identify.
1. You can identify them by the link, they always have a extra long re-directed link.
2. They are alway asking for login details or banking information
3. Look at the e-mails address, they are mostly hidden under a fake one.
Make sure you activate your e-mail phisher filter which are usually standard within a Hotmail account I don't know about other e- mail providers.
In-game Phishing
For every gamer which plays online games you might have had a few private messages saying that the person messaging you is a Gamer Master (GM) and he needs you account information, this doesn't seem to be a very effect way to get your account stolen but people fall for it. Remember Admins/Game Master don't need you telling them about you account details if they wanted it they are authorized to access those details which mean they don't need you to tell them.
Gold Sellers and Leveling Services
Again this is aimed at gamers mainly but the same logic can be used for other scenarios. Isn't it great to sit and do nothing while your in-game character gets boosted to the moon? (No not really, its cheap and ruins the satisfaction of reaching those achievements). So what you've just payed an shaddy company to level your character and earn some gold at the same time, they receive your account details. Once they are finished and provide you with the services you've bought do you think they destroy your account details which they own... of course they don't therefore you account is in great risk of being hijacked.
Malicious Add-ons
This can be applied in both casual internet users and gamers. What is an add-on? (a piece of software which enhances another software application and usually cannot be run independently)
Now that you know this you'd probably understand that a browser called Firefox has MANY add-ons. Also games such as World of Warcraft has 10000's of add-ons. Within these add-ons malicious software could be hidden which might be able to gain personal information from you.
Malicious Websites
Malicious website mainly target your browsers weak spots by trying to install malicious software, mostly add-ons like toolbars or hidden files which then would be send to a secure location on your hard-drive.
There are website that might look like legit ones but make sure they really are if you doubt it, check the URL or you could right click and then check the properties if your browser has something like this, on chrome you can do "Inspect Element" and view if the site is valid or not.
Always keep your browser and anti-virus software up-to-date, this prevents from these kind of thing to penetrate your computers defenses.
Methods on how to make sure you and your computer are protected!
Web Browser Updates
Most people don't know that web browsers is such a vulnerable program, its no different from your operating system for it is also created through codes/scripts. Bug are found once in a while and there are people who know how to abuse those bugs to their advantage, this might lead into you being the victim of this therefore update you browser once a update is available is advice for an update is not released when everything is working well. Updates might also provide you with extra protection which being added to the browsers security.
Here is a list of some trusted web browsers which you might use or know:
-Internet Explorer
-Firefox
-Opera
-Safari
-Chrome
I myself use Chrome (Google Chrome) I find it an excellent browser to use also sometimes I use Firefox. Firefox can provide you with many extras through add-ons but do remember not all add-ons are safe so please do take care when using add-ons.
Also recently there was a report on malicious software being inject into Adobe Flash object on website, make sure to update to the latest versions and update for hot-fix's to avoid trouble which you might come in contact with.
Active you browsing phisher filter
Quote:For Internet Explorer (version IE7 and later):
Open Internet Explorer.
Click on the Tools button, click on Phishing Filter, and then click on Turn on Automatic Website Checking. (If the menu lists Turn off Automatic Website Checking instead, this means the phishing filter is already enabled.)
When the pop-up window appears, ensure that the Turn on Automatic Website Checking option is checked and click "Ok."
For FireFox (version 2 and later):
Open FireFox.
Click on Tools, click on Options, and then click on Security.
Ensure that Warn me when sites try to install add-ons, Block reported attack sites, and Block reported web forgeries are all checked.
For Opera (version 9.1 and later):
Open Opera.
Click on on Tools, click on Preferences, click on Advanced, and then click on Security.
Ensure that Enable Fraud Detection is checked.
This was taking from: Blizzard - World of Warcraft
Update your operating system
This contains the same concept as the web browser, updating your operating system when available is a wise thing to do. As explained above hot-fix's might be release or new security measures.
Install anti-virus software
[quote]Antivirus Software and Anti-Spyware Software
An important step in account and computer security is to ensure that no viruses, key loggers, or Trojans are installed on your computer system. If these malicious programs are present, your account may be at risk of compromise.
Fortunately, there are many different types of software available to help you identify and (if necessary) remove such malicious programs from your computer system. Please take some time to review the following recommendations to determine what Internet security software may be best for you.
(Disclaimer: Although we recommend Internet security software, we cannot directly support it. Please contact the distributor of the software for information and product support.)
Process Library
In order to determine whether or not a virus, keylogger, or Trojan has infected your computer, it may be necessary to review the processes which are running on your computer.
Process Library.com is a free tool that provides the latest information about spyware, adware, virus, Trojans, system processes, and other common applications. We highly suggest you use this program to gain a better understanding of what is currently running on your computer system. You can download it for free here.
Antivirus Software
Antivirus software is a type of program that scans a computer's memory and storage space to identify and eliminate viruses. We recommend that you install and then run more than one antivirus program while the World of Warcraft launcher open, as some programs may be able to detect what another cannot. To avoid complications with the software, however, please do not run multiple antivirus programs at once.
AVG Free
Kaspersky
Malwarebyte's Anti-Malware
Moosoft
NOD32
Symantec Security Check
Outpost Security Site PRO
Trojan Remover
Avast!
Microsoft Security Essentials
Norton Antivirus (Macintosh specific)
Note: Many antivirus programs will periodically issue software updates. Please make sure your antivirus programs are up-to-date before beginning your scan.
Anti-Spyware
Anti-Spyware software is a type of program that scans a computer's storage space and services to identify and eliminate programs designed to monitor computer usage beyond the user's acceptance. Among many technical issues, spyware can also cause crashing, minimizing of the game window, and connection issues. We recommend that you install and then run more than one anti-spyware program while the World of Warcraft launcher open, as some programs may be able to detect what another cannot.
AdAware
Microsoft Windows Defender
Spybot – Search & Destroy
