Linden Lab Official:Password Protection

Online Safety Guidelines

• Teens in Second Life
• Protect that password!
• Help! My account has been compromised!
• Safety tips for teens and parents
• Handling online harassment
• Phishing FAQ
• Scams
• Technical overview of Second Life security

Protect that password!

It may seem obvious, but one of the best things you can do to protect yourself is to safely guard your password. NEVER give out your password to anyone inworld — even your friends or your partner.

See the Terms of Service for more information about your responsibility to select and maintain a secure password.

Tip: Never use the same password for your Second Life account as you do for other websites or programs, especially instant messenger applications that you might access from computers other than your own.

Password strength tips

Is your password strong enough? Here are some tips for creating a stronger password:

• Use six characters or more.
• Use a combination of numbers and letters.
• Include CAPITAL LETTERS and numbers.
• Avoid common dictionary words or phrases.

Password reset tips

• If you forget your password, you can reset it.
• You can also change your password. You'll need to know your security question answer and have a valid email address on the account.
• What if I don't receive my email?

If you request a password change or reset, you should receive an email to the address with which you originally registered your Second Life account. If you don't receive the automated email (perhaps because the account's email address on record has also been changed), submit a support ticket through the Solution Finder using the Special Questions — Basic account or Guest Login ticket type.

• What if I don't know the answer to my security question?

If you do not remember your security answer, or cannot type it exactly the way you did when registering, you will need to contact Support, preferably over the phone, to verify your identity and reset your security question. Support cannot retrieve passwords.

Tip: Be careful when you access the Second Life world from a computer that is not your own! Make sure that you uncheck the "Remember Password" box. Do you really want the next user of that computer to have access to your Second Life account?

Don't be fooled by password-stealing tricks.

Don't let anyone trick you into revealing your password. Beware of the following password-stealing scams:

"Password-protected" items: If someone gives you an object or gift that requires a password before it can be "opened," do not be fooled! Once you are inworld, you do not need to submit your password in order to gain access to any item or location. As a general rule, you should never type in your password anywhere but the login screen for the Second Life viewer or directly at secondlife.com!

"Phishing" Web sites: "Phishers" may aim to snatch your password by tricking you into entering your password at a Web site that looks legitimate but really isn't. If someone sends you a link to login to any site other than secondlife.com with your Second Life information, you should ignore it. If you are suspicious of an email or a link, you should login directly to the official Second Life site by typing www.secondlife.com into your Web browser.

A scammer may claim to be a Linden Lab employee

Beware of persons claiming to be Linden Lab employees who request your password, credit card information or personally identifiable information while inworld. Linden Lab does not ask for this information inworld. So protect yourself and keep your information private!

Tip: You can tell if someone is really a Linden Lab employee inworld by their last name. All Linden Lab employee avatars have the last name "Linden." See Who are Lindens?

Avoid these "phishing" pitfalls

• Phishing schemes that claim you'll receive a "prize" of free Linden Dollars after logging into a trick Web site with your Second Life password.
• Promises of free Linden Dollars or access to a "hack" or "cheat" that require Residents to give up their password. Guess who really gets cheated?
• Emails that suggest that your account will be terminated if you do not update your billing or account information. If you are unsure about the status of your account, you can always login directly to the Second Life Web site (rather than clicking on a link within an email). If you want to report a fake email, you can forward it to security@secondlife.com.
• Using the same Second Life password on other sites. Some online con artists rely on people doing this. So, if they get your password on a third-party site or through an email, they can go right to your Second Life account. We recommend that you never re-use your Second Life login password on any other site, especially sites about Second Life that Linden Lab does not operate.

TIP! You can find out more about "phishing" in our Support section. In the Knowledge Base, simply search for "phishing."

If you are a victim of fraud

If you've been the victim of fraud, contact our fraud hotline at 800 860 6990. Then, talk about it. Post your experience to forums, blogs and chat. Tell others about who it was and how it happened.

It is unfortunately impossible to list, in real-time, every Website operating a phishing operation; many are gone before they are discovered. Basic Web and search engine optimization skills are all that are needed to create a site that appears legitimate. We therefore urge you to make every effort to know who you're dealing with, and always remember: if the offer is too good to be true, it probably is.