Square Enix is cautioning players to change their Final Fantasy 14 passwords after hackers repeatedly attempted to access the account management system – and your saved payment methods, among other sensitive pieces of information – using passwords and emails obtained from other sites. The news is an unexpectedly somber reminder for the MMO game’s community to practice online safety, a community that usually makes headlines for lighthearted reasons, like rejoicing over grape assets and villains with thirsty fan clubs.
The MMO publisher posted the advisory in a new post on the Lodestone, Final Fantasy 14’s central hub site, and said anyone who uses the same email and password combination on other websites as they do for their Final Fantasy 14 account is at risk of having their account hacked.
Square Enix didn’t say what other sites might be compromised, so for the time being, the safest bet is probably following their advice and changing your password if you use the same one anywhere else.
Another recommendation the publisher provided is to require the use of a one-time password using a software token or authenticator app. You can also use a security token, but seeing as Square Enix charges $14.99 for one token, it’s not exactly the best option.
Written by Josh Broadwell on behalf of GLHF
