If you've ever played a Blizzard game, particularly World of Warcraft, chances are you've been hacked or know someone who has. A few years ago Blizzard came up to the supposed answer to hacking: an authenticator. An authenticator is simply a device with software that generates a temporary random number. You take that number then log in to your account, thus assuring a hacker will need your authenticator number to ever log into your account. While some people made free options to authenticators, and ones like Star Wars: The Old Republic's are free if you download the app, Blizzard charges about $5 for a small keychain authenticator.
The issue is, is that Blizzard allegedly forced users to purchase these authenticators after Battle.net was repeatedly hacked this year, releasing player information to those "hackers".
The plaintiffs of the class-action lawsuit claim that the security breaches happened only because of Blizzard's negligence with player information as well, and are seeing damages on behalf of the class specifically for “consumer fraud, unjust enrichment, negligence, breach of contract and bailment,” due to the “security problem, and after-market fix,” for StarCraft 2 and Diablo 3. They also seek an injunction to forbid Blizzard from "tacking on undisclosed costs" after purchasing a game and from forcing players to sign up for Battle.net accounts.
“Defendants negligently, deliberately, and/or recklessly fail to ensure that adequate, reasonable procedures safeguard the private information stored on this website. As a result of these acts, the private information of plaintiffs and class members has been compromised and/or stolen since at least 2007,” reads the complaint.
“Most recently, on or about May 19, 2012, reports proliferated that class members’ Battle.net accounts had suffered a security breach (‘hack’) at the hands of unknown parties (‘hackers’), and on or about August 4, 2012, hackers massively breached Battle.net’s security and acquired the private information of all of defendants’ customers in the United States, as well as the remainder of North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia.”
The claim brings attention to the fact that Blizzard has made $26 million in sales off authenticators for something that neither Blizzard nor Activision used to ensure “steps to alert” gamers of hacks were implemented.
Whatever happens, other publishers will undoubtedly be watching for the results as it will have far more implications on the future of extra costs for games, being forced to sign up for sites related to games and player information security.
Source: GI International via VG247
