Blizzard Encrypts WoW Spykit

IT site The Register featured an article detailing the major changes in the Warden anti-hacking sentry code, which automatically monitors all WoW functions and reports back to Blizzard:

Tuesday's patch to World of Warcraft introduced new content and tweaks to the land of Azeroth, but with it came an important change to The Warden, Blizzard's ill-famed tool against cheaters.

According to Warden-watching modders, the latest version is now encrypted, adding a major barrier for tinfoil hats who track what information the application sends home to Blizzard.

The Warden's function as an anti-hacking sentry was already cause for concern for some privacy advocates...

...But with Blizzard now utilizing a different random cryptographic hash function in every copy of The Warden, customers lose that potential safeguard. On one hand, most customers have already put a large amount of trust in the company by giving Blizzard their credit card to pay the monthly fee. On the other, this could theoretically give Blizzard access to other pieces of private information without customer knowledge.

Such a scenario may be a stretch, but the change is indicative of the leaps of faith some companies are asking (and too often not asking) their customers to make in order to protect their software.

In another blog, On Warden, author complained that the recent changes will hinder the ability to monitor Blizzards actions:

The changes to Warden effectively remove our ability as a community to police Blizzard's activities, and may lead to undetected violations of personal privacy, among other possibilities.

Blizzard remains silent and did not comment on this subject.