Hi everybody. Have you ever been notified by a friend that you sent them tons of e mauls when in fact you know you didn’t? Join the thousands of Internet users that get their e-mail accounts hacked daily. In this column, we are going to talk about how this happens and what you need to about it if it does.
If a family member or friend notifies you that they are receiving all kinds of spam e-mails from your address it can be both a frustrating and embarrassing event. The worst of it is that you have no control over what is being sent out. Often times these spam e-mails will contain links to virus-ridden sites that can even further spread the scope of the problem. One thing that is foe certain is that your e-mail program has been hacked. There are several ways this can happen and I will discuss them in detail and tell you what you can do to stop it.
In the first case scenario, we will talk about web based e-mail clients such as Hotmail or Google. In this case, the hacker has usually connected using your password and logon information. There are several ways this can happen. The first is simply that you had too weak of a password combination. The hacker can then use a program that rapidly tries different number and letter combinations until they hit the right combination. Once the hacker is in, they can do whatever they want with your account, including locking you out. In other cases, a hacker can get you to go to an infected website and install a key logger on your system. Using this key logger, the hacker can trace your keystrokes and get into your account that way. Keep in mind that this type of scenario is the most dangerous and you should immediately have your system professionally cleaned to ensure your safety. Once the machine is cleaned of any offending virus activity, you will now need to change all your critical passwords including your e-mail account.
In this scenario, your e-mail is sent out directly from your computer with your Outlook program. A virus always causes this type of case. Many times you might have also have a dangerous root kit along with the virus. In situations such as this, you always want to get your system cleaned as completely as possible. There are times when a root kit will get into the Master Boot Record and when this is the case, a re format is usually the best decision. Like before, once the PC is cleaned, you will want to reset your passwords in both your web mail and in Outlook plus any other sensitive passwords on your computer.
As you can see, the virus’s that cause these type of e-mail intrusions can often be dangerous and require your immediate attention. By acting quickly, you can help stop the spread of the Malware to other friends or family members. If you know that your e-mail system has sent out such e-mails, notify everybody in your contacts list and advise him or her not to open or click on any of the links in the spam e-mails.
Author: Joe Zelenak, Staff Writer
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