We Weren't the Only Ones...

I regret to inform you that no more than 3 days ago, our Guild Vault was robbed.  An inactive but high ranking character by the name of Ogdin, along with his various alts, took dozens high level, high priced items, including a rainbow of Epic Uncut Gems, and promptly left the guild.  The logs list one of the perpetrators as "Unknown," which suggests that the characters were either deleted or transferred to another realm.  This also suggests that this was not a deliberate attack by the player known as Ogdin, but that this player's account was hacked.  This is classic Gold Farmer m/o.

Since then, all inactive profiles have been restricted from the Guild Vault, and Ogdin placed on the Blacklist.  The Hokage has already petitioned the GM's with a full report.  All actions that happen in game are logged, and there is no doubt we will have all stolen items of value returned in time.  The theft itself, while troublesome and frustrating, is not nearly as disturbing as the very likely fact that one of our own was Hacked!

Also, for all Absent-With-Leave Characters returning to play after 1 month or more of inactivity, there will be a 2 week "Quarantine Period," where, regardless of rank, the returning character will not be promoted past Aspirant, thereby minimizing any potential damage a hacked character might do.  If by the end of this period, or even before the end, it is clear that the character is ok and intact, the original rank will be restored. 

Now that this is the official policy, let's talk about Account Security.
 
This post was meant to be an educational one, where I lay out all the insidious ways Gold Farmers and Keyloggers steal player accounts.  However, this problem has existed for quite some time, and Blizzard has an entire department dedicated to investigating, repairing, and actioning this very situation.   However, the level of ignorance that still exists on the part of the player community regarding one's own responsibility, and power, in preventing Hacks is terribly rampant.  Because of this, Blizzard has created its own website specifically designed for Account Security, and the information there is a MUST for all players who wish to keep their accounts secure!  The website can be found here:  

http://us.battle.net/security/index.html 

I strongly suggest that all players who downloads addons, has received suspicious emails, Has or Has considered buying gold, or buying/selling an account and/or characters, and/or shares their account with friends or family, visit this website put together by Blizzard itself.  

As evident by Ogdin's entry into the "Banished!" list, You and You alone are responsible for the actions of your character in game.  The Power and Responsibility to keep your account information secure lies squarely in Your Hands!  Protect yourself!  It is your right and your Duty!

Go, learn and become strong!  Be safe out there!