An Important Security Announcement

An issue has come to light regarding our old website, and we feel it’s important to make you aware of it.

Our Web Cell team has been hard at work creating a new, state-of-the-art website for the White Wolf community. To date, the forums and store have been completely replaced and reside comfortably on a new server. However, there was a legacy “skeleton” website that remained to provide infrastructure for a few minor systems and some Camarilla websites (which are also in the process of being moved and replaced). What we’ve discovered is that this skeleton site has been hacked, and some login data has been stolen.

We should be clear that no credit card information, mailing addresses or Cam databases have been compromised in any way, and it also doesn’t involve the new community section (the new forums, blogs, and so on). However, there is a possibility that the culprit may have gained access to old e-mail addresses and encrypted passwords. Actions were immediately taken to terminate the intrusion and the vulnerable feature has been disabled. Further, work on our replacement website has been accelerated, so that any remaining legacy systems can be completely eliminated that much faster.

As a protective measure, we urge everyone to take a moment to change passwords, particularly if you use the same log-in information for multiple sites. We have some additional Account Security tips below, for your benefit.

We apologize for any inconvenience this may cause, and assure you that we have taken every possible step to prevent this from happening again in the future.

Account Security Tips
Change your passwords regularly
A regular change of passwords may prevent attacks from being successful.

Use strong passwords
Passwords should be complex and difficult to guess. A minimum length of 16 characters with a mix of lower- and uppercase letters, numbers and symbols is strongly recommended for heightened security as these can reduce the dangers from brute-forcing and lucky guesswork on part of the hackers. Avoid using common dictionary words and keep in mind that longer passwords are less vulnerable than short ones.

Do not share your login details with anyone
If you give someone your login details, your security is only as good as his. If he is hacked, you are hacked - given that he won't simply use or sell your details himself.

Don't accept files from sources you don't know
A lot of the malware on the internet specifically targets user accounts. Keyloggers and trojans lay in wait, all geared towards the destruction of your accounts and poised to strike when you open that file or go to that website. Phishing schemes abound and social engineering is rife on an internet that often seems without law or consequence. One cannot be too careful - it's not paranoia when they really are out to get you.

Regularly scan your systems for security threats with up-to-date anti-virus software
Protect yourself by running updated anti-virus software to find and fix security threats that may have found their way onto your systems. There are many such programs available, some free and some not free but definitely worth spending time to set up and the money to purchase. It's imperative to maintain a virus scanner and operating system by actively checking for new updates and applying them, especially for the virus scanner. Using a firewall is also recommended as an optional measure.