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What happened in the Blizzard data breach?

What happened in the Blizzard data breach?

Twingate Team

May 23, 2024

In August 2012, Blizzard Entertainment experienced a data breach involving unauthorized access to their internal network. The breach affected users of their Battle.net gaming portal, compromising personal data such as usernames and encrypted passwords. However, no financial information was reported to be at risk.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 14 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach consisted of usernames, encrypted passwords, email addresses, and personal security questions, but did not include financial information or Social Security numbers.

How was Blizzard hacked?

Attackers breached Blizzard's internal network through unauthorized and illegal access, compromising personal data of Battle.net users, including usernames, encrypted passwords, email addresses, and personal security questions. The exact size of the hack remains undisclosed, but it affected millions of players worldwide, particularly those on North American servers.

Blizzard's solution

In response to the hack, Blizzard took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. The company quickly closed off the unauthorized access and began working with law enforcement and security experts to investigate the breach. Blizzard's collaboration with cybersecurity experts played a crucial role in addressing the situation. The company's president and co-founder, Mike Morhaime, posted an "important security update" on the site to inform users about the breach, and Blizzard recommended that players on North American servers change their passwords as a precaution.

How do I know if I was affected?

Blizzard notified users believed to be affected by the breach. If you're a Battle.net user and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it to the appropriate platform or service provider immediately.

For more specific help and instructions related to Blizzard's data breach, please contact Blizzard Support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Blizzard data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

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What happened in the Blizzard data breach?

What happened in the Blizzard data breach?

Twingate Team

May 23, 2024

In August 2012, Blizzard Entertainment experienced a data breach involving unauthorized access to their internal network. The breach affected users of their Battle.net gaming portal, compromising personal data such as usernames and encrypted passwords. However, no financial information was reported to be at risk.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 14 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach consisted of usernames, encrypted passwords, email addresses, and personal security questions, but did not include financial information or Social Security numbers.

How was Blizzard hacked?

Attackers breached Blizzard's internal network through unauthorized and illegal access, compromising personal data of Battle.net users, including usernames, encrypted passwords, email addresses, and personal security questions. The exact size of the hack remains undisclosed, but it affected millions of players worldwide, particularly those on North American servers.

Blizzard's solution

In response to the hack, Blizzard took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. The company quickly closed off the unauthorized access and began working with law enforcement and security experts to investigate the breach. Blizzard's collaboration with cybersecurity experts played a crucial role in addressing the situation. The company's president and co-founder, Mike Morhaime, posted an "important security update" on the site to inform users about the breach, and Blizzard recommended that players on North American servers change their passwords as a precaution.

How do I know if I was affected?

Blizzard notified users believed to be affected by the breach. If you're a Battle.net user and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it to the appropriate platform or service provider immediately.

For more specific help and instructions related to Blizzard's data breach, please contact Blizzard Support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Blizzard data breach, check out the following news articles:

Rapidly implement a modern Zero Trust network that is more secure and maintainable than VPNs.

What happened in the Blizzard data breach?

Twingate Team

May 23, 2024

In August 2012, Blizzard Entertainment experienced a data breach involving unauthorized access to their internal network. The breach affected users of their Battle.net gaming portal, compromising personal data such as usernames and encrypted passwords. However, no financial information was reported to be at risk.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 14 million individuals.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach consisted of usernames, encrypted passwords, email addresses, and personal security questions, but did not include financial information or Social Security numbers.

How was Blizzard hacked?

Attackers breached Blizzard's internal network through unauthorized and illegal access, compromising personal data of Battle.net users, including usernames, encrypted passwords, email addresses, and personal security questions. The exact size of the hack remains undisclosed, but it affected millions of players worldwide, particularly those on North American servers.

Blizzard's solution

In response to the hack, Blizzard took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. The company quickly closed off the unauthorized access and began working with law enforcement and security experts to investigate the breach. Blizzard's collaboration with cybersecurity experts played a crucial role in addressing the situation. The company's president and co-founder, Mike Morhaime, posted an "important security update" on the site to inform users about the breach, and Blizzard recommended that players on North American servers change their passwords as a precaution.

How do I know if I was affected?

Blizzard notified users believed to be affected by the breach. If you're a Battle.net user and haven't received a notification, you may visit Have I Been Pwned to check your credentials.

What should affected users do?

In general, affected users should:

  1. Change Your Password: Immediately update your password for the breached account. Make sure the new password is strong and unique, not previously used on any other platform.

  2. Reset Passwords for Other Accounts: If you've used the same or similar passwords for other online accounts, reset those as well. This is crucial as attackers often try using stolen passwords on multiple sites.

  3. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Activate 2FA on the breached account. Consider enabling this additional security feature on all other important online accounts to significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access.

  4. Monitor Your Accounts: Keep an eye on your accounts for any suspicious activity. If you notice anything unusual, report it to the appropriate platform or service provider immediately.

For more specific help and instructions related to Blizzard's data breach, please contact Blizzard Support directly.

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Blizzard data breach, check out the following news articles: