Gamers suffer new password scare
Fans of Activision's popular Call of Duty video game series received troubling news this week as reports suggested that their account passwords may be in harm's way.
According to Venture Beat, when a gamer forgets his or her login credentials, Activision sends a plain text version of the account password to his or her registered email address. This practice may be leaving gamers vulnerable to a host of online security threats. If hackers are able to infiltrate company servers or intercept data from the email, they could be seconds away from unlocking a wealth of personal information.
The company responded to these claims, clarifying its password manager protocol.
"All Call of Duty personal data, including passwords, are saved and stored using encryption," Activision officials told Eurogamer. "Currently, the only time passwords are sent in plain text is upon request from the registrants and only to the registered email address."
Gamers around the world have been on high alert recently, as the online networks of Sony, Nexon and Valve have fallen victim to cyberattacks this year. To alleviate customer anxiety and bolster online security, Activision has suggested that it will now explore alternative password recovery strategies.
