Hi All,
For those of you who have email accounts on
web-based email systems (i.e. you can read and send email from Internet
Explorer, FireFox, Safari, etc.), please make sure you are using a
"non-dictionary" password. This includes GMail, AOL, Yahoo, MSN,
Hotmail, Comcast, and many more email systems.
In short, that means you should use a password
that is difficult to guess, and is NOT a common word or name. A mix of
uppercase and lowercase letters, with a number or two mixed in is
exponentially harder to hack.
If you use a password which is a 'dictionary'
word, your account can often be hacked within a few
seconds.
While the main course of action for these
automated hacking programs is to send out spam emails to everyone in your
contacts and/or inbox, there are severe risks from having your account
hacked. Many sites such as online banking, etc., have a 'forgot my
password' function that will send a new password or a password reset link to
your email address. If a bad guy has access to your email address, he
also may be able to gain access to anything your email account is linked to
(banking, PayPal, eBay, and more).
Please take a moment today to change your email
password if the above applies to you. People who have had their accounts
hacked and send spam email to the list will have their posting abilites
limited until they have remedied the situation.
By now many of you have seen several
of these "just a link" emails. Do not click on those links (either
from the list or in a private email) until you know what you are clicking
on.
-Dave
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