Pirantech News
Thousands of hotmail passwords compromised
18.09.2009 Age: 316 daysBy: Mark Wright
Yesterday, it was revealed that 10,000+ Hotmail accounts were compromised and all of the usernames and passwords of these accounts were posted online. It was a major security and scam issue, but it was thought to only affect Hotmail users.
As a result we are recommending all of our customers to change their hotmail passwords to avoid any potential compromise.
In addition, there are added security features we can make available to business networks to reduce the risk of this compromise.
The password details were gleaned from Phishing emails. These are Emails that appear to be from a legitimate source but ultimately lure the user to enter their password details into a fake database.
This kind of attack is common. There was a recent spate of emails sent from what appeared to be the Inland Revenue claiming to offer a tax refund. The timing and presentation of such emails was almost perfect and, to the untrained eye, could quite easily encourage the recipient to enter and subsequently compromise their bank details.
If you are in any doubt or need some advice on this issue, please feel free to call us for advice on 01209 708 608.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8291268.stm
