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What happened in the Nintendo data breach?

What happened in the Nintendo data breach?

Twingate Team

May 23, 2024

In April 2020, Nintendo experienced a data breach affecting numerous Nintendo Network ID (NNID) accounts for Nintendo Switch users. The breach involved unauthorized access to user accounts, compromising personal information and leading to fraudulent transactions for some users.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 300,000 users.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included credit card information, email addresses, geographic locations, names, Nintendo Network ID usernames, and unauthorized purchase transactions.

How was Nintendo hacked?

Hackers compromised thousands of Nintendo Switch accounts by exploiting the Nintendo Network ID (NNID) system, which lacked two-factor authentication. They used methods such as credential stuffing, phishing, and brute force attacks to gain unauthorized access to users' personal information and saved payment details. As a result, some users experienced fraudulent transactions on their accounts. Nintendo has since removed the faulty login function using the NNID and implemented additional security measures.

Nintendo's solution

In response to the hack, Nintendo took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. This included abolishing logins to all Nintendo Accounts via the vulnerable Nintendo Network ID (NNID) system and resetting passwords of compromised NNIDs as well as single sign-on accounts. The company also warned users not to use the same password for NNID and the Nintendo Account, as that would allow illegal payments with the user's registered credit card or PayPal account.

How do I know if I was affected?

Nintendo reached out to affected users in the aftermath of the data breach. If you are a Nintendo user and have not received any notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were affected.

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, and report any unauthorized transactions or changes to the appropriate support teams.

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

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Nintendo 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 Nintendo data breach?

What happened in the Nintendo data breach?

Twingate Team

May 23, 2024

In April 2020, Nintendo experienced a data breach affecting numerous Nintendo Network ID (NNID) accounts for Nintendo Switch users. The breach involved unauthorized access to user accounts, compromising personal information and leading to fraudulent transactions for some users.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 300,000 users.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included credit card information, email addresses, geographic locations, names, Nintendo Network ID usernames, and unauthorized purchase transactions.

How was Nintendo hacked?

Hackers compromised thousands of Nintendo Switch accounts by exploiting the Nintendo Network ID (NNID) system, which lacked two-factor authentication. They used methods such as credential stuffing, phishing, and brute force attacks to gain unauthorized access to users' personal information and saved payment details. As a result, some users experienced fraudulent transactions on their accounts. Nintendo has since removed the faulty login function using the NNID and implemented additional security measures.

Nintendo's solution

In response to the hack, Nintendo took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. This included abolishing logins to all Nintendo Accounts via the vulnerable Nintendo Network ID (NNID) system and resetting passwords of compromised NNIDs as well as single sign-on accounts. The company also warned users not to use the same password for NNID and the Nintendo Account, as that would allow illegal payments with the user's registered credit card or PayPal account.

How do I know if I was affected?

Nintendo reached out to affected users in the aftermath of the data breach. If you are a Nintendo user and have not received any notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were affected.

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, and report any unauthorized transactions or changes to the appropriate support teams.

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

Where can I go to learn more?

If you want to find more information on the Nintendo 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 Nintendo data breach?

Twingate Team

May 23, 2024

In April 2020, Nintendo experienced a data breach affecting numerous Nintendo Network ID (NNID) accounts for Nintendo Switch users. The breach involved unauthorized access to user accounts, compromising personal information and leading to fraudulent transactions for some users.

How many accounts were compromised?

The breach impacted data related to approximately 300,000 users.

What data was leaked?

The data exposed in the breach included credit card information, email addresses, geographic locations, names, Nintendo Network ID usernames, and unauthorized purchase transactions.

How was Nintendo hacked?

Hackers compromised thousands of Nintendo Switch accounts by exploiting the Nintendo Network ID (NNID) system, which lacked two-factor authentication. They used methods such as credential stuffing, phishing, and brute force attacks to gain unauthorized access to users' personal information and saved payment details. As a result, some users experienced fraudulent transactions on their accounts. Nintendo has since removed the faulty login function using the NNID and implemented additional security measures.

Nintendo's solution

In response to the hack, Nintendo took several measures to secure its platform and prevent future incidents. This included abolishing logins to all Nintendo Accounts via the vulnerable Nintendo Network ID (NNID) system and resetting passwords of compromised NNIDs as well as single sign-on accounts. The company also warned users not to use the same password for NNID and the Nintendo Account, as that would allow illegal payments with the user's registered credit card or PayPal account.

How do I know if I was affected?

Nintendo reached out to affected users in the aftermath of the data breach. If you are a Nintendo user and have not received any notification, you can visit Have I Been Pwned to check if your credentials were affected.

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, and report any unauthorized transactions or changes to the appropriate support teams.

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

Where can I go to learn more?

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