Thread: Google account hacking attempt

Originally Posted by Hermit

I got an interesting email from Google this morning, telling me that someone in the US had just tried to log into my Google account AND that they knew my password. (Which I changed within 1 or 2 minutes of the event, needless to say.)In 16 years of internet usage, this is the first time that something has hit so close to home.Google have all details including the IP address/location of whoever it was. Most definitely not my IP address. It's good that they block access in these situations. Must be based on the fact that I'm in Oz and the access attempt was in the US.Dunno if they do anything in these cases though.I was just wondering if this is a widespread thing, or just an isolated incident.Has anyone had similar?Google hacking attempt.JPG

NOT the same thing, but i regularly get emails from them BUT it IS my IP address ... i researched it a bit and it seems that i need to update my operating system on the minimac as it interprets any attempt to view my mail from it as a hacking attempt regards david

More likely Google or somewhere you have used your email addy has been hacked much like way back when Yahoo used to get done.

Originally Posted by robbygard

NOT the same thing, but i regularly get emails from them BUT it IS my IP address ... i researched it a bit and it seems that i need to update my operating system on the minimac as it interprets any attempt to view my mail from it as a hacking attempt regards david

That must be annoying.

Originally Posted by wheelinround

More likely Google or somewhere you have used your email addy has been hacked much like way back when Yahoo used to get done.

Yep, my thoughts exactly. Most likely a Google leak that they're not admitting, since that's the only place I was using that password.

I don't care, there's nothing to steal from my Google account, I don't even use it. I sort of feel privileged to have been singled out.

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Originally Posted by AussieRoy

OK. Time for a lesson in Basic Computer Security for Internet Users.
.......................

Hope that information is useful. Sorry for the long post, but after an hour's re-editing. I couldn't make the post much shorter whilst still getting the essential parts of the message across.

Regards,

Roy

Thanks for the book, Roy.

Here's one in return:

I was already fully aware of most of what you say, and believe me, I don't use the same password twice ever. I make them as long and as cryptic as possible too. I could probably change them more often than I do currently.

I do store my passwords on my machine so that I don't forget them, but in encrypted form. Not really well-encrypted, it's just a simple application that I wrote myself a few years ago. Good enough, though, I feel. I don't use any other internet capable devices at all, so don't need access to my passwords anywhere but here at home.

I don't plan to complicate things further with LastPass or similar.

I seriously doubt that they got my password directly from me - much more likely that it was stolen from Google, (or a lucky guess).

As mentioned, I don't care about this attempt - there was never any chance of them obtaining any useful information. I was just wondering if it was a large-scale theft, or just me. Lucky me. Also wanted to make others aware.

Thanks for the book AussieRoy, it is good to get information from someone who knows what they are talking about and does not have a barrow to push. I have always known about password managers but was always a bit iffy about knowing what was totally above board and what might be a bit dodgy.

I am going to look at LastPass for home because I am concerned about my kids choices of password (and my wife's choices).

Jon