The connectivity of Nintendo consoles to access the internet makes them a target for hackers. Therefore you should take certain precautions to protect your Nintendo account.
Although Nintendo resisted offering internet access on its consoles for years, its latest creations allow it to connect to the network to buy games or perform different tasks. As an example, we have both Nintendo Switch and Nintendo 3DS as the previous console, Wii U.
Currently, to enjoy the online services of Nintendo you must create a user account called Nintendo Network ID and that gives you access to precisely that network, Nintendo Network, the equivalent of the services that Sony or Microsoft have been offering with their PlayStation and Xbox respectively. That if you are a Nintendo 3DS or Wii U user.
If you use Nintendo Switch, you must create a Nintendo Account , which among other things allows you to subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online and thus save your data online, play online games and recover old NES and Super NES games.
The point is that user accounts, especially if they give access to purchases, are a target for cybercriminals. As an example, what happened recently with more than 160,000 Nintendo user accounts.
¿ How to be prepared to these situations? The tips to follow are the same as the ones you should follow if you have a Google, Facebook, Apple or any online service such as Netflix, Prime or Spotify , to name a few of the most popular.
More security for your Nintendo ID
Whether you use a Nintendo Network ID or use a Nintendo Account, the basic tips to follow are: do not recycle passwords that you are already using in other services or online accounts. If it falls into the wrong hands, that someone will be able to access several of your accounts with the same password.
Another tip to follow, make sure that passwords are difficult to find out and, if possible, that they are not directly related to you. In other words, with personal information, this password cannot be found.
If you linked your Nintendo Network ID with your Nintendo account, Nintendo has temporarily blocked login from there. In any case, you can create a new Nintendo account, a priori more secure.
Another security element that you should activate in your Nintendo account is two-step verification, also called two-factor authentication. It’s about adding an extra layer of security to your user account password.
Two-step verification on your Nintendo account
To activate this option you must log in to your Nintendo Account. From Access and security settings , you must go to Two-step verification and click Change and then Activate two-step verification . A verification code will be sent to your email address associated with your Nintendo account. If that address is not up to date, you can change it from there.
Once you have entered the code in the corresponding field, click on Submit and then install a verification application such as Google Authenticator or similar. In this article, I talked about the best known. They are all free.
With the verification application we will scan the QR code that the Nintendo page shows. A 6-digit code will appear that you must enter in the form. After clicking Submit , a list of alternative codes will appear that you can keep in a safe place. They will help you in case you can’t use a verification app.
From now on, when you log in with your Nintendo account, in addition to the password, you must validate the login with the verification mobile application.
