What are "Hacks" and "Third Party Programs"?
A "hack" or "third party" program is any program made and distributed by someone other than Blizzard Entertainment, that is used to modify, cheat, or alter Blizzard Entertainment games. These may include, but are not limited to:
- Programs that enhance players unnaturally
- Programs that modify units
- Programs that cause other players to disconnect from the game servers, or cause server/game crashes
What are the dangers of using hacks?
The use of trainers, cheats, or any kind of hacks is not allowed on Battle.net game servers. As such, the use of such programs may result in restrictions, or even the permanent closing of your StarCraft II account(s). Other risks include:
- Theft of your account and password.
- The hack creator could use your account, thus keeping you from being able to stay connected to the game servers.
- This person could also break the Terms Of Use and cause restrictions to be placed on your account.
- Hacks can stop the game from working correctly, or make it impossible for you to connect to the game servers.
- Hacks may also contain Trojan horse viruses as well as back-door programs that can grant hackers the ability to remove or manipulate data on your computer remotely and without your knowledge.
Any kind of hack, chat client, or third-party application can carry code to do any of the above. In addition, be wary of any site that prompts you to enter your StarCraft II account name, password, or Authentication Key.It is safe to assume that any non-Blizzard site asking for this information is attempting to hijack your account or your copy of the game.
How can I protect my computer/account from hackers?
Your first line of defense is making sure you never install anything for the game that does not come in the form of an official patch from Blizzard. Be sure to never type your password outside of the normal login prompt for any reason. For more useful account/password tips, please take a look at our Password Security & Account Security pages.
Disclaimer: Although we recommend Internet security software, we cannot directly support it. Please contact the distributor of the software for information and product support.
Computer Updates:
If you are using Windows, ensure that you have the most recent security and service packs installed. These can help greatly by fixing security risks and updating built in security software such as the Windows XP Firewall to decrease possible threats to your machine. You can find these easily by visiting the Microsoft Windows Update page. We also recommend visiting the Microsoft Security Home Page for a wealth of information concerning current risks, as well as how to properly protect yourself.
Firewall Software:
A security system intended to protect a computer or network of computers against external threats, such as hackers, from another network, such as the Internet. A firewall can prevent your computer from communicating directly with computers outside your network and vice versa. While this does provide added system security it can affect connections made with our game servers. Please view our Advanced Networking Information for suggested firewall settings. Please note that you can have more than one firewall/security program running on your system.
- Windows XP SP2 Firewall (included and enabled by default on all Windows XP systems updated to ServicePack 2)
- Zone Alarm
- SyGate
- BlackICE Defender
Antivirus Software:
A program that scans a computer's memory and storage space to identify and eliminate viruses. Please note that you can have more than one antivirus program running on your system. Some programs may not detect what another can.
- AVG Free
- Tauscan
- Moosoft
- Symantec security check
Macintosh specific:
- Symantec Antivirus
Anti-Spyware Software:
A program that scans a computer's storage space and services to identify and eliminate programs designed to monitor computer usage beyond the user's acceptance. Among many technical issues spyware can also cause crashing, minimizing of the game window, and connection issues. Please note that you can have more than one anti-spyware program running on your system. Some programs may not detect what another can.
- Ad-Aware SE
- Ewido Anti-Spyware
- Microsoft Windows Defender
- Spybot-Search & Destroy
Process Library:
ProcessLibrary.com is a free tool that provides the latest information about spyware, adware, viruses, trojans, system processes and other common applications. We highly suggest you use this program to have a better understanding of what is currently running on your machine. You can download it for free here.
I got hacked somehow and cant access my account!
If you have lost access to your account, or if you feel your account access or password have been compromised in any way, please contact our Accounts support team by emailing accountsupport@blizzard.com or by calling (800)592-5499 (Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm Pacific Time).
How do I report hacks?
Many of you may know the identity of some of these hackers or sites that host these hacks. We would urge you to work with us to eliminate cheating by not supporting people or websites that promote cheating and hacking. If you know of someone who is using hacks of any kind or websites that are hosting them, please notify us immediately by filling out the webform at the following link
- http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?tag=hacksform with as much information as possible about the situation.
Please do NOT post links to these sites in any Blizzard forums, or list any such site address in the in-game chat, as this may result in restrictions on your account's privileges. The use of such programs is a violation of the StarCraft II Terms of Use Agreement and/or the End User License Agreement. This can result in, but is not limited to, account closures. We believe that if we attack cheating on multiple fronts we can prevent hackers from negatively affecting other player's games. This effort is presented in the best interest of all parties that are passionate, dedicated and enthusiastic about honest and genuine gaming. We hope you understand the importance of this message and will be willing to work together with us in a unified effort to promote the well being of our games and our online gaming community.
I just reported someone for using a hack/duping/trying to scam people - will you actually take any action against them?
We truly appreciate you alerting us to behavior that might negatively impact StarCraft II's online gaming community. We will take steps to monitor potential offenders, and will take appropriate action if we identify a user breaking the Terms of Use. While it is our preference not to have to ban players from the game, we will not hesitate to do so in the event of severe or repeat violations.
A "hack" or "third party" program is any program made and distributed by someone other than Blizzard Entertainment, that is used to modify, cheat, or alter Blizzard Entertainment games. These may include, but are not limited to:
- Programs that enhance players unnaturally
- Programs that modify units
- Programs that cause other players to disconnect from the game servers, or cause server/game crashes
What are the dangers of using hacks?
The use of trainers, cheats, or any kind of hacks is not allowed on Battle.net game servers. As such, the use of such programs may result in restrictions, or even the permanent closing of your StarCraft II account(s). Other risks include:
- Theft of your account and password.
- The hack creator could use your account, thus keeping you from being able to stay connected to the game servers.
- This person could also break the Terms Of Use and cause restrictions to be placed on your account.
- Hacks can stop the game from working correctly, or make it impossible for you to connect to the game servers.
- Hacks may also contain Trojan horse viruses as well as back-door programs that can grant hackers the ability to remove or manipulate data on your computer remotely and without your knowledge.
Any kind of hack, chat client, or third-party application can carry code to do any of the above. In addition, be wary of any site that prompts you to enter your StarCraft II account name, password, or Authentication Key.It is safe to assume that any non-Blizzard site asking for this information is attempting to hijack your account or your copy of the game.
How can I protect my computer/account from hackers?
Your first line of defense is making sure you never install anything for the game that does not come in the form of an official patch from Blizzard. Be sure to never type your password outside of the normal login prompt for any reason. For more useful account/password tips, please take a look at our Password Security & Account Security pages.
Disclaimer: Although we recommend Internet security software, we cannot directly support it. Please contact the distributor of the software for information and product support.
Computer Updates:
If you are using Windows, ensure that you have the most recent security and service packs installed. These can help greatly by fixing security risks and updating built in security software such as the Windows XP Firewall to decrease possible threats to your machine. You can find these easily by visiting the Microsoft Windows Update page. We also recommend visiting the Microsoft Security Home Page for a wealth of information concerning current risks, as well as how to properly protect yourself.
Firewall Software:
A security system intended to protect a computer or network of computers against external threats, such as hackers, from another network, such as the Internet. A firewall can prevent your computer from communicating directly with computers outside your network and vice versa. While this does provide added system security it can affect connections made with our game servers. Please view our Advanced Networking Information for suggested firewall settings. Please note that you can have more than one firewall/security program running on your system.
- Windows XP SP2 Firewall (included and enabled by default on all Windows XP systems updated to ServicePack 2)
- Zone Alarm
- SyGate
- BlackICE Defender
Antivirus Software:
A program that scans a computer's memory and storage space to identify and eliminate viruses. Please note that you can have more than one antivirus program running on your system. Some programs may not detect what another can.
- AVG Free
- Tauscan
- Moosoft
- Symantec security check
Macintosh specific:
- Symantec Antivirus
Anti-Spyware Software:
A program that scans a computer's storage space and services to identify and eliminate programs designed to monitor computer usage beyond the user's acceptance. Among many technical issues spyware can also cause crashing, minimizing of the game window, and connection issues. Please note that you can have more than one anti-spyware program running on your system. Some programs may not detect what another can.
- Ad-Aware SE
- Ewido Anti-Spyware
- Microsoft Windows Defender
- Spybot-Search & Destroy
Process Library:
ProcessLibrary.com is a free tool that provides the latest information about spyware, adware, viruses, trojans, system processes and other common applications. We highly suggest you use this program to have a better understanding of what is currently running on your machine. You can download it for free here.
I got hacked somehow and cant access my account!
If you have lost access to your account, or if you feel your account access or password have been compromised in any way, please contact our Accounts support team by emailing accountsupport@blizzard.com or by calling (800)592-5499 (Mon-Fri, 8am-8pm Pacific Time).
How do I report hacks?
Many of you may know the identity of some of these hackers or sites that host these hacks. We would urge you to work with us to eliminate cheating by not supporting people or websites that promote cheating and hacking. If you know of someone who is using hacks of any kind or websites that are hosting them, please notify us immediately by filling out the webform at the following link
- http://us.blizzard.com/support/article.xml?tag=hacksform with as much information as possible about the situation.
Please do NOT post links to these sites in any Blizzard forums, or list any such site address in the in-game chat, as this may result in restrictions on your account's privileges. The use of such programs is a violation of the StarCraft II Terms of Use Agreement and/or the End User License Agreement. This can result in, but is not limited to, account closures. We believe that if we attack cheating on multiple fronts we can prevent hackers from negatively affecting other player's games. This effort is presented in the best interest of all parties that are passionate, dedicated and enthusiastic about honest and genuine gaming. We hope you understand the importance of this message and will be willing to work together with us in a unified effort to promote the well being of our games and our online gaming community.
I just reported someone for using a hack/duping/trying to scam people - will you actually take any action against them?
We truly appreciate you alerting us to behavior that might negatively impact StarCraft II's online gaming community. We will take steps to monitor potential offenders, and will take appropriate action if we identify a user breaking the Terms of Use. While it is our preference not to have to ban players from the game, we will not hesitate to do so in the event of severe or repeat violations.