Neopets Provides Notice of Data Breach

EL SEGUNDO, Calif., Aug. 29, 2022 /PRNewswire/ - Neopets today began updating individuals through its communication channels regarding a data incident that may have affected players' information. Neopets previously communicated about this incident to players on July 21, 2022, and August 1, 2022. This notice provides details about the incident, our response, and available resources. Additional information about this incident is also available on our website www.neopets.com.

On July 20, 2022, Neopets was alerted to activity indicating unauthorized access by a third party to our IT systems. We took immediate steps to shut down further access to the affected systems and we have not seen any unauthorized activity since that time. We also launched an investigation assisted by a leading forensics firm and engaged with law enforcement.  On August 10, 2022, Neopets determined that the event resulted in unauthorized access to, and in some cases, download of, player personal information.

After our investigation, we have determined that for past and present Neopets players, affected information may include the data provided when registering for or playing Neopets, including name, email address, username, date of birth, gender, IP address, Neopets PIN, hashed password, as well as data about a player's pet, game play, and other information provided to Neopets. For players that played prior to 2015, the information also could have included non-hashed, but inactive, passwords. This information appears to have been accessed and potentially downloaded between January 3-February 5, 2021, or July 16-19, 2022.

We do not store users' government issued identification numbers, bank account information, or payment card information.

Neopets is committed to safeguarding our players' personal information. As part of our ongoing commitment to the safety and privacy of the Neopets' player information in our care, we have reset players' passwords and are working on adding multi-factor authentication to better safeguard your account access.  We have also enhanced the protection of our systems, including by further strengthening our network monitoring, authentication, and system protection.

If you used your Neopets password on other websites, we recommend that you change your passwords for those accounts as well. In general, it is a good idea to use different passwords across different applications and choose strong passwords.

In addition to changing your passwords, we recommend you do the following:

• While we are not aware of any misuse of your information, it is always a good practice to remain vigilant against threats of identity theft or fraud, and to regularly review and monitor your account statements and credit history for any signs of unauthorized transactions or activity. If you ever suspect that you are the victim of identity theft or fraud, you can contact your local police.
  
  
• Additionally, it is always a good idea to be alert for "phishing" emails by someone who acts like they know you or are a company that you may do business with and requests sensitive information over email, such as passwords, government identification numbers, or bank account information.

If you have questions regarding this notice, we invite you to reach out to us through our normal support channels with any questions or concerns you might have regarding this incident or the security of your account. Additional information about this incident is also available on our website www.neopets.com.

Launched in 1999, Neopets.com has been the most popular virtual pet site for the past two decades. Through a variety of mini-games, an expansive world to discover, a burgeoning community, and a robust virtual economy, players can explore, interact and engage with other Neopians in the lore and storied history of Neopia. The Neopets Community, like the game itself, is distinct, bold, and energetic, and enhances the overall experience of Neopets.com. To learn more about Neopets, please follow us on Twitter, Facebook, and YouTube.

SOURCE Neopets