We, as people, have an extraordinary power – the ability to define what is valuable.

A lump of crystalline rock is precious for no greater reason than we care for it.

It’s so easy to look at something like online game accounts being stolen and to say, “That doesn’t matter at all, they’re just game accounts.”

Professional thieves aren’t stupid, however, and the good ones chase value wherever we assign it. A clever thief doesn’t care about a particular object beyond it’s value, and so he will steal whatever thing people put value on.

So I guess the interesting question is,

“Why do we value these game accounts so highly that virtual stuff is worth real money?”

In part it’s designed – game manufacturers work hard to make something people are willing to invest in.

Regardless, it’s important that our perception of what needs to be secure evolves along with our perception of what is important.