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Last week, I was the victim of an Email Hacker. For the first time in 12 years of having my Yahoo email, someone managed to get in and change my email password. As I tried frantically for days to get control of my account back, I realized that I had made several small mistakes that - if I had known better - could have prevented the nightmare it quickly became. You see, not only do I have a Yahoo email account, but I also have Yahoo Messenger, a Yahoo Website, a secondary Yahoo email, the customized Yahoo Page, but I am also on many Yahoo groups. And while I LOVE Yahoo because everything can be accessed via one email and one password, you can imagine how frantic I was to suddenly not be able to contact anyone I know and tell them what happened. Here's what I learned, and what you should consider when thinking about your own email account, messenger account, and social networking sites:
- 1. Get a secondary email account with another email provider. This was the first lesson I immediately learned. You see, when I got locked out of my account, I immediately tried to change the password via the "Forgot Your Password?" link that every email account offers. The only problem was - my secondary email account was the email account linked to my main account. That means, I was locked out of both accounts and could not "click on the link" that Yahoo would send to my secondary email account for identity verification. For the first time, I realized how stupid I had been to not link this account to an outside email, but like I've already said, this was the first time this has ever happened to me - ever. Needless to say, I now have a gmail account as well, even though I will probably never use it.
- 2. Upload your contact list to your secondary account. The second thing I realized after being locked out of my email account was that I was locked out of my contact list. While I still had phone numbers of all the most important people in my life, there were a lot of emails I wanted and needed. Even worse, what if the hacker was spamming all my friends or colleagues. What if I was about to lose valuable networking contacts because of this? Thankfully, my iPod Touch had uploaded all of those contacts the first time I had set it up, but it took a couple days of email silence before I remembered that I had that backup list at all. I was saved by an amazing little electronic, but considering how irritating it is to send a message on such a small screen, I've definitely transferred my email to my secondary email account.
- 3. Never have one of your security questions be, "What is my favorite...?" This was my third mistake. Yahoo let me pick my own email security questions, and the question I chose was, "Who is my favorite author?" as my security question. While this would seem like a very personal and reasonable question to pick, I chose the question more than a year ago. Suddenly, I couldn't remember who my favorite author had been last year. I typed in the name of every author I would have possibly answered, and they all came back with a big fat "Try again." Needless to say, the first thing I did when I got in was change the security question to something that doesn't change...like "what is your second child's middle name?" or "what was the name of your childhood pet?" Those kinds of questions have consistent answers year after year.
- 4. Never have your password related to something that can be found at a social networking site. After many, many failed attempts - I mean, I was even purposefully spelling names wrong just in case I spelled them wrong a year ago - I thought to myself, "Who was my favorite author a year ago - when I set up the question?" I remembered that I had put my favorite books in my social networking site profiles at various periods of my life. So I checked Facebook and MySpace, and sure enough, there were my favorite books listed on both sites for the different years that I opened or updated those accounts. Then I realized, I generally use the same ID on all sites - after all, my profile ID is my brand - thus, it would be easy for a hacker to find those answers, especially a "Friend." That may be how my hacker got in, because they found the answers at my networking sites. So, when choosing a security question, don't pick something that can be found through those sites. So, questions like, "what city was your father born in?" or "where did you graduate high school?" would be bad questions to ask. After all, your father is probably your friend on Facebook / MySpace, and you've probably listed your graduation year and high school on a site like Classmates.com - I mean seriously, who doesn't want to be contacted by old high school friends?
- 5. Convert your private contact information into codes. One of the scariest things for me on the financial side was the realization that I keep a lot of login and passwords in my private email contact list. I find it useful because it can be accessed from anywhere, and it's harder to lose this way. (I used to keep it in my contact list on my phone, but when you lose your phone a few times, you quickly realize what a bad idea that is.) I still maintain that this is a good way to keep logins and passwords, but I acknowledge that maybe those passwords and logins should be dummies in case this happens to you. Thus, instead of listing a password as "tunafish" for an example, you could say, "The food I hate the most" or "Marine Biology" as a hint. That leaves a lot of answers that most people won't guess at, and it allows you to just glance at and go "Oh yeah!"
- 6. You CAN lock your account from outside the account. This was a blessing in disguise. When I failed to get into my account, I was able to lock it from the outside for a 24-hour period. Yahoo offered this as a manual selection, but for many accounts, when you enter the wrong password 5 times, that account will automatically lock. I locked my account and came back every day and re-locked it until I was able to talk to customer service on the phone. By doing this, the hacker only had enough time to hack one personal account from my emails and contacts before they were kicked out. Thus, when I got my email access back and saw the "confirmation" email that Upromise had sent me, I was able to quickly head over there and change all of my security information, passwords, and notify their customer service department before my kids' college funds were drained.
- 7. Immediately begin changing all of your passwords on all of your private accounts. As a bookkeeper who deals with fraud a lot, the very first thing I did was head over to all of my accounts that had money balances and change the passwords and security questions - after locking the account, of course. Thus, the hacker was only able to get into one account, and that was the one account I forgot about. So, if this happens to you, be smart and head immediately to your bank and credit card websites and change those passwords. That way, you can head a thief off at the pass.
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Eric Larkin in PC World reports that we need to get rid of myths about the internet in order to stay safe online.
Myth #1:
Maladjusted teens vandalize your computer.
Reality #1:
Gone are the days when teenagers looked for 15 minutes of fame. Organized crime is the culprit. They want money. Online black marketers place malware on computers to make money. They take over PCs to send spam, steal logins and credit card information, or hack game accounts. They use stolen webmail accounts to request transfers from contact lists and raid online games to sell the items or the in-game currency for real money. Financial fraud by cyber-criminals have cost consumers and businesses billions of dollars.
Myth #2:
All you need is a good antivirus program.
Reality #2:
Wrong. A good antivirus program will help a good deal, but antivirus companies are locked in a constant battle with cyber-criminals who make every effort to stay one step ahead of antivirus software. Yes, many times the security software can prevent the attacks, but other times there are holes in the software and the criminals get the upper hand. You need more security software than just a good antivirus program to protect you from cyber-crime.
Myth #3:
You're fine if you are just careful where you surf.
Reality #3:
This way of thinking is outdated. Years ago you could tell if a site was dangerous just by looking at it, and if you were careful with your emails, you could go without antivirus software. Not anymore. Now personal pages and big-name company sites are hacked by cybercriminals using flaws in the security software to install malware. You would have to be an expert to recognize a hacked page or an email that was attacked. Besides antivirus software, you need antispyware, antirootkit, and a bidirectional firewall along with a team of techs to protect you from cyber-criminals.
Myth #4:
"If it ain't broke don't fix it" requires knowing when something is broken.
Reality #4:
These days there are malicious hidden processes, threats, files, or registry keys and you need advanced anti-rootkit technology to remove them.
Myth #5:
The worse myth. We're all doomed. Stay offline.
Reality #5:
Yes, you can get hacked, but if you know the risks and prepare adequately you can enjoy what the Web has to offer. By following these simple steps, you can be protected from cybercriminals.
* Install antivirus+antispyware, antirootkit, and a bidirectional firewall onto your computer.
* Make sure your computer has daily security updates, automatic upgrades to new software, and full security software support.
* Have your computer monitored daily for malware and have malicious codes stopped before they can harm your computer.
* Get protection for emails and attachments.
* Have your own team of techs to keep your computer clean and running well.
Don't fall hostage to cybercriminals. Don't accept the worst myth that the crooks own the internet and that the only good option is to use the internet as little as possible.
Log onto my informational blog http://www.crimeandjustice4all.com to learn about a Managed Internet Security Service and how it can protect you, your family, and your business from cybercrime. I am Miriam Bobroff, President and CEO of Bubby's Business, Inc. an international marketing and distribution company that offers education and cutting edge solutions to the problem of Cybercrime. I have always helped people to improve the quality of their lives and I now include a Managed Internet Security Service into my business that helps people fight the war on Cybercrime and keeps them safe and secure from cybercriminals.
For more information, log onto http://www.crimeandjustice4all.com or you can reach me at 888-809-3798 or email me at crimeandjustice4all@gmail.com.
Myth #1:
Maladjusted teens vandalize your computer.
Reality #1:
Gone are the days when teenagers looked for 15 minutes of fame. Organized crime is the culprit. They want money. Online black marketers place malware on computers to make money. They take over PCs to send spam, steal logins and credit card information, or hack game accounts. They use stolen webmail accounts to request transfers from contact lists and raid online games to sell the items or the in-game currency for real money. Financial fraud by cyber-criminals have cost consumers and businesses billions of dollars.
Myth #2:
All you need is a good antivirus program.
Reality #2:
Wrong. A good antivirus program will help a good deal, but antivirus companies are locked in a constant battle with cyber-criminals who make every effort to stay one step ahead of antivirus software. Yes, many times the security software can prevent the attacks, but other times there are holes in the software and the criminals get the upper hand. You need more security software than just a good antivirus program to protect you from cyber-crime.
Myth #3:
You're fine if you are just careful where you surf.
Reality #3:
This way of thinking is outdated. Years ago you could tell if a site was dangerous just by looking at it, and if you were careful with your emails, you could go without antivirus software. Not anymore. Now personal pages and big-name company sites are hacked by cybercriminals using flaws in the security software to install malware. You would have to be an expert to recognize a hacked page or an email that was attacked. Besides antivirus software, you need antispyware, antirootkit, and a bidirectional firewall along with a team of techs to protect you from cyber-criminals.
Myth #4:
"If it ain't broke don't fix it" requires knowing when something is broken.
Reality #4:
These days there are malicious hidden processes, threats, files, or registry keys and you need advanced anti-rootkit technology to remove them.
Myth #5:
The worse myth. We're all doomed. Stay offline.
Reality #5:
Yes, you can get hacked, but if you know the risks and prepare adequately you can enjoy what the Web has to offer. By following these simple steps, you can be protected from cybercriminals.
* Install antivirus+antispyware, antirootkit, and a bidirectional firewall onto your computer.
* Make sure your computer has daily security updates, automatic upgrades to new software, and full security software support.
* Have your computer monitored daily for malware and have malicious codes stopped before they can harm your computer.
* Get protection for emails and attachments.
* Have your own team of techs to keep your computer clean and running well.
Don't fall hostage to cybercriminals. Don't accept the worst myth that the crooks own the internet and that the only good option is to use the internet as little as possible.
Log onto my informational blog http://www.crimeandjustice4all.com to learn about a Managed Internet Security Service and how it can protect you, your family, and your business from cybercrime. I am Miriam Bobroff, President and CEO of Bubby's Business, Inc. an international marketing and distribution company that offers education and cutting edge solutions to the problem of Cybercrime. I have always helped people to improve the quality of their lives and I now include a Managed Internet Security Service into my business that helps people fight the war on Cybercrime and keeps them safe and secure from cybercriminals.
For more information, log onto http://www.crimeandjustice4all.com or you can reach me at 888-809-3798 or email me at crimeandjustice4all@gmail.com.
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With the growing popularity of the Internet more and more people are communicating via email. This fast and efficient method of communication is perhaps the preferred method of online communication at the present with thousands upon thousands of emails being sent each day. The many uses of email are what make it so appealing and so versatile. Whether you are sending a greeting to a grandparent or sending files to a coworker, you can easily utilize email to do so.
Email has come quite a long way since its introduction, yet it is still used for many of the same reasons. Basic electronic communication has essentially evolved into a more resourceful tool as one has the ability to do much more now then they once could. Along with the usual sending of files and text messages through email, one can send greeting cards, manage their emails by assigning them to folders or classifying them as junk and even organize and manage their daily tasks on some email servers.
This wonderful tool is not without its downside however. Some people choose to send worms and viruses via email and in the process infect and damage quite a lot of computers. A virus email can often be very difficult to detect, especially to someone with very little knowledge of computer viruses and how they work. If you notice that you have an anonymous email or an email with a name foreign to you then you may not want to open this email as may likely be a viruses and the mere act of opening the email makes your computer susceptible to infection.
Along with the abovementioned problems privacy has also become an issue with email activity. Virtually every email that you send has to go through a number of computers before it reaches the inbox of the intended receiver and along the way there exists a distinct possibility that an individual could hack into your email and read it. Thus it is imperative that you have a bullet proof password.
Email has come quite a long way since its introduction, yet it is still used for many of the same reasons. Basic electronic communication has essentially evolved into a more resourceful tool as one has the ability to do much more now then they once could. Along with the usual sending of files and text messages through email, one can send greeting cards, manage their emails by assigning them to folders or classifying them as junk and even organize and manage their daily tasks on some email servers.
This wonderful tool is not without its downside however. Some people choose to send worms and viruses via email and in the process infect and damage quite a lot of computers. A virus email can often be very difficult to detect, especially to someone with very little knowledge of computer viruses and how they work. If you notice that you have an anonymous email or an email with a name foreign to you then you may not want to open this email as may likely be a viruses and the mere act of opening the email makes your computer susceptible to infection.
Along with the abovementioned problems privacy has also become an issue with email activity. Virtually every email that you send has to go through a number of computers before it reaches the inbox of the intended receiver and along the way there exists a distinct possibility that an individual could hack into your email and read it. Thus it is imperative that you have a bullet proof password.
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Grocery coupons are a great way to save money when you go grocery shopping. With the economy in a rut, more and more people are looking for creative ways to make their budget last longer and make their spending more cost efficient. You can either put the money you save into a savings account and keep them for a rainy day, or use them for other financial needs. Research estimates that there are billions of dollars worth of coupons out there - more or less about $360 billion - so you can definitely save a lot of money when you collect, compile, and use these coupons. Furthermore, restaurant coupons such as pizza hut coupons can save you you money while you dine out.
Some might say that the rewards to using grocery coupons are small, but they are mistaken. Looking at things in the short view, this might be true, but the more important thing is the effects in the long run, and as long as you use your coupons as well as your resources wisely, the rewards can be considered to be more than enough. Coupons for groceries are a good way of saving money if you use them properly.
However, in one relatively new trend that's starting to pop up, namely printable grocery coupons, there can be certain disadvantages to using these types of coupons. Printable grocery coupons are basically grocery coupons to print from different websites that offer grocery deals and promotions. You go to a site, and maybe register and fill out a short form, and then you get grocery coupons to print out and use in your grocery shopping.
One disadvantage is that promotions on the internet are loosely regulated, which is why there a lot of scams and false claims out there. So you need to be careful so that your effort will not be wasted. Sometimes scammers use the information you give out to hack emails and steal your identity. So always be careful of the offers you take and the so-called promotions you download.
Another disadvantage is that the coupons you print out may not be honored by the local grocery store you are going to. This is because that since printable grocery coupons are easily altered digitally - which is called coupon fraud - some grocery stores avoid getting scammed by these fake coupons by opting not to honor online print out coupons. So make sure that your grocery honors them before starting to collect these kinds of coupons. Same goes for the restaurant coupons.
The advantage with online coupons though, is that you will be able to find these very easily - a simple search on Google or Yahoo or the like will yield you dozens of different coupons, offers and promotions you can use to stretch your grocery budget further. Online coupons are also easier to collect, as everything is on the web, and you do not need to scrounge and browse so many different magazines and publications and cut out these coupons to be able to avail of them. With online print outs, you merely need to print them out and you have your coupons instantly.
Online coupons are very convenient to find and use, just make sure that you weigh all the pros and cons before deciding to use them.
Some might say that the rewards to using grocery coupons are small, but they are mistaken. Looking at things in the short view, this might be true, but the more important thing is the effects in the long run, and as long as you use your coupons as well as your resources wisely, the rewards can be considered to be more than enough. Coupons for groceries are a good way of saving money if you use them properly.
However, in one relatively new trend that's starting to pop up, namely printable grocery coupons, there can be certain disadvantages to using these types of coupons. Printable grocery coupons are basically grocery coupons to print from different websites that offer grocery deals and promotions. You go to a site, and maybe register and fill out a short form, and then you get grocery coupons to print out and use in your grocery shopping.
One disadvantage is that promotions on the internet are loosely regulated, which is why there a lot of scams and false claims out there. So you need to be careful so that your effort will not be wasted. Sometimes scammers use the information you give out to hack emails and steal your identity. So always be careful of the offers you take and the so-called promotions you download.
Another disadvantage is that the coupons you print out may not be honored by the local grocery store you are going to. This is because that since printable grocery coupons are easily altered digitally - which is called coupon fraud - some grocery stores avoid getting scammed by these fake coupons by opting not to honor online print out coupons. So make sure that your grocery honors them before starting to collect these kinds of coupons. Same goes for the restaurant coupons.
The advantage with online coupons though, is that you will be able to find these very easily - a simple search on Google or Yahoo or the like will yield you dozens of different coupons, offers and promotions you can use to stretch your grocery budget further. Online coupons are also easier to collect, as everything is on the web, and you do not need to scrounge and browse so many different magazines and publications and cut out these coupons to be able to avail of them. With online print outs, you merely need to print them out and you have your coupons instantly.
Online coupons are very convenient to find and use, just make sure that you weigh all the pros and cons before deciding to use them.