Hi guys!
I know I haven’t been on my blog for a while, because of school (which is another story, soon to be told 😛 ), but I still get updated on my phone. So, to get to the other side ( Twilight quote 😉 😀 LoL ), well, I mean to the point.
I’m going to talk about the latest phishing scams on our email account, which I happen to be a victim of , but it’s resolved just this second !!!! 😀
What’s going on ?!
Well, some people’s email accounts’ passwords have been published to the net, with the usernames and everything ! So, if you’re affected, what’s gonna happen is; as an example, let’s say that you were surfing the web, suddenly you find my email address an a blog post with the username and password to access it, you’ll access it ( if you’re a hacker or just curious 😛 ) and you’ll start messing up with my things !
That’s what will happen once you’re email’s password is exposed.
Which email providers have been affected ?
Unfortunately, all email providers have been affected :(, these are quotes from what they wrote on their blogs (Hotmail, Yahoo!Mail then Gmail) :
As of 3pm PT: We want to provide a quick update, that as a result of our investigation we are taking measures to block access to all of the accounts that were exposed and have resources in place to help those users reclaim their accounts.
If you believe your information was documented on the illegal list, please fill out the following form to reclaim access to your account.
—
Over the weekend Microsoft learned that several thousand Windows Live Hotmail customers’ credentials were exposed on a third-party site due to a likely phishing scheme. Upon learning of the issue, we immediately requested that the credentials be removed and launched an investigation to determine the impact to customers. As part of that investigation, we determined that this was not a breach of internal Microsoft data and initiated our standard process of working to help customers regain control of their accounts.
Phishing is an industry-wide problem and Microsoft is committed to helping consumers have a safe, secure and positive online experience. Our guidance to customers is to exercise extreme caution when opening unsolicited attachments and links from both known and unknown sources, and that they install and regularly update their anti-virus software.” If you believe you’ve been a victim of a phishing scheme, it’s very important that you update your account information and change your password as soon as possible. More information on what to do is available on this page at our support community.
Microsoft recommends customers use the following protective security measures:
- Renew their passwords for Windows Live IDs every 90 days
- For administrators, make sure you approve and authenticate only users that you know and can verify credentials
- As phishing sites can also pose additional threats, please install and keep anti-virus software up to date
Keeping you safe while you’re online is a top priority for us here at Yahoo!. One important part of your online safety is making sure that nobody else can access your Yahoo! Mail account without your permission, and the best way to do that is to make sure you choose a good password and make sure nobody else knows it or can easily guess it.
I know it can feel like a pain typing out a more detailed password, but none of us want to make it any easier for the bad guys.
My top advice is to be mindful of any Web page that requests your Yahoo! password. The #1 way people get their passwords stolen is by typing them into lookalike “phishing” web sites, pages that pretend to be Yahoo! or another trusted Web site but actually are run by the bad guys. Scrutinize carefully any page that requests your Yahoo! password. In addition:
Here are a few more tips to help keep you safe online:
- Don’t use the same password on multiple sites. Your Yahoo! Mail account is important to you, so it deserves its own password. That way, if the unthinkable happens on another site, at least your Yahoo! mailbox remains secure.
- Never send your password over email. Yahoo! will never request your password from you in an e-mail; if you ever receive such a request, you should treat it as fraud. Do not pass “Go!” Instead immediately click the “Spam” button on that message.
- Protect yourself with a virus scanner. Another way passwords get stolen is from a virus that records your keystrokes. Don’t give the bad guys that option: There are a number of anti-virus companies that offer free versions or trial offers, including (in no particular order and with no specific endorsement implied) http://security.symantec.com , http://usa.kaspersky.com/downloads/free-virus-scanner.php, http://us.mcafee.com/root/downloads.asp?id=freeTrials, and http://www.avast.com/eng/avast_4_home.html.
Unfortunately there is no silver bullet against these criminals and con-men, but hopefully these tips will help us all keep the bad guys at bay.
As part of National Cyber Security Awareness Month, we’d like to take this opportunity to remind you about smart password practices. Help ensure you’re protecting your computer, website, and personal information by checking out our security series on the Google blog or visiting http://www.staysafeonline.org.
Phishing, a topic that’s been in the news, is unfortunately a common way for hackers to trick you into sharing personal information like your account password. If you suspect you’ve been a victim of a phishing attack, we recommend you immediately change your password, update the security question and secondary address on your account, and make sure you’re using a modern browser with anti-phishing protection turned on. Keep an eye out for the phishing warning Gmail adds to suspicious messages, and be sure to review these tips on how to avoid getting hooked.
Creating a new password is often one of the first recommendations you hear when trouble occurs. Even a great password can’t keep you from being scammed, but setting one that’s memorable for you and that’s hard for others to guess is a smart security practice since weak passwords can be easily guessed. Below are a few common problems we’ve seen in the past and suggestions for making your passwords stronger.
How do I protect my email account from this danger ?
If you’re like me, getting your email hacked or scammed is a nightmare :(, you’ll lose the work of years and years !!! You’ll never be able to get it back ; your contacts, emails (including important ones for work or just emails you keep as a souvenir or some photos…etc), your calendar, and so on.
That’s why I have some tips on how you’ll be able to protect your email account ( and not just your email, but also any account on the web ! ).
-
Don’t give your username and password to anyone ! Specially third party applications, unless you’re sure about what you’re doing, this way YOU take the blame.
-
Change your password constantly, as an example every week.
-
Create a strong, long password of a mixed combination of numbers,symbols and letters.
-
Last and not least, if you feel that you’ve been scammed in a way or another, contact your email provider from its help section.
I hope this helps you a bit :). If you have any questions or comments, just let me know ;).
See you soon,
Randa
Brunette Geek Girl 