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witpqs -> RE: OT: Email Hacked again (4/1/2011 10:04:02 PM)
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IE9 is a good start, as it's getting high marks thus far. I use Chrome, and do recommend it. Your choice, obviously. Chrome is currently better security-wise and they are super (I mean super) fast updating it to plug holes. They even use their own built-in Flash so they can update it on the fly as security holes are found. Flash has been a major security problem and so many websites use it. I know you like IE9; I recommend Chrome. Anecdote: a short time ago there was a major update released for Flash (and Reader I think the same day). I saw the post on a security blog and then the update - Chrome had already updated everybody's browser with those fixes three days before. People not using Chrome had to get the notice about an update and do it. Those who don't have automatic checking for updates enabled are really low on luck.
As I understand it, Vista is essentially Windows 7. W7 has a better interface and some other improvements. I do not recall of hearing of any direct security improvements. Indirectly, W7 is more savvy about not bothering the user about things that are likely not a problem. One knock against Vista was that it could forever have you clicking "Yes" to the point where you disabled the queries or just always answered "Yes" without reading and understanding.
Hotmail has had a problem here and there, I have no news about their current reputation. It is Microsoft and they do try hard on security. That might sound silly given all the IE and other bugs over time, but remember that their OS and related products have been number 1 for a long time so they have a bright orange bullseye painted on them.
Recently my wife's email sent out some spam emails with just a link in them to people she had conversed with in that email account. Two in depth scans with products from different vendors turned up nothing and there was no other evidence of compromise. There are many, many compromised websites out there and tons of them are main-stream, not porn or shady illegal download places. The bad guys attack and compromise a web site. You visit the web site. They then attack a weakness in your browser. Maybe they can get through to your PC (break out of their own Sand Box to which they are supposed remain confined), maybe they can't. Even if they can't, maybe they can at least get through to other browser tabs/windows - savvy? If you have Hotmail open in another tab or another window at the same time that they have compromised the currently running browser, then they can do things in that Hotmail session.
You must assume your password is compromised (although it might not be). I'm sure you already changed it. They attached a file - do you know what it was? There is certainly the possibility that there is the same file hidden on your system. If you can get a copy of the file you can scan it to see if the AVG and whatever else you used can recognize it. Truly the safest thing to do is "Nuke it from orbit." and reload, as you know from what you said.
Do you use that PC for banking? If so, nuke it.
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