If you have a Hot mail account be aware. After 15 years my account has been hacked and has been canceled, by someone. All of my contacts and E-mails appear to no longer exist. I will try to retrieve them from my back up system, wish me luck.
This is a WARNING to others that this is happening since Outlook came into the picture.
Be careful, I have no Financial information on mine thank goodness. Be careful.
Bob
The best protection for a hotmail or gmail type of account is a strong password. It should be at least 8 chars. long, 10 is better and longer is better yet.
I changed my hotmail account a couple of years ago when I had a problem, it is 10 chars. long.
Here is a password checking website
https://howsecureismypassword.net/
I feel it should go into years to be effective.
Someone tried to hack my account several months ago and Hotmail shut it down. I had to go through a security review to unlock it. Then I opted to use their secure PC option. This option restricts access to the account from specific PCs only.
The only reason I have an account there is to access certain parts of the Microsoft site. I don't use the account for anything else. Even so, I get about 4-5 porn and drug spams a day on it. And most recently, a boat load of metal vendors from China.
If your web mail box was hijacked I'd be worried that your computer was infected with a Trojan that captures keystrokes and sends them to a hacker, which means your other accounts you log into could suffer the same fate. A top rate spyware scanning software is worth the money it costs for peace of mind especially if you bank over the internet.
As Benjamin Franklin would say - "An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure"
Jay
My computer has been debugged and new safety systems installed. Its only the Hot mail that's messed up.
Ken
How did you get a security review so you could
get back in. Been trying and getting various answers from Hot mail and Microsoft and they haven't worked. Will keep trying.
Thanks for your help.
Bob
Bob, I don't recall exactly but I think it was through the request a forgotten password link. I don't use the account often but noticed Live Mail stopped retrieving mail for it. I let it go for a month or two before going to Hotmail and trying to log on directly. That's when it said the account was shutdown due to "unusual activity". I don't use it to send mail, just a MS logon so I knew something was up. I think there was a link to follow on that screen to request a new password and then reactivate the account. As I recall, you do need to have a valid non-Hotmail account to receive the new password/activation.
Happened to me 4 yrs ago. Changed my log in and wiped out my FB. Had to start all over. Cousin of mine who worked in Puter security for a Fed. Gubmint agency that will remain nameless suggested going to GMail, better security. That's what did and log out of email before going anywhere else.
Probably not Hotmail's fault.
More likely you opened an attachment sent by a friend that put a keystroke logger virus on your computer. You need to change the passwords on all your internet log ins after having your computer cleaned by a good online protection system such as Malwarebytes.
I had to change my E-mail account and lost 15 years of contact info. and E-mails. will need to start over. its correct in my profile.
Bob
It's not in your profile. ???
That's the problem with relying on off-PC file storage. Unless the provider allows some means to backup or save files that YOU can restore, you will always live with the risk.
Ken
That was taken care of also, just loosing all my contacts (15 years worth of research)and no way of retrieving again.
Bob
Bob, Maybe your data is still on a backup server for another bit of time even if your account was canceled. Check with someone at the service if you can not accomplish re-establishing your account over the internet.
I got an email last week that was hacked from a guy's gmail acct. Fun thing is, he works as IT expert for the govt at Edwards AFB.
I was able to play with my confuser and found all of my E mails and addressee still in my putter, I guess that I have more good luck than putter savvy. Still have a new account and mail. Thanks for your help, Just keep your eyes open. Now back to the fun things.
Bob