If you knew the answers to the 'new' security question, it sounds like it must be a friendly hacker.

You should always make stronng passwords but it doesnt matter how strong or weak it is, if you saved it at login & others use your computer.

Sure sounds like someone has been in your email account. I would strongly suggest changing your password to a "hard" password of 10 characters or so. If you need help generating a password, use the link below. Do NOT store the password on your computer. Write it down on a piece of paper in case you have some malware on your computer.

As for your security questions, anybody who knows you well probably knows the answers to the security questions. You can either just use another randomly generated password, don't answer the questions correctly, or since most of the answers are case sensitive change the spelling. Instead of being born in Chicago you were born in cHicaGo or something like Chicago@IL. If you favorite book is "Gone With The Wind" you could use "Gone With Da Wind". It's all up to you but random, hard passwords are your best bet.

Here is a link that might be useful: Password Generator

There is really no such thing as a "friendly" hacker. Hacking and unauthorized use are two totally different issues.

Perhaps what Mikie is referring to is the possibility that your account is being accessed without permission by an offender who is supposed to be your "friend" or maybe even a family member.

DA

If you suspect that someone has changed things in your account while still leaving you access to it, they may also have set up an automatic forwarding address so that all email you receive is sent to their own account. So be sure to check ALL your settings in your Options: security settings, privacy settings, contacts, POP access, forwarding, etc. and look for anything suspicious.

If you use FF you could also use something like LastPass. I use it for some things and use FF's own password manager for others. You could also check out YouTube and do a search for "how to make a strong password" and you'll find lots of helpful videos (and some not so helpful ones).

Here is a link that might be useful: LastPass Add-On

FWIW, I like creating passwords using the "first letter of every word" method. Take a sentence (or song lyric or movie line or title or memorable line from a favorite book, etc.) and take the first letter of each word and convert numbers to symbols, numbers, CAPS and lower case letters.

For example, one I no longer use:

Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light

First letters of each word are:

o s c y s b t d e l

Changing some letters to symbols, others to numbers and capitalizing the last letter I get:

0$Cy$b+d3L

That's a decent 10-character password/passcode. (Mine, though, are usually over 15 characters, just to be safe.) It can be a chore entering passcodes each time you log in to your email, but if you use a shared computer it's a must !

My passwords on all but one e-mail address are very basic as all they are created for is basic communication. I don't have any nuclear launch codes, I don't walk around looking over my shoulder, nor do I worry about if the sky is falling. The one account that I do have configured with a cryptic password is financially dedicated; banks, investments, credit cards, etc.

Security and caution are a prudent avenue, but let's not get too covert as we are not talking about state secrets. Wiki-Leaks revealed nothing, no matter what precautions are taken, is full proof.

Not all sites allow capitals, symbols or over 10 characters. A few may mandate at least one symbol or capital.

DA

Hi, DA

I'm not hiding state secrets either ! :-D But as the help forums at Gmail and Hotmail show, many people are hacked daily. (Not surprising, I suppose. Just do a search at YouTube for "Hotmail" or "Gmail" and see how many of the search results are how-to videos for hacking the accounts ! Just how many people out there are amateur hackers trying all these tricks to gain entry to someone's account ?!)

Anyway, from reading the various threads, trying to get control back for an account to which one no longer has access -- esp. with a free email service ! -- can be a veritable nightmare, to put it mildly. Locked out, recovery options not working, etc. And the users are often limited to help via forums, often getting canned responses of "it's basically your own fault" even if it wasn't. Hopefully, people can convince tech support that they are, in fact, the legitimate 'owners' of the email account in question and can get it back without much trouble. But will all their email be there when they regain access ?? For others it's enough of a hassle to make them want to change providers, and even pay for better support in case it happens again.

To avoid these frustrations the general advice from the 'experts' usually boils down to two items: better security upfront (strong password, difficult security question, etc.) and back ups (auto-forwarding to another account at another provider, downloading to one's email client, etc.). Like you, DA, most of my own online 'accounts' (message boards, twitter, or whatever) use a 6-8 character password that's not really all that difficult. But for my (two) email accounts I use the "nuclear launch code" method (LOL) just because I don't want to end up as so many others have, with loss of account and/or loss of all one's saved email information (messages, family photos, receipts, etc.).

Fortunately, ilovedobies is at least still allowed access to the Hotmail account in question and apparently still has all saved emails, photos, etc. As you know, not all hackers (if that's the correct explanation here) are so 'kind.'

Well, if someone wants to hack into my e-mail accounts they will find that they are wasting their time, and will be truly disappointed. I store nothing of importance let alone irreplaceable on the accounts. All I would do is just close it and move to another account.

My viewpoint on this topic is parallel to my position on several other issues. Admittedly it is normally inexperienced users, but the paranoia in regard to cookies, the "I empty my history and temporary files every day", the "I run this anti-virus and that malware detection application every day" and such just reveals to me how much certain users don't understand.

Security is extremely important along with awareness. However, self-conduct is the most important preventative tool available. Proper e-mail use protocol and safe surfing are the key. Anyone can catch a bug or be infiltrated by malware, but have you ever noticed that certain members have more concerns regarding intrusions than other members? It makes one think.

DA

one reason to keep your email account secure is that often times when you purchase items a receipt is sent back to the email which contains a lot of info including mail address often phone number and some times some financial info. Plus every time you join a forum or bank of anything really an email is sent to your email with your log in info and often times a link to click on to activate.

I keep a pretty secure long passcode on my hotmail especially because they really like to try to hack those.

One thing to remember in addition to changing your password and secret question is to make darn sure that the backup email address you provided when setting up you account has not been changed because if they did hack your account and changed that info everything you change is being sent to that back up email address and if they have done that they can easily lock you out of your account. If you have the option to ever create your own secret question that is always the best option and make it something only you would know, that is one of the easiest ways to hack an account and is exactly how some of our political figures have had theirs hacked.

RC wrote, "one reason to keep your email account secure is that often times when you purchase items a receipt is sent back to the email which contains a lot of info including mail address often phone number and some times some financial info." Yup, and that is why an e-mail account for that purpose should always have a cryptic password.

RC also wrote, " Plus every time you join a forum or bank.....". Big difference here. With one I refer to the above, while the other the dedicated information is incidental at best. As well, the accurate information provided should be the bear minimum. In fact, false aliases are often recommended. An intrusion would be and should be kept to nothing more than rudeness and inconvenience.

As to the "secret question" consider going back to your childhood for one or creating one as chances of anyone else knowing the answer are greatly reduced.

And if you think we have a problem maintaining the proper concept of security for our personal information try this. I just completed my State of Michigan income tax and I ended up owing a few dollars. The State's instructions were to place my SSN and 2010 income tax on the memo. So, if I complied there would be one piece of paper out of my control published with my complete legal name, address, bank name, bank routing number, account number, and my SSN. I don't think so.

DA

wow DA I agree with you there NO WAY would I comply with that idiotic request. But you know what is scary many many people will since the IRS told them to.

I want to thank everyone for your help and I did read all the links that you posted.

I'm pretty sure who this hacker is and I'm positive that he has passwod detection software. not2bright you got me thinking about him setting up automatic forwarding address so he receives all my emails and I'm furious. Is there anyway that a Computer Tech can prove that this hacker has been in my account or do these people know how to cover their tracks?

I did check my account and I didn't find anything suspicious.

Thanks again for all your help

ilovedobies,

Others can help with more technical questions, but as a general course of actions (I think the rest here would agree ?), perhaps you should run scans, esp. Malwarebytes, just in case your "friendly hacker" has some sort of keylogger on your computer. If something like that's there any changes you make to password, sec. question, etc. will ultimately be for naught.