Hotmail Passwords Phished, Showcased Online

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Hotmail Passwords Phished, Showcased Online

Techtree News Staff, Oct 06, 2009 1213 hrs IST

Change your password every 90 days, says Microsoft

If you are one of those rare specimens who actually use a Hotmail account (we'd like to see you, some day) do you remember logging on to a website that looked like Hotmail (same as Windows Live), just over the weekend? If your answer is in the affirmative, you might want to check whether your account has been compromised.

Apparently, a huge phishing attack was underway over the weekend and many Hotmail users were made to enter their personal information and passwords on a Phishing website (something that looked like Hotmail, but was actually not it). The attack seemed to have affected a host of Hotmail users in the EU and Microsoft has, since then, blocked access to all compromised accounts and is in the process of restoring access to its rightful owners.

As always, this time too, the hackers used social engineering tricks to lure their potential victims to click on an authentic looking link, which eventually leads to a very authentic looking website. The result was that within hours several Hotmail passwords and user IDs were up for everyone to see on a website. Microsoft has confirmed that this was just a phishing attack and that there were no breaches into Microsoft's data.

Oh and should you be using Hotmail by any chance, Microsoft wants you to change your password every 90 days just to be on the safer side.

Update

Apparently, the attack seems to be on a much larger scale than expected, and according to BBC, it is not just Hotmail users that have been affected. Many Gmail addresses too have been found in the long list of user accounts that were compromised and their details posted online. There are other e-mail providers too in the list, but Hotmail and Gmail accounts seem to be the major ones affected. The account details were posted on Pastebin.com, a text sharing site. Folks at Neowin were the first to spot the phishing attack and subsequently brought it to the attention of users.

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Discussion Board

(30) Comments

pretentious

,garbage article, on Oct 07, 2009 02:10 AM

I have gmail as well, hotmail and live are better. I am sure you use an Apple notebook too LOLZ. stick to writing blogs from your iPhone and thinking you are tech savvvvvvvvvvvvvy.....

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Oct 07, 2009 10:22 AM

Like I mentioned earlier, I love my Windows XP. To add to it, I won't touch and iPhone with a one mile rod -- at least in it's current Avatar. But hey, I have nothing against iPhone users or Apple. They're nice folks.

BJP

,Kolkata, on Oct 07, 2009 12:51 AM

Great................ Hotmail............

MaxAxe

,Noida, on Oct 06, 2009 09:30 PM

I still use hotmail ... it was my 1st email account ever.... apparently Gmail didnt exist some 13-14 years ago :P..

Chucky

,Islamabad, on Oct 06, 2009 02:52 PM

You are just a big meanie who has no idea how great hotmail is. You need to leave hotmail alone. Gmail stinks by the way, so does yahoo. Hotmail rules!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Sam John

,Gangtok, on Oct 06, 2009 08:38 PM

Amen to that! O great Hotmail, I pay you my obeisance. :-|

YesWay

,Amsterdam, on Oct 06, 2009 12:49 PM

This article has some rudiculous undertones: 1) still using Hotmail, shame on you 2) Hotmail/Microsoft response is weird (last line) First of all, I have been using Hotmail for more than 10 years and pretty happy with it. They were one of the first to provide email for free and with so many users it's hard to deny it's successfull. Second, even though so many would love to see Hotmail/Microsoft had another security flaw, sorry, they didn't. It doesn't require a CS degree to understand the way those folks faked the Hotmail website and lured people there isn't state of the art by any means, and had nothing to do with a Hotmail/Microsoft having a security hole. You can, but you don't have to believe me, but they could as easily have done this to Yahoo or Google. I know, that's a stretch.)

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Oct 06, 2009 12:54 PM

Nothing to be taken seriously. I actually see very less of people using Hotmail these days. And nowhere does it state that Microsoft is at fault. It is what it is, just another phishing attack. Had it been Gmail, the "effects" would have been bigger. I wrote this piece btw. Apologies to any hotmail user who felt offended! Cheers.

sid

,Mumbai, on Oct 06, 2009 05:37 PM

Glad to see that you realised you mistake Rahul. If you dont see anyone around you not using particular service that doesnt mean noone else uses that !!! Hotmail is still having huge active user base. > Gmail Please take care while posting articles next time.

pf mills

,danielson ct, on Oct 06, 2009 03:13 PM

The jerks sent it to me too..but I ignored it. I NEVER send my password to anyone.

tower head

,New Dheli, on Oct 06, 2009 02:56 PM

lame article.

Ajay

,Bangalore, on Oct 06, 2009 02:36 PM

I do use the hotmail account.. the oldest one :).. Lemme know if u wanna meet me... hahaha

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Oct 06, 2009 02:38 PM

Hahahaa Ajay, actually, I should meet myself first since I too have a hotmail account! Let me reset my password.. here I go..

jolly good fell

,Pune, on Oct 06, 2009 01:14 PM

I wonder what is your pedigree in tech. Do you have a arts degree? For you seem to write stories quite well. What do you know about creating an online service for half a billion people? I would like to see your types - those who feel cool because they happen to use this or that service online.

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Oct 06, 2009 02:36 PM

I know nothing about creating an online service. So, you're right there. What I know is to choose what suits me (and my kind) best- since you seem to have sereotyped me and my types. Thanks for the compliment regarding the story - but no, I dont have an art degree. And I don't feel cool just because I use Gmail as my primary account! I have Yahoo and hotmail addresses as well! Peace :-) I seemed to have kicked up a storm here!

Annoyed

,Dubai, on Oct 06, 2009 01:53 PM

Why am I a rare specimen? Can someone please explain this ridiculous statement? I have used Hotmail for a number of years and have hundreds of contact who enjoy using hotmail. How can you possibly write such a condescending article and then follow it up with "follow Teachtree on Twitter". As far as I can see, Twitter is a bizarre site for people with zero social skills to spend their lives enjoying reading what other people with zero social skills are currently doing with their non existant lives. I have better things to do with my time than follow you on twitter thank you very much. I won't be reading your website again.

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Oct 06, 2009 02:29 PM

Dear annoyed, glad that you use hotmail and that you're happy with it. Nothing against you. Last time I check this wasn't the last satirical piece on Hotmail on the vast world wide web! We have nothing against Hotmail. And since you have made up your mind to against Twitter as well as Techtree, there's nothing much left to say. Cheers!

Shahid

,Bhopal, on Oct 06, 2009 02:19 PM

Dear Writer You did not do your homework well. The phishing websites are there for ages ever since free web hosting appeared. Just do a search on BING/Google on "Hotmail password" and many such phishing sites will come up. It is not hotmail that is at fault it is the dumb users and writers like you who become victim. There is nothing new in your article, every website faces this risk.And hotmail is still in top 3 email provider so get your facts right please

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Oct 06, 2009 02:24 PM

Shahid, there is a difference between having a Hotmail account and using it. As for Phishing risks, everyone knows all websites are susceptible to it. It's just that this one was a mass attack and lots of users were affected.

Anonymous

,chicago, on Oct 06, 2009 01:54 PM

hey good point on "rare" specimens. 280 million hotmail users. with such a tiny number, i can see why you never run across any. also good point in your response to another's comment in which you say if they would have phished gmail it would have had a larger impact, considering gmail has less than half the number of users of hotmail. please continue not doing research in the future. just go by what you and your friends prefer.

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Oct 06, 2009 02:21 PM

Well. To be very serious. All my friends do prefer Gmail. As for my earlier comment regarding the larger impact had Gmail been phished into, well thats true. By impact, what I meant was the overall buzz on the internet and not in terms of the actual users. (Do check Twitter if Gmail goes offline for 5 mins and you'll know what I;m on about) Lastly, as for the 280 million Hotmail users analogy, you're right, almost everyone I know has a hotmail account (there was not much of a choice back then) but rarely have I or seen them use it. Additionally, there are countrywise trnds for stuff like this. This piece ws targetetd at Indians and here, even though Hotmail might have the userbase, it is often relegated to a secondary or even a tertiary account. Thanks for your opinion!

gonzo gonazalez

,london, on Oct 06, 2009 02:13 PM

yawn! what a pleb!

Anonymous

,ASD, on Oct 06, 2009 02:04 PM

Hotmail passwords weren't hacked. Another pimply faced nerd spewing more anti-microsoft BS. Grow up.

Rahul Srinivas

,Mumbai, on Oct 06, 2009 02:10 PM

Ugh. Hotmail Passwords were not hacked true, they were phished. Gotta change that. Done. As for the second part regarding the anti MS thing. I love MS and am a proud XP user. SO...

xrazorwirex

,town, on Oct 06, 2009 01:55 PM

"many Hotmail users were made to enter their personal information and passwords on a Phishing website " Yes, those damn e-worms and i-viruses, making me give away my personal information because I use microsoft's email service.... This is the dullest hitpiece on hotmail today... quit your job, whoever wrote this, and go make love to your Appletosh Me-book.

sannah

,bradford, on Oct 06, 2009 01:38 PM

yow

Anonymous

,melbourne, on Oct 06, 2009 01:33 PM

i use hotmail

Beng

,London, on Oct 06, 2009 01:31 PM

I've got two hotmail addresses since 1997. Does that make me an endangered species as well? Wait a minute, does that make my 300+ friends on my MSN Messenger list who 80% are using hotmail accounts almost extinct as well? If so, I feel special. But then again, I don't have a gmail account.

SwartSaap

,Pretoria, on Oct 06, 2009 12:34 PM

I use Hotmail...SAVE ME!!!

dboz555

,Portland, on Oct 06, 2009 12:32 PM

I use Hotmail. I always have and I always will. You may be thinking I am an idiot, but I am far from it. My Hotmail e-mail address is the one I give out to everyone, especially those sites that demand an e-mail address. That way I do not give out a real address.

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