Guild Wars 2 Forum - Account & Technical Support

Dynamic IP address change or hacker attempt

So I tried to log into my account today and it said there was an attempted log in from a different location, it told me this and made me wait until I allowed the access from the email sent at that moment. Why did this happen, should I be worried, or did my dynamic IP address supplied via my ISP’s dns server change and now I had to re-authenticate my account? Due to the way dynamic addressing happens I now how to re-authenticate every so often when my ISP decides to change my IP address, how will I know this is what happened or if it was a hacker attempt?

Dynamic IP address change or hacker attempt

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Gaile Gray

Gaile Gray

ArenaNet Communications Manager

Not to make a sweeping statement, but generally attempts to hack an account come from a distant location, not next door, in the next town, or even across the state. A player from the UK had auth requests from England, Wales, and Scotland. They were all ok — all his log-in attempts — but his ISP was using a broad list of IP addresses.

I’m not a security specialist, but I would be far more worried about a log-in attempt from China (the most common location from which compromise attempts are made) than I would be from one a few hundred miles away.

However, if you are at all uncomfortable with the access attempt, decline and restart the log-in attempt and see what happens.

Gaile Gray
Communications Manager
Guild & Fansite Relations; In-Game Events
ArenaNet

(edited 2012-10-18 04:07:19 by Gaile Gray.6029)

Dynamic IP address change or hacker attempt

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: seventhson.6932

seventhson.6932

Ok cool, the town where my ISP’s DNS server changed to was about 50 miles further than the on one I was currently accessing. There were no emails until I tried to log in, which made me think it was an IP address change from my ISP. I just never noticed it happening until you guys implemented your email authentication.

Dynamic IP address change or hacker attempt

in Account & Technical Support

Posted by: Rajani Isa.6294

Rajani Isa.6294

Gaile Gray.6028:
I’m not a security specialist, but I would be far more worried about a log-in attempt from China (the most common location from which compromise attempts are made) than I would be from one a few hundred miles away.

Example : Advertisements (until recently) trying to appeal to my location would say “in Eugene” or “in Roseburg” – anywhere from roughly 90-160 miles away from my location in the Rogue Valley. Such advertisements use IP addresses.