Post by Lonsdale on Mar 6, 2004 2:52:32 GMT -5
Thu, 04 Mar 2004
National Security
Today's tip for keeping your nation safe: if you decide to join an off-site NationStates forum, don't use the same password as here. If you do, that forum's admin may be able to view your password, and use it to log in to your NationStates account.
This has happened to several nations over the last few days. The culprit has been identified and banned, but, alas, there will inevitably be more sad little people willing to stoop to such tactics in the future.
National Security
Today's tip for keeping your nation safe: if you decide to join an off-site NationStates forum, don't use the same password as here. If you do, that forum's admin may be able to view your password, and use it to log in to your NationStates account.
This has happened to several nations over the last few days. The culprit has been identified and banned, but, alas, there will inevitably be more sad little people willing to stoop to such tactics in the future.
Pazardjik_ is and a very powerful person in nationstates, though you may never have heard of her. She is more famously known as Lady Blue Moon, or simply "Lady.
She is famous for having obtained the passwords to several nations in nationstates. Most, she claims, through the permission of the owners. However, not all were found that way. She was first known for her proficiency in forum design. Many people have come to the Bulgaria forum asking for her help in their region's forum, which she obliges.
As Max said, an offsite forum's admin may be able to view your password and steal your nation. Someone may use what information they know about you to hack into your computer and steal information.
Thursday morning Lady Blue Moon and all of her puppets were deleted and IP banned. Account hijacking has been unusually common in the past two weeks; Thomasia, founder of the Meritocracy, was also victim.
After a long investigation reported Lady Blue Moon as responsible for numerous charges of account theft. Account theft is considered the most serious game rule violation. She was allegedly using the information of hijacked nations for more than snooping at telegrams for her curiosity's sake.
In her defense, Lady Blue Moon claims she never changed the password to any nation or forum account and had the permission of the owners before beginning.
Nevertheless, not all are inclined to believe her. She has still been IP banned from Nationstates by the moderators.
Does it seem like nation hijacking has become less common than it was a week ago? That may not be because of her IP banning. There are still h@x0rz out there, willing to try illegal (in game and RL) tactics to gain an advantage in nationstates. Some worse than her. Be careful.