Chances of getting hacked with an Authenticator

[Deleted]

So, a few of the people in my guild refuse to shell out the £6 (!) for an authenticator because they say that it doesn't make enough of a difference.

So I'd like to ask, have you, or anyone in your guild, or fuck it, anyone you know on wow, ever had their account compromised with an authenticator attached on it. Please reply saying if you have or have not so we can get some statistics. I'll get a poll running too.

Some edits:
I know almost no-one is actually "hacked", almost all of it is keylogging. For the purposes of this thread, assume they both mean having your account compromised by a third party.
For an explanation on how Authenticators actually work, try reading mercutiouk's post on page 5.

[Alskonda]

I have seen the thing about a hacked account with an authenticator on the front page a year ago but nothing else.

[Throren]

Almost everyone I know has one...and not one has been hacked...plus if you have an Ipod touch or Iphone you can get it for free Not to mention it has a snazy sore hound

[Taros]

Myself and a lot of friends have been hacked before. Since we got authenticators I haven't nor has anyone I know been compromised in any way. It is definitely worth it. I personally feel everyone is at a safety risk without one.

[Deathblack]

I have been hacked once with an authenticator.
Actually they hacked my account the first time and the second time I got it back they did it again.
Both time's using an authenticator.
It's not 100% security but it's a lot better.

[shortnugly]

They offer an authenticator for most mobile phones. How much time have they invested in there account? Don't they want to try and protect that investment?

[Zulandia]

Getting hacked with an authenticator (not really the correct term but for all intents and purposes lets go with it) is borderline impossible, the only surefire way to make it happen is a man in the middle attack, and your WoW account is the least of your concerns in that scenario (not to mention you would need to be computer inept just to get targeted by one).

So yes authenticators make a large difference, sure there is always the "I know what I'm doing I wont get my account compromised I'm not getting one" argument but mistakes are human and an authenticator is a cheap and effective way of removing that risk.

If for some reason your guildies can not afford one certain sites which I'm not going to name on MMO-C have emulated the runtime for the phone version to run on a computer, while this is less safe than a real authenticator it is a free way to add some level of additional security to their account.

[fjols]

It makes a huge difference.
Without an authenticator people with enough time can gain access to your account easily by trying every combination.
With an authenticator this cannot happen. The only way they can gain access to your account is either by stealing the physical authenticator or make a man in the middle attack with an advanced keylogger. You should be very unlucky for this to happen. Especially if you have just a tiny bit of safety on your computer, like antivirus and a firewall or some common sense.

[iArkeus]

I had someone say they got hacked. They said that the person must have logged their password AND authenticator code in real time, and typed it before it changed. Except for the fact that once you log in with a code, you can't log in again with the same code (really annoying as I have multiple accounts), so I call bullshit on that. They'd have to get the code you type and log in with it before you do (MITM).

Even if you technically CAN get hacked with an authenticator, the chances are pretty much 0. It makes a very big difference.

[Deleted]

http://www.mmo-champion.com/threads/...s-MMO-Champion!

Just read that post, so i have to say yes ^^

[Kaldaim]

I've been playing WoW since release and I was hacked for the first time about 2 months ago with the dial-in authenticator attached to my account. I immediately got the mobile one. I don't know anyone with a 'real' authenticator that's been hacked.

[Longview]

Getting hacked with an authenticator (not really the correct term but for all intents and purposes lets go with it) is borderline impossible, the only surefire way to make it happen is a man in the middle attack, and your WoW account is the least of your concerns in that scenario (not to mention you would need to be computer inept just to get targeted by one).

So yes authenticators make a large difference, sure there is always the "I know what I'm doing I wont get my account compromised I'm not getting one" argument but mistakes are human and an authenticator is a cheap and effective way of removing that risk.

If for some reason your guildies can not afford one certain sites which I'm not going to name on MMO-C have emulated the runtime for the phone version to run on a computer, while this is less safe than a real authenticator it is a free way to add some level of additional security to their account.

This right here is valid information.

People claiming to have gotten hacked/know people that have been hacked with authenticators are most probably lying.

Authenticators aren't 100% sure, but they aren't far from it.

[epec]

The way authenticators work is the code is generated based on time. With that known, the code changes every minute. It's pretty hard to hack, if not impossible. I wish everything had this type of authentication. I think google even started implementing this type of time-generated code into gmail with your phone being the other end because of how effective it is fyi.

[Aenok]

I just downloaded one for my iPhone.
I don't think it's possible to get hacked with one unless they steal your authenticator first.

[Deleted]

As posters above mentioned, there are free (!) apps on iPod/iPhone. Why people keep forgetting that there are free apps on androids aswell >
Anyways, if 6 pounds/euros/ w/e feels too much , you can get mobile paid one (Battle.net Mobile Authenticator (a.k.a. BMA)). AFAIK, it is supported on almost every newer model of LG, Nokia, Samsung, Sony Ericcson, Siemens etc. and it costs around 80 cents - really worth getting imo.
Also BMA wins against physical authenticator in countries where blizz dont ship stuff, or in countries where shipping costs alot (Russia comes in mind).

TL;DR If you cant afford/cba to get physical authenticator - get mobile one for free/or really cheap! Each unsecure account makes pandas sad !

[Deleted]

I got my Authenticator about a year ago and got hacked like 3 days after I bought it, luckily just the fact that they had to get through my authenticator made it really easy for Blizzard to tell I was being hacked and my account got locked before they had chance to send anything (guild bank money was in bags, I was even next to a mailbox).

Since then, no problems whatsoever.

[Sand Person]

my 2 rl friends that i play with did. i kind of lol'd. but peeps out there are slick. in the 4 years i been playing i only got hacked once. and i don't have one.

[Darkles]

I dont know someone who has been hacked with authenticator, but a friend of mine updated his iphone, and for some reason authenticator didnt work after that. So he took it off, 1 day later he got hacked :P

[Deleted]

Nope, don't know anyone that has been hacked with an authenticator, it must be impossible.

[Hustle8]

I have been hacked once with an authenticator.
Actually they hacked my account the first time and the second time I got it back they did it again.
Both time's using an authenticator.
It's not 100% security but it's a lot better.

Yeah no, that is a lie.