Wowstability

I bet most of you readers are among the richest in your server. If not, at least you’re part of the population that doesn’t get stressed over gold. That hard earned gold of yours is a treasure and a huge achievement. What if one day you wake up with zero gold because someone got a hold of your account name and password. Honestly I’m gonna shit my pants (or just fart if my tank is empty). It’s good to be a little paranoid and set up our defenses to prevent situations like these.

1. Blizzard Authenticator. While it looks like blizzard just wants to extort some more dollars in addition to your $15 a month, the blizzard authenticator is an awesome tool against key loggers. It acts as your second password that gets invalid after a one-time use.  If ever someone managed to put a key logger in your computer, they will have your password but the authentication code will no longer work. If you have an authenticator, the only way they can access your wow account is by stealing your authenticator (so keep it safe, like maybe close to your nut sack).

There are two options of getting a Blizzard authenticator:

a) Buy from Blizzard Store for $6.50. It’s a little gadget hopefully your dog wouldn’t swallow.b) If you have an Iphone or an Ipod touch, you can get it from iTunes store for FREE! Just search for the term “Blizzard” and you won’t miss it. This is the one I have because I don’t wanna pay $6.50.

The following is especially for people who choose not to have a blizzard authenticator. It could be also used by people whose computer has no protection at all.

These software are totally free and are reviewed by pcmag.com. (See 12 Free Security Software Tools) The following are the ones I picked from the 12 and set up in my own computer.

1. Avast! Home Edition. Don’t be fooled by the term “Free”. Unlike the other free anti-virus, Avast’s “…virus protection isn’t far behind that of the top antivirus products.” (From PCmag’s Avast Review). As long as you use it for your home computer and not for business, you are qualified to use this for free! This anti-virus will take care of detecting and deleting key loggers from your computer.

2. Comodo Firewall. Firewalls prevent malware from entering your computer. If ever one managed to get in, your anti-virus kicks the shit out of it. This firewall is pcmag’s editor’s choice (See PCmag’s Comodo Firewall Review). Maybe you are asking “Isn’t windows firewall enough for protection?” Apparently, it’s not enough. (See Windows Firewall: Is it Good Enough?).

Honestly, setting up firewall is a pain in the ass but it’s worth it. Here are links worth looking at if you’re planning to install a firewall:

a) Comodo firewall installation tutorial – really easy to follow

b) Tutorial for Utorrent for Comodo Firewall – if you use Utorrent

c) Network File Sharing/ Printer set up for Comodo Firewall – to get your file sharing and network printer running.

d) A Note to Gamers

Remember: Once you have Comodo Firewall installed and you want to install another application of any kind, you have to press “Switch to installation mode” in the summary tab of Comodo. It’s so strict with protection it hurts sometimes.

3. Lastpass. This is PCmag’s editor’s choice for password management (see PCmag’s Lastpass review ). Apparently, storing your passwords using firefox isn’t safe at all. Malware can easily get your stored passwords in all the websites you logged in and chose the “Remember Me” option. If you access several websites and forums (I myself have around 42 different usernames and passwords for several websites lol), this tool will be useful. As its name implies, you only have one master password to access all your passwords, which are all encrypted using “AES utilizing 256-bit keys.AES-256 is accepted by the US Government for protecting TOP SECRET data.” – Lastpass FAQ

Lastpass will make it safe for you to access websites in internet shops that may be infected with key loggers, especially if you only have one password for everything including your wow account.

Installing these safety precautions maybe overkill for some people. But it’s always better safe than sorry. Prevention is better than cure.

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