Comments for How can I keep my email safe from sniffing?

Comment from Cheryl on 2009-03-18

2009-03-18T17:01:55Z

If I scan all my important docs - birth certificates, credit cards info, etc and email it to myself to keep in a file that can be accessed by myself anywhere I am - Is it safe, can anyone else access the info in my hotmail account?

NO!!!

Given the frequency with which I hear about account theft and hacks, there's no way anyone should be keeping that kind of information in a free email account like Hotmail.

Even mailing it to yourself is dangerous, because the mail travels unencrypted, and could be sniffed somewhere along the way.

Don't do it.

- Leo
19-Mar-2009

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Comment from Rob on 2008-12-16

2008-12-17T03:49:01Z

Leo,
Or anyone else that knows the answer. Would a proprietary email program such as the original Juno 5 be safer than Windows mail? I am not sure if its POP or not, but I do not think it is.

Thanks.

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Comment from Betty on 2008-09-20

2008-09-20T18:10:31Z

Want is the best secure e-mail to use. I use yahoo because it is free. What do you suggest?

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Comment from Betty Ledesma on 2008-09-20

2008-09-20T18:08:03Z

I have Yahoo as E mail. I can tell someone is spying on my E mails and some get deleted before I can see them I have windows visa and want to use my windows mail but don't know how to set it up. I also have Verizon as broadband built into my computer which I purchased from Dell. I don't feel secure at all, when I go into my acct, my computer makes me shut down without signing off. I really need security. PLEASE HELP. I have macAfee but it seems like I am getting phising pages instead of the real thin.

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Comment from Quiver on 2008-07-29

2008-07-29T21:36:39Z

I believe someone hacked into my yahoo e-mail account and took some e-mails and forwarded them to someone else. Just not sure how this can happen?

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Comment from Leo on 2008-06-17

2008-06-17T23:13:57Z

-----BEGIN PGP SIGNED MESSAGE-----
Hash: SHA1

I'm not aware of any free services that allow for SSH
access.

With *some* you can do secure SMTP and POP3 instead - that's
typically easier to set up anyway. Check with the provider.

Leo

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Version: GnuPG v1.4.7 (MingW32)

iD8DBQFIWEUlCMEe9B/8oqERAuovAJ9wFUviTxgv0R+J5nxn0nNYBJVK+gCgheDE
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=wmnX
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Comment from Brutus on 2008-06-16

2008-06-16T14:36:30Z

Hello Leo; I was wondering if it is possible to use SSH access (Putty or other SSH client) with free email servers such as Gmail or yahoo? I mean, Does any free email service providers allows users to connect to their email servers via SSH? ... I have been doing some research and it looks that none of the free email providers worldwide supports and allows users to connect to their email servers using SSH. Does anyone knows about a free email service provider which allows users to connect via SSH? I mean, for Free.

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Comment from Ami on 2008-05-11

2008-05-11T20:16:34Z

i do not want any one 2read my email accoun. so how can i stop that help me please.

thank u

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Comment from Rachel on 2007-08-19

2007-08-19T17:06:21Z

can my ex find out that i was snooping? I logged on to hotmail as him - but the guilt hit straight away and so i logged out almost immediately. Can he tell that i logged on to his email from somewhere else? (we live at opposite ends of the world). I didn't open any of his emails or anything.

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Comment from Lois on 2007-02-07

2007-02-08T04:17:48Z

hey i dont wanna my brother ro look at my emails kk that

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Comment from youness on 2007-02-03

2007-02-04T01:07:11Z

can i keep my msn

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Comment from najir pandey on 2006-12-01

2006-12-01T22:53:24Z

how do i protect my computer from being sniffed from msn monitor and sniffer? if u can.. pls tell me in simple words.

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Comment from etienne DeLigenza on 2006-08-11

2006-08-11T15:22:00Z

I have a mac account how easily can it be looked at?

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Comment from Leo A. Notenboom on 2006-06-13

2006-06-13T22:54:40Z

Of course your company can be sniffing. AND it's legal. They own all the peices that connect you to the internet, and could install sniffing software or hardware anywhere along the way.

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Comment from latonya on 2006-06-13

2006-06-13T16:59:38Z

Hello,

I sometimes check my email at work on a company computer,I am not sure if spyware was installed, but i do know there is a firewall. My question is, can management read my personal emails with the use of spyware? Also, is there anyway to safe guard hotmail, to prevent snoopers?

Thanks

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Comment from Leo on 2006-06-11

2006-06-11T21:30:36Z

Pretty close to zero. A website cannot "sniff" your email.

Now, if spyware were installed, that could allow anyone (website or not) to sniff. So make sure your spyware scanners are up to date: http://ask-leo.com/spyware_how_do_i_remove_and_avoid_spyware.html

And if you put yoru email address in a public place, like posting in the body of a comment on a site like this, then there are spiders that scan websites looking for things that look like email addresses, and hence could harvest your email address that way. This article has more: http://ask-leo.com/why_shouldnt_i_post_my_email_address_in_a_public_forum.html

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Comment from Ruth Stevens on 2006-06-11

2006-06-11T12:42:11Z

Hi, Leo. Do you know of any stats, or have a sense, of how widespread it is for websites to sniff and use the email addresses of consumers who visit the site?
Ruth

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Comment from Leo on 2006-04-24

2006-04-24T17:16:36Z

Remember it takes two people to chat. Either of them can save the conversation in MSN Instant Messenger. If you didn't, then perhaps the person you were chatting with did.

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Comment from michelle guy on 2006-04-24

2006-04-24T12:11:52Z

A while ago i used msn to have a chat, someone entered my msn chat from oct 05 and then forwarded it to me, how could they do this when i havent saved the conversations??THANK YOU

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Comment from omair on 2006-03-24

2006-03-25T07:24:58Z

hi i m omair my id husna_88888@hotmail.com has been hacked my id old password is immobhaijan and old secret answer is sanoberjan plz my new passwor and new secret answer mail me my immomattitude@hotmail.com id

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Comment from Leo on 2005-11-22

2005-11-23T05:01:50Z

No guarantees, of course, but it definitely looks like proxyweb is routing your conversations over a secure connection.

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Comment from avirupdg on 2005-11-21

2005-11-21T08:41:10Z

How about using sites like proxyweb.net?

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Comment from Leo A. Notenboom on 2005-11-16

2005-11-16T17:53:02Z

Having a firewall does NOT protect the data that leaves your computer. Any internet surfing you do, or email you read, can potentially be viewed by someone else nearby without your knowledge, unless you take steps, like encrypting the data.

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Comment from Antonio Ribeiro on 2005-11-16

2005-11-16T11:57:16Z

Hi Leo,
Sometimes, when I am at my work I use my laptop to check my email connecting through a wireless network in range.
I have in my laptop a free version of ZoneAlarm security software (basic firewall protection). It says that my computer is hidden and protected from hackers and that sharing is not allowed.
Do you think that it is enough to keep my computer safe when I am online and checking my email?
Do I still need set up this "complicated" process of tunneling to be secure?
Thanks!

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Comment from ctrl_phreak on 2005-09-07

2005-09-07T13:47:15Z

You can sniff HTTPs traffic on the wireless. All the person has to do is get your computer to accpet thier certificate rather than the real host's. There are several ways of doing this.

Proff of concept:
http://www.crimemachine.com/Tuts/Flash/SSLMITM.html

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Comment from Justin B. on 2005-05-23

2005-05-23T15:36:18Z

My applogies, you did answer my questions above. As the advertisement was inserted in front of it, I didn't see there was usable information on to the right of the ads.

Cheers!

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Comment from Leo on 2005-05-23

2005-05-23T14:56:27Z

It definitely requires server-side support, and it sounds like your ISP doesn't have it. SSH is completely separate from SMTP and POP3 ... it's a remote terminal protocol that can also be used to tunnel other protocols. You'll have to check with your ISP.

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Comment from Justin B. on 2005-05-23

2005-05-23T14:41:58Z

Leo,

Do the servers involved have to be configured to support the tunnel? How standard is this for SMTP and POP3 servers to support SSH tunnels?

I have tried plink (as described above) at my place of business and received errors as follows:
Network error: Connection refused
FATAL ERROR: Network error: Connection refused

I'm fairly certain that I've followed your instructions properly which leads me to believe that our servers do not support SSH tunneling.

Thanks for the article!

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