If you have any payment information saved on your Nintendo Switch, it might be time to remove that. Nintendo has confirmed that over 160,000 Switch Online accounts have been compromised by recent hacking efforts. While not to the extreme of something like the 2011 PlayStation Network hack, Nintendo is urging users to change their passwords and enable two-factor authentication to help better protect their accounts.
In a statement released by both Nintendo of Japan and Europe, the company writes, "In response to recent incidents related to some Nintendo Accounts, it is no longer possible to sign into a Nintendo Account using a Nintendo Network ID." It also confirmed that information such as email addresses, birthdays, street address, and country/region may have been leaked. Credit card info hasn't been leaked, but you should likely still remove that just to be sure.
If you aren't sure how to enable two-factor authentication (or what that even is), here's a quick rundown. Head on over to Nintendo's website and log into your account. After that, select "Sign-in and security settings" and scroll down to "2-Step Verification." Click Edit, then click "2-Step Verification settings." You'll be sent a confirmation code to your email address and be asked to enter that code to proceed.
From there, download the Google Authenticator app on your smart device. Microsoft's authenticator also works. Use your phone to scan the QR code Nintendo provides you and it should automatically add your Nintendo account to the authenticator app. From there, your app should provide you with a six-digit code that you'll use to verify your account on Nintendo's website. Nintendo will also provide you with a list of backup codes that are unique to you, so make sure to keep them safe in a file on your computer.
Doing all of this won't 100% protect you against hacking efforts, but it's better than nothing. With all of that in place, anytime someone tries to access your account, you'll receive an email notification and they'll need to have your authenticator's codes to log in. It might be a little tedious, but it's always better safe than sorry when it comes to digital accounts.
Source: Siliconera, Destructoid, Nintendo JP