Saturday 22 October 2011

Hacking gremlins

(I felt like this today) 

I'm sorry to say that 2 of my email addresses have been hacked. If any of you have had odd emails from me today, I'm really sorry. It wasn't me. 

As soon as I realised what was going on, I changed the passwords, but then had huge problems when I was locked out of my account. I kept going round and round in circles on the help forum. I did what was recommended, but then the screen would reset itself, or else fail to go anywhere. I was getting pretty frustrated and scared that I wouldn't be able to get everything back. I kept going, and kept trying things, even when they hadn't worked before, and finally I was able to get in first one account, then the other. 

I'm currently not enamoured with the email provider in question due to lack of easy access to help. To post an individual question on the web forum, I first had to sign in. Um, hello? How can you sign in when you're blocked from your account? 

Contacts are now saved elsewhere, as are emails. Please make sure you regularly scan your pc/laptop. I didn't. I thought my security software did, but um I think I never have the PC on when it needs scanning. It was such a huge fear to think that every single contact had gone. My friends are probably the easiest people to get back in contact with. It was the lovely publicists and authors I've met and deal with semi-regularly for book reviewing. I hadn't realised how much keeping in contact with everyone meant to me, until it wasn't there. 

Everything should be ok now, do ignore emails from me if you think they are a bit odd!

ETA: just checked my virus software info. I've discovered what went wrong. I'd asked it to scan every time my laptop starts up. The problem is, my laptop rarely starts up. I keep it almost permanently in hibernation!!! Bad me. Will now properly shut down laptop each night. 

2 comments:

Zoe said...

Poor you! Glad everything is back to normal now, it must have been terrible! :(

Catwomanthegeek said...

Oh no!!! I am so sorry to hear that! I had one of my email accounts hack a few months ago and seemed to send numerous people, including my partner a lovely Email about to englarge certain things.

I hope that the people whom you need to get in contact with the most are easy to get in contact with.

Best wishes.
Catwomanthegeek