WHAT KIND OF DATA WERE EXPOSED?
Recently a data breach of Nintendo systems exposed data of 160,000 people. The hackers exploited a weakness in the Nintendo Network ID login and potentially gained access to player data like their nicknames, date of birth, country location and email addresses.
CREDIT CARD AND PAYPAL USED ILLEGALLY
Nintendo also said that the registered credit cards or PayPal accounts for users who linked their NNIDs with their Nintendo accounts may have been used illegally at the My Nintendo Store or Nintendo eShop. However, the company said that no credit card information was stolen.
HOW DID THE COMPANY RESPOND?
In response to the breach, Nintendo said that it’s removed the ability of users to sign into a Nintendo account using NNID. Designed as a login method for older Wii U and Nintendo 3DS devices, NNID offered a way for users to link their old accounts to a Nintendo profile on newer devices. Hackers apparently took advantage of that process to break into such a larger number of accounts.
In its statement, Nintendo said that it is notifying affected users by email. The company is also resetting the passwords for such accounts, so you’ll be prompted to change your password the next time you sign into the Nintendo website. If you’ve used the same password for other sites and accounts, you should change those as well.
WHAT CAN THE USERS DO?
Change your password
To manually change your password at your Nintendo account page, follow these steps.
- Click the option for Sign-in And Security Settings.
- Click the Edit button next to Change Password.
- Enter your current password, and click OK.
- Type and then retype your new password, and click Submit.
Enable 2-step verification
If you’re not already using 2-step verification, now is the time to enable it. You’ll need Google Authenticator for this, so download and install the app for iOS or Android if you don’t already have it.
- At the Sign-in And Security Settings screen, click the Edit button next to 2-Step Verification settings.
- Click the button for 2-Step Verification setup.
- Confirm your email address, and click Submit.
- Enter the verification code sent to your email, and click Submit.
- Open Google Authenticator on your phone, and scan the QR code displayed on the screen.
- Enter the code shown on your phone, and click Submit.
From now on, you’ll need to enter both your password and the code displayed by Google Authenticator for your Nintendo account anytime you sign in.
