Security Keys are the rage these days in the tech world. Small devices that fit on keychains and lanyards are increasing as a secure way to login to any kind of remote service. Services such as PayPal and eBay along with many banks offer these small little trinkets to make logging in more secure… and more annoying. At the World Wide Invitational it was announced that Blizzard would be offering these small devices as well for a small fee. Are they worth the hassle though?

Let’s look at what they do and how much they cost. They cost a total of $6.50 which is akin to skipping lunch to afford a little bit more security. Although, many who have already paid for the original game, the expansion, and a monthly fee may not, on principle, want to place the money down which is understandable. Let’s go ahead and take the cost out of the picture though (since that isn’t much at all) and look at what exactly it does and why you’d want it.

The Blizzard Authenticator has a serial number on the back of it that you attach your account. Once attached you then press a button on it to generate a “key” that you use at your login screen. You type in your username, password, and the key from the authenticator. If everything matches you can login. If anything is off then you’re blocked. This works in a few different ways.

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Source: Blizzard Store (Click here for Purchasing Info)

The first way is that you need the physical object in order to access your account. Without someone “ganking” your key and knowing your password and username there is no way for anyone to gain access to your account. The key contains a unique algorithm that only Blizzard’s super encrypted computers know and the key. Each key has a different one. When you press the button your key is the only key that can generate that sequence of numbers at that time. I’m not an expert so this isn’t the exact way it happens, but it’s something close. So no one is getting into your account without that key or massive insane guessing luck (which is near impossible).

On the other hand you will need the physical item to login to your account. You’ll need it in your hand to play the game. This means if you lose it then you’ll have to call Blizzard to get into your account and will be out of the game until you sort it out. It also means if you’re away from the house and don’t have the key on you then you can’t login. Let us know forget that you’ll have to find the key, press the button, and enter the code in every time you want to play the game. This is an additional hassle that can get bothersome after awhile.

So is it worth it? Well, this is debatable. I don’t think we can say that the price is a lot for account security but the extra hassle might be. It’s a lot like insurance except you pay with your time. You’re betting that your account will be compromised by someone by obtaining one of these trinkets. If no one ever tries to hack into your account then you’re doing something for nothing. If someone does, however, then it’s well worth the hassle (considering the time on the phone getting an account back far outweighs the time it takes to enter a code). If you don’t have it you’ll also regret never purchasing one.

Personally I recommend getting one. I’ve heard of too many computer savvy people running Firefox with all kinds of security plugins, a hardware firewall properly configured, constant spyware scans, up-to-date anti-virus software, and everything else to keep you safe online still getting hacked. So there is no way to rule out your account getting compromised no matter how computer savvy you are. So it’s a good sound investment of both your time and your money.

If you do a lot of gaming from net cafes or from friend’s houses then FOR SURE obtain one of these. Net cafes have a long and tiresome history of getting a nasty virus or keylogger stuck on their systems and you never can be sure how safe a friend’s computer is. So if you do a lot of traveling away from home then pick one of these up.

If you’re new to the game or don’t have anything really invested into your account then you may want to wait on getting one. Even if a low level account is compromised you really won’t lose much. It might be good to get one to get into a good habit of securing your account. It’s still good to have, but your account being compromised won’t be nearly as painful as someone in full top tier 25-man raid gear.

So, in summary, pick one of these up as soon as you can! It’ll be an extra hassle and if you lose the key then it might be even more hassle but none of it will equal the time and pain if someone hijacks your account.

Disclaimer: The opinions, beliefs and viewpoints expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the opinions, beliefs and viewpoints of the Ten Ton Hammer network or staff.

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