The reason I realized it was hacked is because my alternate email address received a notification from Yahoo that I changed my password - of course I didn't do that so I tried logging in, sure enough, didn't work. So I called the SBC/Yahoo helpdesk and they helped me regain control of it. Someone named "Dan_is_God@sbcglobal.net" hacked in and created a sub account.

Though nothing was really lost, I got real nervous because this account has a bunch of my ex's emails my wife doesn't know I kept from back in the days and I was afraid some of the juicy stuff was going to be read by a stranger

Anyway, I reported this but I don't think anything will come about it. How do you prevent people from jacking your password? I downloaded Zone Alarm but I don't know how good that is...

 

as far as I know zone alarm merely protects the ports on a particular machine from other machines ... I doubt you lost control of your yahoo! account this way ... (unless they first broke into your computer)

you might not want to log in from a public computer or a computer where other people have access, they might have key loggers on the system or somehow take advantage of a cookie to pretend they are you.

I think yahoo! has a setting button on the login page to make sure to use https ... so the password can't be intercepted in plain text (altho I doubt they use plaintext anyhow, I just seem to remember them having this).

in the end there isn't really any security online ... so if it's really important you probably don't want it there, it's just up to you to decide how paranoid you are =)

I doubt this helps :/ but glad you have control back =) it's always one of my fears I'll lose my primary email account since I have so many things tied to it.

 

Rich,

Is this account one of those web based E-mail systems like hotmail? (I'm assuming it is). If so, you're at the mercy of whatever security measures they've got in place, which is usually pathetic. Hotmail has been hacked so many times it's a joke; people's credit card info being stolen and all sorts of stuff. Get an E-mail account with your ISP and protect the password. Is it 100% safe? No, nothing is on the net. It's a lot better than relying on idiots with crap for security though.

 

webmail sux sorry to hear your misfortune Zone alarm wont do anything for web based email

 

I don't trust my email with important information. If you want security, you'll have to pay for it.

 

I gotta learn how to hack. That seems like so much fun.

 

i run my own email. only access it thru secure connections. change passwords monthly.

 

Unbageler, how the hell did you get that thing in your avatar - post whore number 1. That is funny. 21.8 post per day for 2 years. wow.

 

damn, that's almsot 3 times my average!

 

I have it there because I am post whore numba' 1. Founder of the corner, benevolent dictator of the alleyway, leader and protector of the post whores, holder of the key to the corner badge, creator of the alleyway badge and .

:enters zen meditative postwhoring state: