I've had my IP reset a couple of times since I originally posted that question on the forums... It doesn't seem to have made any difference at all, so I'm guessing that the whole thing about IP is either bugged or non-functioning, and if it's based on your computers name, well, that's just a little bit silly really isn't it?

A visual log of login times & failed password attempts is a great idea. I've seen it done on a number of banks online systems, never occured to me that it could be applied to games aswell.

Nes

Won't work the way you think. I'm locked out of tribble right now because of that.

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I merged my Cryptic account with my old PWE account without realizing the PWE account was associated with my old work e-mail address and since I don't work there any more I don't have that e-mail. So, I went to change my e-mail but it sends an authentication e-mail to my old address which has to be accepted to change the e-mail address associated with the account.
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So, for me it sucks, because I will soon (when it hits holodeck) be locked out of the game, but it is good for preventing the thing you are referring to.

Well i thought i knew which email my account was linked to, i have checked my three main email accounts and have found no email for this guard, so now what?, i remember PWE stuffing a whole lote of people around with a forced password change on perfect world that locked a whole lot of their player base out of the game when the new password was sent to emails, some of which people could no longer access for whatever reason, this sure smacks of that. Thanks for the headache, my account was secure enough seems its now secure from me as well...

Editing note: found the email i was linked to on my account info here, very lucky i remembered the password.

check the email your using for your account.

I just checked mien and noticed that its changed the last part from .com to .co.uk

I have a similar problem. As Perfect World doesn't use a confirmation email (Unless I am mistaken) I think i typed in the wrong email address, it ends in .com only instead of the correct com.sg. So when Cryptic released the Account Guard, I am now stuck as the email is wrong as I cannot receive the code.

I am sorry if this is the wrong thread to post in here, I am new here. So, can anyone give me any advice on how to proceed?

When i made my account (my 2nd) i used an email that is not even real. I can't get the account guard code because of this, and I can't even change my email. What should I do???

I have been busy and have not been able to play STO for a while. I come back and I get this account guard, which sent a one time code to an email address. Problem is, I don't remember the password to the email address when I started this account because I made up a quick one due to the fact that my real email was already registered and there was issues at the time with registering new accounts.

So, I come to this website, log onto my account with MY password, and .... PHEWWWW .. YES, I can change the email... GREAT!!!! I though.

Well, I changed the email to my new one, however.. they sent the conformation to the old email...... So, I am permenantly locked out of my account on a character I worked hard on. I did contact customer support, but they said 3-4 business days before they'll reply. Can someone in the STO support pass this up the chain and get my email changed quicker, please? I think this account gaurd is not needed.

Account "Guard" is useless and intrusive spyware. The only reason it would be able to distinguish one computer from another is if it is using a tried and true spyware tactic of snooping around your system for its various components and parts. That it is then phoning that information home marks it as spyware, pure and simple. I'm sure that they they mean well on the surface, but remember this: Those who give up their freedom and privacy for safety and security will have and deserve neither.

Similarly, the constant abuse of email is a joke and completely destroys any security that was on the acount: This information is sent plain-text over the entire Internet. Very few people run their own emails, so this means that this information is being sent in the clear over the Internet to a THIRD PARTY. Many use Gmail. Here's a question: Are you Google? Is Cryptic Google? No? Then you've just added another point of failure to your security, a third party who has full control over the process because Cryptic will accept anything from that account on faith. When that third party's security fails, so does your security here. What's more, Google accounts, too, use a similar "password recovery" mechanism. That means *THAT* account can be compromised externally, which in turn results in a compromise here.

Keep in mind, these are places that will surrender your account to anyone who calls them and happens to know some what are probably easily known to the public facts.

Anytime you outsource your security to a third party in such a manner, your security is absolutely worthless. You should never chain a thing's security to another thing's. An account should be a fortress, to stand or fall alone, not part of a chain where a failure anywhere is a failure everywhere.

It can't tell what computer your on....It tells which IP address you are using. This is designed to stop people getting someones password and then using it.

I know this cause I changed IP address and sure enough I had to re-register. And if the game didn't include an email, it would make things way more technical and confusing and then cryptic would have to spend time and money on a new system rather than on content

Considering I can log into the game and the forums from school (and never had to reverify my account), it is not based solely on IP address. The FAQ even says it's not based on your IP address. It goes by your computer.