[GPSCC-chat] SPAM Alert: tnharter at aol.com has been hacked. Don't open it!

[Spencer Graves]

Hi, Tian, at al.:


       I suggest you not give up on changing your password.


       The Heartbleed bug makes it easier for criminal organizations to 
guess your passwords and answers to your security questions.  Cameron 
noted that several criminal organizations collate data stolen via 
Heartbleed with data someone (not necessarily you) entered into a 
genealogical database or posted on Facebook or someplace else.  They 
might get enough to access your bank account or obtain a credit card in 
your name.


       I know a victim of a similar scam:  A thief had taken out a 
credit card in the name of my friend, who almost got stuck with the 
bills.  My friend took the problem to the police, who managed to find 
the thief and get a conviction.  My friend ultimately did not have to 
pay the bills, but it took a lot of work to avoid paying.  The entire 
experience produced a lot of anxiety.


       Cameron is correct:  Heartbleed is real.  Do something real -- or 
run an unacceptable risk of being victimized.  For my suggestions on 
what to do, see Wikiversity, "Managing risk from cyber attacks" 
(https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Managing_risk_from_cyber_attacks).


       Spencer


On 4/14/2014 2:14 AM, Tian Harter wrote:
> I got a call that tnharter at aceweb.com has been hacked from Julie.
>
> She told me it had sent something she wasn't going to open.
>
> I called AOL. They wouldn't let me change the password because I don't 
> know the security answer.
>
> Sorry about that!
>


-- 
Spencer Graves, PE, PhD
President and Chief Technology Officer
Structure Inspection and Monitoring, Inc.
751 Emerson Ct.
San José, CA 95126
ph:  408-655-4567
web:  www.structuremonitoring.com