IT Queries: Computer problems answered

Thank you for your quick response to our hotmail question. Can you please tell me how it is possible for someone to hijack an email address? We have changed the password, and checked for viruses(none). Thanks again.

Unfortunately there’s no one answer to this. The most common answer is they have simply guessed, many people’s passwords simply aren’t very secure.

Other ways are users not logging out of public computers at places like Internet cafes, airport lounges and business centres properly, which gives others the opportunity to log in.

In other cases it might be that family members or former work colleagues have known you passwords and accidentally given them away.

The worse case scenarios are that someone has hacked your computer or Internet connection and was able to extract your passwords.

Finally, it could be simply poor security at the email providers end. Some systems have bugs that let bad guys crack the passwords, although we haven’t had any reports of recent problems at Hotmail.

Overall though it pays to be a touch paranoid with your passwords. They are too valuable to lose.

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