I tried logging on to my hotmail email account last night, to be told that my password was incorrect. After I was 100% sure that I had typed it correctly (and caps lock wasnt on), and it still didn't work, I went for the 'forgot password' option. I answered my security questions correctly, and it let me in. My inbox was full of eBay generated messages, plus a few direct emails from other eBayers.
It turns out that somebody had hacked into my eBay account, and because I was dumb enough to use the same password for eBay and my hotmail account, they got access to both.
Fortunately nothing seems to have been done. It appears that eBay recognised that my account had been hacked very quickly and put a lock on it. After the eBay account had been locked, the hacker continued to use my hotmail to contact other eBayers that he had already entered a dialogue with.
From reading the emails, it looks as though the hacker was bidding to win items (mostly fancy mobile phones) then attempting to trick the sellers into sending the item by saying he had paid when he hadn't. Anyway, I changed all passwords (unique password for each site I use now!), and corrected all the personal info in both hotmail and eBay that he had changed, and all seems well. Fortunately it appears my PayPal and bank accounts weren't compromised.
But I'm intrigued... how do they 'hack' eBay accounts? My PC is 'clean', and I run firewalls, AV, spybot, WinPatrol, etc. so I'm mystified as to how it's been done.
It could have been brute forced, just keep trying passwords till one works. It could have been the hotmail that was attacked first, or another site that you use the same username for.
Do you use wireless at all? either keyboards or internet access...
the list is almost endless if someone really wants to hack something.
Hmmm, never thought that it might have been hotmail first. I have wireless broadband, although it's supposedly encrypted (I had to input the 10 digit code to get my second PC connected to it), and I don't broadcast the SSID (or whatever it's called).
I guess it goes to show that no matter how hard you try, you're always vulnerable.
From the emails I read that the hacker sent, it seems he was just trying his luck (by bidding for items with my account then saying he'd paid and hoping the seller was a mug that would send the item without checking). Still, it made me sweat a bit!!
I now use a symetrical format for all my important online password stuff, so not one password is ever the same for anything, all passwords follow a similar pattern and if forgotten, eventually I can get there, but they are so random otherwise that unless you know the key, then you are unlikely to crack it. If a hacker worked out or got one password, it's unlikely they would get any others, unless they have no life.
I think many people are stung because they just use one simple password and a simple variation for mostly everything else.
One example, I gave my ebay password to a website that auto bid for you in the last few seconds of an auction (Snipe, I think it's called), I had exactly the same password for a number of other things!, I decided to change all those other passswords immediately.
Chances are there will be no problems, but it just takes one bent employee.
A while ago I found I was selling lots of sets of golf clubs on Ebay. I only found out when I started getting enquiries. Managed to contact buyers of completed auctions to stop them sending money.
Same thing happened to me last year - suddenly I was selling lap tops I knew nothing about.
I was lucky to notice it within a few hours of it happening, I sometimes don't look at ebay for weeks. Ebay sorted it out and no harm was done but it took a while to put right.
Try this C/: cleaner it`s a great very simple(one click to scan one to clean) programe to use and i think you will be surprised at just how much spyware tracking cookies etc you have on your pc,this get rid in two clicks...
I think the best people to ask Mike are Virgin themselves,see if you should be using any other protection like Zone Alarm as an extra Firewall..
But nothing is completely perfect as Anti-Virus software is only as good as the viruses they know about so keep it updated if the option is there and try running that Ccleaner and just see how much sh**e you have on your Pc......
Its most likely that you could have entered your details on a site link that was sent to you disguised as an official Ebay email, they are incredibly good at making them look the same as official ebay emails these days, the only clue to it being a fake is if you hover over the links on the email you have to click on and they have nothing like a normal ebay link. I think Ebay is heading the same way as banks, in that in the future they will no longer contact people directly through email but instead send you messages through its own system once your logged into there site, this way you then ignore anything that comes to you by email from Ebay as it can't be real.
FRom what I know of you MS you may think I'm a right patronising sod as I know you ain't dumb, but i'm a senior IT engineer and I've almost fallen for this myself a few times as the fake phishing emails are so realistic.
Do make sure your PC is protected though aswell, you don't even need to pay for protection, look here www.freepcsecuritysoftware.co.uk I set this page up as so many people are always asking me how to protect there machines.
It clears your temp files mostly and other junk like cookies.
One of the things it will do, for example, is clear whatever OM put on your PC so that you are automatically signed on when you go onto the website. But next time you sign in, that link will be re-established. Presumably that mght be the same for other sites aswell. You can pick and choose what programmes are cleaned.
Will that C cleaner interfere with my Total PC Guard Diddy? My system runs fine so i don't want to risk anything!
If you are on about your virgin Antivirus then no its should be ok and will work alongside it,but if the programes conflict it should tell you when you install it!..and if so you can always abort/cancel or uninstall ....
Also it can clear any programmes that have been uninstalled but not fully deleted all their crap,i think its great for free....
Ask yourself whether you really need to be on a Windows-based machine?
At home I use Mac OSX and Linux (Kanotix, Slax, Xubuntu whatver) and have never had a problem of virus infection.
I used an unprotected PC in a guest house recently and it was infected in a matter of hours. I say 'unprotected' but actually they had a clever system; the whole hard drive would revert to a pre-determined format each time you restarted, meaning that any saved files (including viruses, spyware etc.) were deleted.
It wasn't this software ( I can't remember the name) but it was something like this:
As for internet security, it is in a very poor state IMHO. Security is only as strong as the weakest link and in the software world it is considered standard practice to create backdoors into systems in case you get stuck. This is security by obscurity - widely considered to be a bad idea. As soon as a competent hacker finds this backdoor, they can do more or less whatever they want. OpenBSD was designed from the ground up with security in mind AFAIK, and I can't imagine there are many home users...
I to would recommend stepping away from windows for home use (unless you are into games then there is little choice, but then if you are into the outdoors the PC gaming is probably not your thing).
Ubuntu/Kubuntu and OpenSUSE are the two linux distros that I would recommend to those that are new to the non Windows(tm) world. There are LiveCDs of these so you can try without installing anything to your hard disk
Linux is much easier for the new user than it was even a few years ago and I would go as far as to say it is often easer than Windows to install and use.
ps even broken sites like OUTDOORSmagic.com are getting better at working with non Windows computers
I think we are saying the same thing. Switching away from Windows won't help your online security much - at least in so far as details being leaked by third parties - but you will find fewer problems of local security, spyware, adware, viruses etc. And it will be on a much less resource-heavy operating system so you'll get more of your computer, especially if it is aging.
Unfortunately there are literally dozens of linux distributions out there - many of them excellent. Ubuntu is also a favourite of mine (I am relatively new to the linux world myself but have test driven quite a few and use others - SuSE, Redhat etc. at work). If you have trouble with Ubuntu, Xubuntu is even lighter on the resources and works for older or more unusual systems first time. Heading 'up market', Mandriva is popular amongst advanced users...
Slax Kill Bill edition is pretty useful too as it allows many Windows programs to be run in native. It's also one of the smaller live, bootable disks (200Mb) so could be downloaded quickly to experiment.
Some very interesting comments, thanks folks. I've obviously heard much talk of using non-Windows based machines at home, but always dismissed it as being impractical. Perhaps I should give it some thought. Are there any issues about using software (other than games) on non-Windows machines? What about things like Photoshop, CaptureOne etc etc.?
FRom what I know of you MS you may think I'm a right patronising sod as I know you ain't dumb
Jamie, thanks for the feedback and advice - and I don't think you're being patronising at all. I'm fairly savvy, and I usually spot phishing emails, but I can't say for sure that I've never been caught out.
For info, my PC has ZoneAlarm firewall, AVG AntiVirus, Spybot Search & Destroy, WinPatrol (handy little program that alerts you when programs are added to your start-up), and I do have CCleaner, though I confess I haven't used that for a while. All the other stuff is kept updated (at least weekly), and I always install patches etc. I always assumed that would be enough to keep me fairly safe - guess it goes to show it's not enough!!
Wierdest thing happened when I got home by the way Michael, the missus had exactly the same thing happen to her today so it may have been something going on this week!?
<rant>Yes, most software houses dont write software for Linux, although this is getting better slowly and there are some very capable 'free' software packages.
The software houses that write software that runs on OS X need to think outside the box and build their software for other Unix-like OSs (all the backend code should need little change just a new UI written in QT is probably all that is needed).
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