Gmail acount hacked

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Pdogge

12 posts

Geek

#99209 14-Mar-2012 19:27

Hi all from an infrequent poster but lurking away frequently...

My daughter has had a google email account for 2 or so years and we have a bit of email flowing back and forth. About a month ago I got a couple of emails from "her" suggesting a look at an url where I could get a bargain in tech gear, the email being nothing remotely lile my daughter's style of writing. I chatted to her re this and she knew zip about it...Today I got an email from her (from a work site) advising a new gmail account and address as she had established that her account had been hacked and the Google people inform her that the hacking is from China.

So I wonder, how does this happen ?

Are there precautions we should take?

We are fairly tech savvy and prudent in our web life. My daughter has a nice 1 year old Mac that cost gazillions and as i understand it, Mac OS is Unix based and freer of nasty possibilities than another ubiquitous OS that's around. I have a Linux machine and have centred on Google for all my work, eg Google docs, reader etc etc.

Do we have any thoughts on this scary happening ?

gzt

17104 posts

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Lifetime subscriber

#595261 14-Mar-2012 19:30

1. Does she use the account on other computers?
2. Did she use the account on a compromised hotel computer or other computers while travelling?
3. How strong was the previous password?

jbard

1377 posts

Uber Geek

#595262 14-Mar-2012 19:30

More than likely someone has guessed her password. Make sure she changes her password to a much stronger one.

It is also a great idea to enable 2 factor authentication which Google provides for free.

Pdogge

12 posts

Geek

#595264 14-Mar-2012 19:38

Yep, I'm sure she has used other machines elsewhere, as have I and internationally. It is the beauty of Google.

and I cannot answer re her password, strength or otherwise but by your questions and comments there is much to be careful about. Thanks for that

gzt

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#595266 14-Mar-2012 19:40

4. Did she respond to a phishing mail of some kind which asked for her gmail password for some reason?

A while back there were fake emails written in Chinese language sending the user to a fake gmail page for a 'password reset' to get your password.

gzt

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#595273 14-Mar-2012 19:59

Pdogge: Yep, I'm sure she has used other machines elsewhere, as have I and internationally. It is the beauty of Google.

I do as well.

I mostly trust the sponsored airport computers which reboot and essentially re-image between each user. They are usually protected against simple hardware keyloggers as well.

I am a lot more careful with hotel room and hotel computers. Frequently these are badly maintained and don't have those mechanisms at all, and secondly malicious users have a lot more time to compromise them if that is what they came to do.

With nearly every phone having wifi and free wifi at many airports, and availability of things like TravelSim for data (safer than wifi), there is no need to use the provided machines for simple email.

lonney

85 posts

Master Geek

#595283 14-Mar-2012 20:22

2 factor auth is a good idea, I've had it enabled for a while now, and its good knowing that there is an extra layer of security in place.

http://googleblog.blogspot.co.nz/2011/02/advanced-sign-in-security-for-your.html

nickb800

2715 posts

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Trusted

#595287 14-Mar-2012 20:25

jbard:

It is also a great idea to enable 2 factor authentication which Google provides for free.

+1

Just make sure you do it properly e.g. mobile number for txt codes AND landline number for voice calls AND print out the access codes.

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Batman

Mad Scientist
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#595306 14-Mar-2012 20:59

i remember when my yahoo got hacked.

it was at a hospital library in Timaru. clearly remembered that i never ever ever ever use a non trusted computer to do banking, but once in a while i use the internet cafe etc but have stopped, but yeah i went to the library and checked my yahoo mail .... and within 7 days all my contacts got an email sent from me - i was in my contact so i got one to myself!

since then
1) no external computer
2) no unsecured wifi
3) etc ...

3g is the safest i've read. so i always use my phone's 3g data to do banking, mailing while i'm out

Pdogge

12 posts

Geek

#595430 15-Mar-2012 04:20

Thanks all for your comments and help andI i will be seeing my D tonight and will run her through your helpful ideas, so thanks again