How to set up an intruder alarm on your email account
Thu Mar 6, 2008 10:26PM EST
See Comments (99)
This may or may not come as a shocker, but according to a recent FTC survey on identity theft, 16 percent of the victims said their information was stolen by people they knew, which included friends, relatives, neighbors, and coworkers. This is very important because it serves as a reminder that we need to take extra precautions whether we're at home or at work. It's probably a good idea to disable cookies, so you don't save login and password information of your accounts, and you should never keep sensitive information where thieves can easily find it.
I've gotten several emails from readers asking me how they can find out if someone has accessed their personal email account, so I thought I'd point you to an excellent post written by PCWorld's Erik Larkin on how to set a hacker alarm on your web mail box. This is a good way to find out if anyone besides you is logging into your email account.
Here's the gist:
- Open an account with OneStatFree.com, and use a disposable e-mail address to complete the registration process.
- You'll receive an email from OneStat with an attached file. Save the file, note the account number, and then delete the email.
- Rename the file with a name that would catch a hacker's eye like "AccountPasswords." Save the .txt file as an .htm file so it opens up in a web browser.
- Send an email with the .htm file to the account you want to monitor. Use a subject title that is eye catching.
- Wait for the hacker to take the bait. If the attachment is opened by anyone else but you, the hit counter will record their IP address.
Hackers are very clever, so you want to change your password frequently to something that's a little harder to crack.
Anyone else have any suggestions?
Related:
Tips to make your inbox less vulnerable to identity theft
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Comments on How to set up an intruder alarm on your email account
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87 Posted by hwbigdaddy on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:21PM EDT Report Abuse
Will OneStatFree still be able to trace them if they use a transluscent IP? Seems like a hacker worth his salt would be able to be un-tracable for the normal public.
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88 Posted by ash_potty on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:58PM EDT Report Abuse
A very similar article was published on MakeUseOf a few days back. Anyway, a good way to track down hackers... :)
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89 Posted by zeno2008 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 11:00PM EDT Report Abuse
This is great. But wait, what will you once you know they have been in your e-mail? You will most likely change your password. But wait, isn't that what they got in the first place. So then you might be a little smarter and make a new e-mail. Alas, they already have your ip address and found your new email and password.
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90 Posted by ck2sharp on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:26PM EDT Report Abuse
How many of you people actually read the article?? Finding out WHO got into your email wasn't the point. The method in the article is only to let you know IF anyone other than you is accessing your email....and this would only tip you off if the "hacker" is dumb enough to click on the bait htm link. That's all. Whining to the author about not knowing who hacked in is kind of pointless, since there was no offer of such information.
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91 Posted by aminhusni on Thu Sep 3, 2009 2:53PM EDT Report Abuse
you change the password always and put alphabets,numbers and symbols....its very hard to crack even with a brute force hacker( it will a very long time)
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92 Posted by vietboyztonthat on Thu Sep 3, 2009 10:34PM EDT Report Abuse
I wanna know if my emails can be read by the government or by anyone without login in or without using my password. I am living in a non-democratic country so I wonder if they can read my emails without login in to my account so the mails can be used against me. Please help. Thank you.
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93 Posted by stupid_kid_me on Thu Sep 3, 2009 9:46PM EDT Report Abuse
As per to the article! Mostly! Mostly they might have the same IP address as ME! isn't it!
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94 Posted by kristinmariemeyer on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:53PM EDT Report Abuse
Its a little late. Someone who has known how very un-technically savvy I am has been hacking into my account for years and costing me quite a bit, both personally as well as financially -- all with the "you can't prove a thing" attitude. After first ruining my reputation with lies they spread while stalking my haunts and whereabouts, it was easy for them because they ensured that no one would listen to me or care (after they did the damage they did). I would like to know how to go after professional thieves like this because they devastated my life -- all for profit, and there was nothing I could do to stop them. This is nice information, but it comes to me literally years too late. Do you have any advice on how to track down these kinds of cyber criminals?
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95 Posted by o13100601 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:43PM EDT Report Abuse
I am a hacker. Now how dumb is this idea when hackers can just visit YAHOO to see it. Who knows how many other hackers read this already!!?? Most of you are correct in thinking to change your passwords but once you access the internet you are at risk. I won't give away any secrets but some tips for all of you who worry about this, just STAY OFF THE INTERNET..... LOL, sorry i thought that was funny. Ok here goes(note this is very time consuming and money is involved)(also note that it is not a solution just a deterent and it does not mean you will not be hacked but it is very effective). Frequently(once a month is not bad) change your modem which will give you a new IP address especially if you use a cable modem. Change all your passwords (Once a month is also not bad). ALWAYS include in your passwords 1)A capital letter 2)A number 3)A character like # or $. Also use only connections that are secured. We hackers tend to look for what is the easiest network to get into. DO NOT USE public Internet terminals: Schools, Libraries, Hotels ETC. The staff at these locations can use your info since they control the network and it is easier for them to manipulate whoever logs on. For the wireless users; if you own a wireless network secure it with an encrypted code.... its very easy. For the sponges..... GET YOUR OWN INTERNET!!! LOL. Sorry once again that was funny. Those with wireless adapters DO NOT log on to "OPEN" networks. Now once again these are not guaranteeing that you won't be targetted or hacked but they will deter a hacker from picking you first...... unless he likes you, and in this case Good Luck :-). BE SAFE PPLE.... Your Friendly Hacker
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96 Posted by mrbrilloman on Thu Sep 3, 2009 7:27PM EDT Report Abuse
This is ridiculous! For the average user, trying to set up this counter is much to difficult! I tried it and gave up! The instructions are confusing and don't give enough explanation to what there talking about. I had a hard enough time entering the (url ?) to set up this account. I like to be protected but they have to make setting this up easier for someone who's not familiar with counters.
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97 Posted by europamoon100 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:56PM EDT Report Abuse
This whole thing is a well-known anti-hacker procedure called "setting up a honey pot". However, it does absolutely nothing at all if the hacker is not attracted by the "honey pot" or is smart enough to avoid it altogether. Anyway, it is no guarantee of any positive results at all, and so, it should not be advertised as such. The smart way to avoid trouble with e-mail is to assume that all e-mail can be read by persons unknown, and never write anything sensitive at all in e-mail. Let me repeat myself - don't write anything in e-mail if you don't want someone else to read it. Isn't that simple? KISS = "Keep It Simple Stupid".
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98 Posted by europamoon100 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 3:56PM EDT Report Abuse
"How to set up an intruder alarm on your e-mail account" This article does not tell how to set up an "intruder alarm" at all, but rather, how to set up a "honey pot". A "honey pot" does nothing at all if the intruder just ignores or overlooks it. A true "intruder alarm" would set off an alarm no matter what the intruder does.
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99 Posted by hav0k2 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:17PM EDT Report Abuse
Didn't read the entire article but I hope you credited the original source of this article which looks to be almost word for word.
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86 Posted by giniva3 on Thu Sep 3, 2009 4:09PM EDT Report Abuse
the Roboform2Go suggestion is excellent. using the USB format, i fail to see how one would receive spam etc. unless it would come from that company or that company would give out the address from the order willy-nilly. very few merchants do that - particularly tech sorts, imo. maybe the concept is not properly understood by some of the posters here.