| Nelson Pass |
Just as a heads-up, someone (looks to be in Greece) has
spoofed my email address in email attacks, as I'm receiving
thousands of email failure notices. If you receive an email
that appears to be from me, think twice about opening it.
:smash: |
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| wytco0 |
Nelson, it happens to all of us from time to time. If you can switch of Delivery Status Notifications ("DSN"), for a while it will help stop all the bounces etc.
You probably know its best to not reply to any emails you get as a result of the spoof.
Good luck. |
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| jwb |
Too bad Mr. P :(
Does happen to all of us though. All that needs to happen is some jerk is using Outbreak Express and has your email address in his inbox. Then he gets a virus. Look out! |
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| JasonL |
| This never happens to guys using mac or linux : O ) |
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| rcavictim |
Nelson,
It gets even better. After a few folks that have received your phoney emails get ****ed off enough they will send complaints to an outfit called www.spamcop.net. This organization has the power to blacklist your legitimate email address and it won't be able to receive email, legitimate or not. I just went through the same **** and my only recourse was to run and hide, i.e. change my email address. Bad actors that do this sort of thing should be executed in public!
late correction. I didn't really just go through the experience of 'four stars', I went through "the same C. R. A. P.". The automatic word censor has modified my post to make it look like I said a bad word starting with "s". I am a person of good character and would not do that. I needed you to know this! :D |
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| lohk |
As a XP user for several reasons I can strongly recommend to get rid of all the MS software except the OS itself.
Lets use free open source softwareas much as possible (for reasons too many to mention...) like:
For the net: Mozilla FIREFOX!
Much faster and much safer than the IE
For emails: Mozilla THUNDERBIRD!
Get rid of all the Outlook (yuck!) idiosyncracies
For many office purposes: OPEN OFFICE
of course
There are so many alternatives to MS software, so changing to Linux is - although consequent - not really necessary.
Klaus |
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| mpmarino |
| I agree on all counts LOHK. I currently use all that you stated and am happy;) |
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| jwb |
You guys are fooling yourselves. The question is not how secure your own system is, the question is how secure are your friends' systems. Because when your friend gets a virus, that virus will use all the email addresses in his mail program and start spamming away.
So you can be as secure as you want, but unless you have some kind of standards about who you exchange mail with, you are screwed anyway.
PS I get more than 7000 spams and bounce messages per week. Thank the heavens for spam filters. |
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| peranders |
I use Mac and is totally unaware of these Windows "features" (has it anything to do with Windows really?) but can anyone explain what spoofing is? Is it to have a false "reply-to" address, or false "from" address?
What is the main purpose of spoofing? Is somebody unhappy (in this case) with Nelson Pass? |
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| Bricolo |
| quote: | Originally posted by peranders
I use Mac and is totally unaware of these Windows "features" (has it anything to do with Windows really?) but can anyone explain what spoofing is? Is it to have a false "reply-to" address, or false "from" address?
What is the main purpose of spoofing? Is somebody unhappy (in this case) with Nelson Pass? |
I'll try to explain.
Some viruses are transmitted via email. If your PC (or one of your friend's one) is contaminated, the virus will automaticly (you don't notice it), and many times a day, send an email containing the virus program to the email addresses in your address book AND in your browser's cache. And it will also use one of those email addresses he found ad a fake "from" address.
So you may think the mail you recieved was send by Nelson Pass, your dearest friend, or someone you don't know. But it's not the real sender.
As jwb said, you can secure your computer, and go away from every MS software, it won't solve the problem. The problem is your contact's unsecure computers.
You can use linux, mac, or windows, the problem will still be the same and you will still recieve dozens of those mails per day
AFAIK, there's nothing to do against it. And that's very annoying.
The only way to identify the real sender is with the IP adress in the mail headers. But ISPs rarely care about this problem.
If someone has a solution (another one that filters in my mail software) you're welcome! |
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| lohk |
I am not fooling myself. I know that spoofing - and we have all our experiences - is not a problem of my system alone.
But how can the change start if it does not start with me myself?
Thus:
Change your system to a more secure one AND inspire your friends and partners and you name it with your good experiences.
Then these problems will probably not be solved immediatly but it will be much more difficult to misuse.
In my system Virii do not find the same gates as in a MS only system, no outlook problems, no unwanted activeX automatisms.
And: Isn't it absolutely strange that a commercial company is allowed to establish the world standard in word processing without publishing the basics?
Resistence is mandatory for reasons - I say that again - too many to mention.
Klaus |
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| wytco0 |
lokh,
this has nothing to do with what software runs on your desktop, there may be many reasons to use non MS software (as I do) but this is not one of them. |
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| Bricolo |
All smtp servers should have built in antivruses, to block those mails at the source
Because those thousands of 41kb emails aren't costless in bandwidth. ISPs should care a little more about that |
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| uli |
| quote: | Originally posted by lohk
Change your system to a more secure one AND inspire your friends and partners and you name it with your good experiences.
Then these problems will probably not be solved immediatly but it will be much more difficult to misuse.
In my system Virii do not find the same gates as in a MS only system, no outlook problems, no unwanted activeX automatisms.
And: Isn't it absolutely strange that a commercial company is allowed to establish the world standard in word processing without publishing the basics? |
It is simply not true that a Linux or Mac system is safer!
The only reason for the high number of Windows viruses is that the virus author always tries to maximise the damage. This is done by writing code for common used systems and in fact the majority of pcs online are Windows based systems.
Mac OS has more security problems than windows but nobody uses Macs nowadays.
People should be better informed about the products they use. To believe that Mozilla Firefox is safer than IE is wrong.
Uli
:nod: :nod: :nod: |
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| joensd |
A buddy of mine (IT-engineer) advised me to avoid Outlook as it can "activate" attachments before your virus scanner gets it. (donīt know if it changed with recent versions)
I use Eudora as email-SW and it "secures" attachments until you open it. My virus scanner (AV personal) warns me before I can even click the file. Never had any problems.
| quote: | | This is done by writing code for common used systems and in fact the majority of pcs online are Windows based systems. |
Yep, and most use IE and Outlook so... |
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| uli |
| quote: | Originally posted by joensd
A buddy of mine (IT-engineer) advised me to avoid Outlook as it can "activate" attachments before your virus scanner gets it.
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That is not quite correct. Your buddy might have meant the preview window of Outlook. In a properly configured system a virus should have no chance to "reach" this point.
IMHO it is risky to go out in the wild (Internet) without any security measures such as firewalls and scanners.
In fact you can successfully attack nearly every application or OS.
To believe that opensource SW like OpenOffice or Linux is more secure than commercial systems is a dangerous error!
Uli
:nod: :nod: :nod: |
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| mpmarino |
Uli,
you are probably correct that firefox is not 'safer'. But the point is that nobody is writing code to attack it at this time(I presume).
I can leave my front door unlocked in my neighborhood and never see a thief, but someone else with a locked front door sees several robbers per year in thier neighborhood. Which is safer..the locked or unlocked door? |
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| uli |
mpmarino,
you are right, assuming you know the point when the first virus for firefox is launched and shut your door in advance.
:devilr: :devilr: :devilr: :devilr:
Uli
:nod: :nod: :nod: |
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| lohk |
Uli,
please read the Firefox docs carefully. Than you will find out that this browser is much safer, or can be at least, not only because nobody found out how to hack it yet.
Extended spoofing can be fight with programs like MDaemon by http://www.altn.com/
Klaus
ps: If you are foolish enough to click on any link or open any attchment without checking it first, no software will really help then- |
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| uli |
| quote: | Originally posted by lohk
please read the Firefox docs carefully. Than you will find out that this browser is much safer, or can be at least, not only because nobody found out how to hack it yet.
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Thank you for your words, Klaus. :D :D :D :D :D
1) In my job I learned that info from a vendors site is not to be taken too serious.
2) there are some security issues with Firefox.
Try to get information from objective sources, getting info from mozilla.org is as objective as getting it from mircosoft.com. ;)
Uli
:nod: :nod: :nod: |
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| lohk |
Mozilla.org is a vendors site? What the heck do they sell?
:whazzat: |
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| uli |
donīt be blind on one eye!
:devilr: :devilr: :devilr:
Uli
:nod: :nod: :nod: |
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| jacco vermeulen |
Damn, just as i thought i might even have a chance of receiving an email from NP, i am not allowed to open it. :clown:
It is just not fair ! |
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| uli |
| quote: | Originally posted by jacco vermeulen
Damn, just as i thought i might even have a chance of receiving an email from NP, i am not allowed to open it. :clown:
It is just not fair ! |
*ROFL*
Uli
:nod: :nod: :nod: |
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| peranders |
| quote: | Originally posted by uli
Mac OS has more security problems than windows but nobody uses Macs nowadays. |
.... I didn't hear you.... If I'm not mistaken OSX is updated for security reason once or twice per year, Windows, sometimes several times a week!
I think UNIX (MacOS X) is pretty safe, don't you agree? |
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| peranders |
| quote: | Originally posted by lohk
Mozilla.org is a vendors site? What the heck do they sell?
:whazzat: |
They sell very nice software for free! When I use Mozilla on XP I almost feel at home with my Mac. :) It doesn't hurt either that Mozilla is substantially faster than Explorer even on a fast PC! |
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| uli |
it is ok to feel safe with the moz when you are on a secure site using cc data and somebody gets this data...
:devilr: :devilr: :devilr: :devilr: :devilr:
Uli
:nod: :nod: :nod:
PS: dont bash me for trying to be objective:D |
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| planet10 |
| quote: | Originally posted by JasonL
This never happens to guys using mac or linux : O ) |
| quote: | Originally posted by jwb
You guys are fooling yourselves. The question is not how secure your own system is, the question is how secure are your friends' systems. Because when your friend gets a virus, that virus will use all the email addresses in his mail program and start spamming away. |
The spoofing has nothing to with your machine so it is platform & software independent....
AFAIK all the spoofer really needs is an email address...
dave |
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| steenoe |
| quote: | | AFAIK all the spoofer really needs is an email address... |
That is true. If you have an email adress , you can send to it:xeye: Doesn't depend on your OS or PC.
Steen. |
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| lohk |
Virii are system dependent - and they cause most of thre email troubles. So better get YOUR system safe (get rid of Outlook f.e.), that YOU do will not be the CAUSE of spoofing without knowledge. For the incoming mails you do need a spam filter nowadays anyway, in bad cases a ReMailerServer.
Sadly enough we will have to hide or "disguise" our mailto links in the webpages against automatic email snatching programs. |
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