Blizzard has its hands full dealing with security issues that crop up in and around World of Warcraft. Just as the aims and goals of computer hacking have changed in the past 20 years, so too have the reasons for hacking online game accounts. With so many hackers in many different nations attempting to steal wow account information, it is a daunting task to find and stop the attacks. Defense against these malicious attacks, therefore, is the only option.

A lot of people write in to me to ask about account security and hacking, but there is an interesting twist to the question. People want to know the "why" of it all, rather than the "how." Hackers like account information because it is an easy source of gold, items, and sellable items. The old days of hacking for hacking's sake and stealing for the sake of stealing are gone, and a new, profitable motive for account theft is in place. And it's been like this for years.

I enjoy talking about account security because every time my remarks hit new ears, I have potentially saved someone a great deal of heartache and trouble. So that's the aim of all this jazz -- let's save you some time, save Blizzard some phone calls, and make everyone feel a little safer.

How to secure yourself

The best defense, in the case of all these malicious attacks, isn't a good offense. Really, the best way to protect yourself is through knowledge and behavioral changes to the way you experience online content. First, you figure out the way hackers can get your information. Second, you do your best to keep away from those potentially dangerous behaviors. Third, you use the Blizzard-approved and provided account security measures.

We've already discussed some of the ways hackers can make off with your personal information -- malicious Flash content, addons with executables from an unknown source, and spyware keyloggers. The problem arises when you consider most of these issues are sometimes beyond your control. That's where behavior comes in.