Comments on: How to Improve your Account Security http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/ If One Toon Just Isn't Enough, You Can Always Roll Another 49 Wed, 07 Jan 2009 19:03:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.7 hourly 1 By: Safely Change your Passwords with a Linux Live CD | Altitis http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-1296 Safely Change your Passwords with a Linux Live CD | Altitis Tue, 22 Apr 2008 08:08:02 +0000 http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-1296 [...] Safely Changing your WoW Password Written by Gwaendar on April 22, 2008 – 9:07 am - In the wake of another round of account hacking - Emeritus blogging tank HonorsHammer is one of the latest prominent victims - let me restate one important element of my advice regarding account security. [...] [...] Safely Changing your WoW Password Written by Gwaendar on April 22, 2008 – 9:07 am - In the wake of another round of account hacking - Emeritus blogging tank HonorsHammer is one of the latest prominent victims - let me restate one important element of my advice regarding account security. [...]

]]> By: The Lords of Nordrassil » Blog Archive » WoW Account Security http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-611 The Lords of Nordrassil » Blog Archive » WoW Account Security Mon, 21 Jan 2008 01:17:19 +0000 http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-611 [...] in the spirit of new years resolutions and all that, it is probably a good time to highlight Altitis’ guide to improving your account security. I don’t fully agree with all of the points, but if you read the post and also the comments [...] [...] in the spirit of new years resolutions and all that, it is probably a good time to highlight Altitis’ guide to improving your account security. I don’t fully agree with all of the points, but if you read the post and also the comments [...]

]]> By: Flaime http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-417 Flaime Sat, 29 Dec 2007 15:07:16 +0000 http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-417 Two thoughts: Ad Aware isn't perfect (nor do they claim to be), so I use both AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy (do a search for Spybot S&D - the link that takes you to safernetworking.net or something like that is the one you want). The whole guild bank thing is, as far as I know, still bugged in that people who are invited to a guild (new or same) who were previously officers, can still have officer access, even if they aren't an officer rank. Two thoughts:
Ad Aware isn’t perfect (nor do they claim to be), so I use both AdAware and Spybot Search and Destroy (do a search for Spybot S&D - the link that takes you to safernetworking.net or something like that is the one you want).

The whole guild bank thing is, as far as I know, still bugged in that people who are invited to a guild (new or same) who were previously officers, can still have officer access, even if they aren’t an officer rank.

]]> By: Gwaendar http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-412 Gwaendar Fri, 28 Dec 2007 00:53:27 +0000 http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-412 @KT - point taken. However we're no longer talking about a "simple" keylogger, and anything more complex has also a bigger footprint and may raise the chances to get intercepted by an AV's real time scanner component. @Matticus: Heh, it's been 20 years or so since I have been an authority on Macs, sorry :) @Someone: The payload in an addon package could be triggered by a readme.html included in the package, though. @KT - point taken. However we’re no longer talking about a “simple” keylogger, and anything more complex has also a bigger footprint and may raise the chances to get intercepted by an AV’s real time scanner component.

@Matticus: Heh, it’s been 20 years or so since I have been an authority on Macs, sorry :)

@Someone: The payload in an addon package could be triggered by a readme.html included in the package, though.

]]> By: Someone http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-411 Someone Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:47:22 +0000 http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-411 @Matticus: it depends on whether you downloaded a ZIP file and extracted the contents yourself or downloaded some self-extracting (aka: EXEcutable) file and ran that. If it's a ZIP file and you extracted the files yourself without running any .EXE, then you're perfectly fine. Of course, even if you download a ZIP file and extract the files yourself, it MAY still carry a virus of keylogger! But unless you MANUALLY run that .EXE, it can stay on your system for YEARS without it being even slightly compromised! There's no way for the script .LUA files to launch an external program, so as long as you don't double-click that .EXE, your system is 100% safe, even if there's a VIRUS, TROJAN, KEYLOGGER or whatever in there! The fact that AVG detected a virus, doesn't mean that it was ACTIVE: it simply detected an infected file. As long as YOU don't run that file, you're 100% safe. @Matticus: it depends on whether you downloaded a ZIP file and extracted the contents yourself or downloaded some self-extracting (aka: EXEcutable) file and ran that. If it’s a ZIP file and you extracted the files yourself without running any .EXE, then you’re perfectly fine.

Of course, even if you download a ZIP file and extract the files yourself, it MAY still carry a virus of keylogger! But unless you MANUALLY run that .EXE, it can stay on your system for YEARS without it being even slightly compromised! There’s no way for the script .LUA files to launch an external program, so as long as you don’t double-click that .EXE, your system is 100% safe, even if there’s a VIRUS, TROJAN, KEYLOGGER or whatever in there!

The fact that AVG detected a virus, doesn’t mean that it was ACTIVE: it simply detected an infected file. As long as YOU don’t run that file, you’re 100% safe.

]]> By: Matticus http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-410 Matticus Thu, 27 Dec 2007 18:32:08 +0000 http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-410 I don't know about that, Someone. I got burned by an XPerl installation several months ago (The results of an AVG scan showed a trojan in that folder). Gwaen, I'm not sure if you're a Mac authority or not but do mac users need to be worried about keylogging at all? I don’t know about that, Someone. I got burned by an XPerl installation several months ago (The results of an AVG scan showed a trojan in that folder).

Gwaen, I’m not sure if you’re a Mac authority or not but do mac users need to be worried about keylogging at all?

]]> By: Someone http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-409 Someone Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:42:58 +0000 http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-409 Pretty nice guide with one main exception: Add-ons, in and of themselves, are 100% safe. Period. I'm making this comment because you seem to imply that add-ons are can be dangerous when in fact they CAN'T. What you need to be suspicious about (and generally err on the safe side as well), is of those add-ons that don't come as a ZIP or RAR file. There are a couple exceptions, but for 99.99% of the add-ons, they don't require an external program to do their job. So don't trust INSTALLERS or EXEcutables. If the add-on needs those, maybe it's time to consider whether you're willing to take the risk: it has happened that some of those carried virus/trojans/keyloggers and the add-on sites didn't find them at first taking a few days to find them infected and meanwhile, they had been downloaded/installed by users. I personally only use AceUpdater, but that's a risk I'm willing to take as I keep my system fairly secure (I'm a programmer so I know my way around computers). If in doubt, DON'T run any add-ons that require EXEcutables: as long as it's a bunch of LUA/TOC/Graphics/Sound files, you're fine and safe. Also, if you HAVE been infected, and you're not a computer expert, then DON'T try to fix it yourself: some recent trojans/keyloggers/etc are a challenge even for seasoned computer experts so you may think you removed it and are safe only to find out the truth too late. Play it safe and ask a friend: surely you know someone or someone's friend who is a computer expert and can help you securely remove that trash. Overall, nice guide. BTW, and for the record: I use Firefox with No-Script and AdBlock Plus, Norton Anti-Virus and ZoneAlarm configured to block pretty much every program's internet access and allowing only those I'm 100% sure that they NEED to, such as WoW. I don't run a spyware program as those tend to give a false sense of danger (maybe to make the user happy for running them!) by calling everything under the moon a problem, from cookies to whatever and most have this annoying trend of "forcing" the users to upgrade to paid versions to even have access to basic functions such as being able to select a single drive to scan rather than the whole system... Also, being a computer expert myself, I have my set of trusty command-line or small windows utilities and even Knoppix, to use when I want to check my system. Pretty nice guide with one main exception: Add-ons, in and of themselves, are 100% safe. Period. I’m making this comment because you seem to imply that add-ons are can be dangerous when in fact they CAN’T.

What you need to be suspicious about (and generally err on the safe side as well), is of those add-ons that don’t come as a ZIP or RAR file. There are a couple exceptions, but for 99.99% of the add-ons, they don’t require an external program to do their job. So don’t trust INSTALLERS or EXEcutables. If the add-on needs those, maybe it’s time to consider whether you’re willing to take the risk: it has happened that some of those carried virus/trojans/keyloggers and the add-on sites didn’t find them at first taking a few days to find them infected and meanwhile, they had been downloaded/installed by users.

I personally only use AceUpdater, but that’s a risk I’m willing to take as I keep my system fairly secure (I’m a programmer so I know my way around computers). If in doubt, DON’T run any add-ons that require EXEcutables: as long as it’s a bunch of LUA/TOC/Graphics/Sound files, you’re fine and safe.

Also, if you HAVE been infected, and you’re not a computer expert, then DON’T try to fix it yourself: some recent trojans/keyloggers/etc are a challenge even for seasoned computer experts so you may think you removed it and are safe only to find out the truth too late. Play it safe and ask a friend: surely you know someone or someone’s friend who is a computer expert and can help you securely remove that trash.

Overall, nice guide.

BTW, and for the record: I use Firefox with No-Script and AdBlock Plus, Norton Anti-Virus and ZoneAlarm configured to block pretty much every program’s internet access and allowing only those I’m 100% sure that they NEED to, such as WoW.

I don’t run a spyware program as those tend to give a false sense of danger (maybe to make the user happy for running them!) by calling everything under the moon a problem, from cookies to whatever and most have this annoying trend of “forcing” the users to upgrade to paid versions to even have access to basic functions such as being able to select a single drive to scan rather than the whole system…

Also, being a computer expert myself, I have my set of trusty command-line or small windows utilities and even Knoppix, to use when I want to check my system.

]]> By: KT http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-407 KT Thu, 27 Dec 2007 16:26:37 +0000 http://altitis.treehuggers.info/2007/12/27/how-to-improve-your-account-security/#comment-407 I disagree with point 5. If they have a keylogger installed, then they can have _anything_ installed and it's rather trivial to pull your account name out of the WoW\WTF folder; not only is your account name used as a directory, if you're using "Remember account name", the account name is stored in the config.wtf file. - KT I disagree with point 5. If they have a keylogger installed, then they can have _anything_ installed and it’s rather trivial to pull your account name out of the WoW\WTF folder; not only is your account name used as a directory, if you’re using “Remember account name”, the account name is stored in the config.wtf file.

- KT

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