Nintendo owners urged to secure accounts - BBC News

Nintendo Switch owners are being encouraged to lock down their accounts after a wave of fraudulent attacks. The hacks involve a user logging ... Imagesource,GettyImagesImagecaption,NintendoAccountsarebeinghackedtobuyin-gamecurrencies,userssayNintendoSwitchownersarebeingencouragedtolockdowntheiraccountsafterawaveoffraudulentattacks.Thehacksinvolveauserloggingintoaperson'sNintendoaccount-andoftenusingalinkedPayPalaccounttomakeexpensivepurchases.Severalreportssaytheattackshaveintensifiedinrecentweeks,withstaffatpopulartechnologyandgamingsitesamongthoseaffected.Nintendorecommendsusingtwo-factorauthenticationtoprotectaccounts.Theattackshavebeengoingonformonths,butappeartohaveincreasedinthepastfewweeks.OnestaffmemberatgamingsiteEurogamerhadtheiraccountaccessed,thewebsitereported,asdidanotheratArsTechnica.AdministratorsoftheNintendoforumonRedditalsosaidtherehadbeena"notable"numberofreportsinthepastfewdays.Whatishappening?OwnersoftheSwitchconsolecanbuygamesfromNintendo'sonlineshop-butcanalsopurchasedigitalcurrenciesforpopulargamessuchasFortnite.Forconvenience,NintendoalsoallowsuserstopaythroughPayPalbylinkingtheiraccounts.Inthepastmonth,playershavebeenpostingonTwitter,Reddit,andelsewhereabouttheirPayPalaccountsbeingusedtobuyhundredsofdollarsofgamesor"V-bucks",Fortnite'sdigitalcurrency.TechnologysiteZDNetreportsfindingadvertsonlinebyhackersofferingthoseV-bucksforresale.Similarattacksonotherservicesoftenusepasswordsthatarere-usedonmultipleaccounts.Whenadatabreachexposespasswordsforonesite,attackersoftentrythesameusernameandpasswordcombinationonhundredsofothers,hopingtofindamatch.ButmanyonlinepostsclaimingtohavebeenattackedsaytheyuseuniquepasswordsfortheirNintendoaccount.Oneprominentaffecteduser,theoperatoroftheLootPotssite,hasspeculatedthattheattacksmaybelinkedtoNintendo'solderaccountsystem,theNintendoNetworkID.Tookalookatinitialsurveysubmissions.Basedondatasofar,themostlikelyexplanationisNintendoNetworkIDpasswordsbeingcompromised.92.7%ofcompromisedaccounts,thatusedauniquepassword(notusedelsewhere),hadtheirNNIDlinked.Justahypothesis,notfact.pic.twitter.com/KSrjCt3wHR—Pixelpar(@pixelpar)April20,2020 TheBBCisnotresponsibleforthecontentofexternalsites.VieworiginaltweetonTwitterItwasusedforpreviousWiiUandNintendo3DSsystems.Itcanbelinkedtothenewer,Switch-compatibleNintendoaccount-whichmayofferawayinusinganolderpasswordthatmayhavebeencompromised.HowcanIprotectmyself?WhileNintendohasnotdirectlyaddressedthereportedincreaseinattacks,ithastweetedencouraginguserstoaddtwo-factorauthentication(2FA)totheiraccount.Thatcanbedoneinthesettingspageofanaccountinseconds.YoucanhelpsecureyourNintendoAccountbyenabling2-StepVerification.Formoredetails,visit:https://t.co/kqxbp8TobDpic.twitter.com/hZ1PnFWZQw—NintendoofAmerica(@NintendoAmerica)April9,2020 TheBBCisnotresponsibleforthecontentofexternalsites.VieworiginaltweetonTwitter"ThisisincrediblyconcerningforNintendousers,"saidLisaForteofRedGoatCyberSecurity."Passwords,foranyaccount,arenotthemostsecurewayofsigningin.Itisessentialforuserstoenable2FAtomaketheiraccountsmoresecure."Thismeansthatattackersneedanothercodetologintoyouraccount,notjustyourpassword."Passwordmanagerscanalsohelpuserscreatelong,complicatedpasswordsthatarehardertoguess,shesaid."ThecurrentCovid-19pandemicputsonlinegamingplatformsfrontandcentreastargetsforattackers.Morepeopleareathomegamingandloadingmoneyontotheiraccounts,"MsFortesaid.RelatedTopicsGamingPayPalNintendoCyber-securityMoreonthisstoryWhypasswordsdon'twork,andwhatwillreplacethemPublished29October2019Areyouusingthemost-hackedpassword?Published21April2019TopStoriesObamajoinstributesto'mentor'DesmondTutuPublished1hourago'Adarkday':SouthAfricansrememberTutu.Video'Adarkday':SouthAfricansrememberTutuPublished6hoursagoNewCovidrulesinforceforthreeUKnationsPublished13hoursagoFeaturesLovestorysendsTVfansinsearchofidyllicAlpsTheChinesemotherbackingbiggerfamilies.VideoTheChinesemotherbackingbiggerfamiliesIsraeli'psychic'UriGellerbafflingfansat75Whyaformeroilexecutiveiscappingabandonedwells.VideoWhyaformeroilexecutiveiscappingabandonedwellsDaretopressshare?WatchoutforKenya'staxmanWhytheSwedeslovedoingsomethingAmericanshateAfteryou...WhomightbethenextJamesBond?Theincredibleartofpaperfolding.VideoTheincredibleartofpaperfoldingLaplandreindeergoneastrayinsearchforfoodElsewhereontheBBCSitback,relaxandenjoyafestivefilm...There'ssomethingforeveryoneonBBCiPlayerAdreamnewhome,oranightmaretocome?TheGirlBefore:WatchthegrippingnewthrilleroniPlayerMostRead1NewCovidrulesinforceforthreeUKnations2Miseryfortensofthousandsofairlinepassengers3ManfoundingroundsofWindsorCastlesectioned4BBCDJandbroadcasterJaniceLongdiesat665Obamajoinstributesto'mentor'DesmondTutu6Israeli'psychic'UriGellerbafflingfansat757DeadlybombingatrestaurantpackedforChristmas8ManCityholdoffLeicestertomovesixpointsclear9SurferdiesinapparentsharkattackinCalifornia10LovestorysendsTVfansinsearchofidyllicAlps