Earlier today, it was reported that a hacker had infiltrated the Webkinz database and leaked the usernames and passwords of over 32 million players. Thankfully, these accounts do not store any personal information such as address, payment info, phone numbers, or even last names, but players may still be wise to take precautions.
Furthermore, the passwords are encrypted by the MD5 Crypt Algorithm, meaning that even if a player's username and password leaked, a nefarious party would have to decrypt it before putting it to any use. So far, no Webkinz PC accounts have been breached as a result of the massive leak.
That said, it is highly likely that the breach was not targeting Webkinz accounts but the usernames and passwords themselves. Many people use the same password for everything, meaning if someone were to get ahold of a Webkinz password, they may have access to many other things as well.
For those that have played or still do play Webkinz, it would be wise to change the Webkinz password as well as any other passwords that match it. Though the probability of this information being leveraged against users is slim, it never hurts to be on the safe side. To put minds even further at rest, there is a possibility that the usernames and passwords leaked were all from archived, inactive accounts, which have had all pertinent information removed completely from them.
Ganz, the company behind Webkinz, has acknowledged the breach and assures users that it has patched the point of entry used to leak this information. Claiming that players have nothing to worry about, the company continues to emphasize that should it determine there is a threat to people's accounts or personal information it will force password resets across the network to ensure maximum security. The rather odd incident emphasizes the importance of encryption and security when it comes to online gaming, and it seems that Ganz was prepared for this eventuality. The company claims that it took extra safety precautions when encrypting sensitive user information and will continue to look for other possible entry points for hackers.
Why someone would hack into the Webkinz database during an international pandemic of all times remains to be seen, but it is heartening that Ganz has taken the situation seriously and dealt with any problems that arose swiftly. Still, it might be a good idea for associated users to change their passwords just in case.
Webkinz is available exclusively on PC.
Source: ZDNet