Nov. 18, 2011 05:05 [PST] From: PlayOnline

Regarding Rise of Unauthorized Access and Password Security

There has been an increase in the number of unauthorized access since November 15, 2011. The cause for this is still under investigation; however, it is possible that some of the victims may have been using the same account name and password from other online services with their Square Enix account. Please note that if you use the same account name or password as your PlayOnline ID or Square Enix account on other online services, a security breach at any of the other online services you use could potentially lead to your PlayOnline ID or Square Enix account being compromised as well. Likewise, if you use repeated strings of characters, phone numbers, birth dates, or other such information, this will leave your account highly vulnerable in the event another customer's account name and password is compromised from other online services, even if you are not using the same exact account name or password. Therefore, if you are sharing the same account name or password between other online services and your Square Enix account, or if you are using information that can be easily deciphered, we ask that you change your password as soon as possible. -Please visit the following link to reset your Square Enix password. https://secure.square-enix.com/account/app/svc/reminder? Also, please note that accounts that are suspected of having been compromised will have their access temporarily restricted. Once login has been restricted, an email notification will be sent to the primary email address registered to the Square Enix account. This email will contain instructions on how to remove the login restriction. Players will be asked to reset their passwords and log in again. Please visit the following link for more information about login restrictions. http://support.na.square-enix.com/j/lbna If cases of unauthorized access continue to rise, we may be forced to take measures to reset Square Enix account passwords for all customers, so we kindly ask for your cooperation in helping us better safeguard your personal information and account information.