Account Sercurity and You

This is a bit of information that I compiled in order to help people better protect themselves. When playing an MMO there will always be people that want to trick you so they can steal or hack your account. There are plenty of steps you can take to keep yourself protected.

So why bother?
Well you spend hours working on your characters. Even though this is a game it is also an investment of your time. When someone is hacked it can truly feel like a violation of privacy as if someone had broken into your home. I have also seen where in some situations on other MMO's people would get hacked and in turn empty complete guild banks which in turn affected 100's of people.

This game should be fun but the need to protect yourself should also be remembered.

Anti-virus/Firewall
There are many free/inexpensive anti-virus programs out there to scan your computer for malicious software.

• Malwarebytes
• Avast! Anti-virus

Security Key (Authenticator)
Adding a security key to your account is a great added layer of security. If you have an Iphone or Android there is an app that you can download (for free). For people ordering the key chain it will cost $4.00(USD) plus shipping and handling.

• Physical Security Key
• Android App
• iPhone App

Emails and Communication
Email is the number one way of contact for most companies and Bioware is no different. If you receive an email from them that seems out of place then the best you can do is manually open your browser and visit swtor.com. Any information that they may send you as far as alerts and information will also typically be found under your My Account section.

When in Doubt
If for some reason you feel your account may be compromised for any reason the best thing to do is immediately log into the website and change your password.

If anyone else has anything else to add please feel free to let me know and I'll add it.

Thanks for the post Jon. Even though I'm aware that SW:TOR is the first MMO for many Stonewallers, it's easy to forget this basic information should be shared when you've been involved with these games for over a decade.

I would add that I use Avast! Anti-virus.

It is always highly reviewed by respected PC magazines and sites, and even the free version usually outscores Norton or McAfee due to lack of bloat, stability, ease of use, and the speed with which new threats are added to the protection.

It's been a few years since I've dug into the adware/malware issue, but my plan of attack continues to be both the free version of AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy. I run them, one after the other, once every 3-4 months and have had no issues with malware or adware in over 8 years.

Quote by DakonKor

Thanks for the post Jon. Even though I'm aware that SW:TOR is the first MMO for many Stonewallers, it's easy to forget this basic information should be shared when you've been involved with these games for over a decade.

I would add that I use Avast! Anti-virus.

It is always highly reviewed by respected PC magazines and sites, and even the free version usually outscores Norton or McAfee due to lack of bloat, stability, ease of use, and the speed with which new threats are added to the protection.

It's been a few years since I've dug into the adware/malware issue, but my plan of attack continues to be both the free version of AdAware and Spybot Search & Destroy. I run them, one after the other, once every 3-4 months and have had no issues with malware or adware in over 8 years.

Yeah being in a house full of gamers in different age ranges it's a wake up call to always remember the basics. Thanks for the link I added it to the list.