constant password theft...best secure email service?

[eddiebravo]

I'm having trouble with a psycho ex constantly hacking into my yahoo/gmail/hotmail email accounts, snooping through my business and changing the password to lock me out of them, no matter how many times I create a new account and totally randomized password. Few questions:

1) How can she keep getting my password? She doesn't live anywhere near me, so its not like she is using a key logger since she has no access to my computer. Are there any common methods to hack into yahoo/gmail/hotmail email accounts?

2) What is the best secure email service available? Free would be ideal, but I would definitely be willing to pay a small fee if it would guarantee that she couldn't get access to it. I seem to find a lot of services offering encrypted e-mails, but my issue is more with preventing unwanted access than it is with securing emails that I have sent out into the interwebs.

3) Do I have any legal recourse for this repeated password theft and unwanted account hijacking?

Thanks a lot for any help.

 

[eddiebravo]

One other question...She had access to my computer in the past, so it is possible that she installed a keylogger then and its still here without me knowing it. How can I totally flush my system of any possibly hidden programs like that? Thanks again.

 

[Lemon law]

Yes Eddie, chances are she has a keylogger, backdoor, or something similar on your computer. And until you get rid of what ever is giving her access, you are screwed.
It just seems to be the explanation that best fits the facts.

You can try various anti malware programs to see if they can detect it, or post a hijack this log which also may catch it. But rootkits and other things are designed to be hard to find and it could be anywhere. Or it could be easy to find. But it can also give you a golden opportunity to send her on all kinds of wild goose chases if you want to play spy vs. spy. But still the high road is recommended, just put an end to her game.

Or you can just bite the bullet, nuke your entire hard drive with something like Dban, and then reinstall your OS and programs using only known clean media. And even then you may have to guard or password protect your computer because anyone you think may be a friend but really is a stooge for your wife could get access to your computer and reinstall another keylogger or backdoor.

You may also want to change your ISP, especially if you have a static web address, which would then make the job of finding you on the internet harder for a hacker. Even if your ex wife did not seem to be this computer saavy, she could have hired the job done.

 

[MadAmos]

You could start with a quick look at this for some basic info then try running a few different antispyware apps. like superantispyware and spybot search and destroy. and see if anything turns up. However if you have any suspicion that there is a key logger present a clean reinstall is probably best. If you have used your computer for ANY financial transactions I would contact the banks/creditcard/vender and let them know you may be compromised as well as a fraud alert at the credit reporting agency's TRW, Experian etc is a must. Do a search on identity theft and then do what you need to protect yourself ASAP. It might be a good idea to file a police report just for the record that you are having a problem.

 

[Anghang]

make an account with your hacked computer and put a msg on the account for her to read...be creative...

then start using another computer that she didn't touch...reformat the ones she touched

 

[DnetMHZ]

Format C: .. seriously

 

[Crusty]

Formatting and starting over will be the easiest and probably safest route.

 

[seepy83]

Could also be possible that she knows the answers to your Security Questions and can reset your password that way. Questions like "What is your Mother's Maiden Name?" or "What city were you born in?" really aren't very private/personal, and I really wish that companies would use some other method for password resets. That is, of course, if Hotmail/Yahoo/Gmail/etc use Security Questions for password resets...

 

[RebateMonger]

Originally posted by: seepy83
I really wish that companies would use some other method for password resets. That is, of course, if Hotmail/Yahoo/Gmail/etc use Security Questions for password resets...

Those "Security Questions" are a HORRIBLY big Security hole. I've read the there are only TEN or TWENTY names that make up 90% of the answers to "The name of my first pet." It's safer to come up with a nice, long secondary password to use in these cases and use THAT password for the "Security Question".

 

[eddiebravo]

Originally posted by: RebateMonger

Originally posted by: seepy83
I really wish that companies would use some other method for password resets. That is, of course, if Hotmail/Yahoo/Gmail/etc use Security Questions for password resets...

Those "Security Questions" are a HORRIBLY big Security hole. I've read the there are only TEN or TWENTY names that make up 90% of the answers to "The name of my first pet." It's safer to come up with a nice, long secondary password to use in these cases and use THAT password for the "Security Question".

Can't be this because I just make up a random answer to the security question as well. For example, the question might be "what city did you grow up in" but my answer will be something randomized like "ba.seba11" (and no, that isnt my actual password).

I think I am just going to wipe the hdd and deal with the pain in the ass of backing up all my files and reinstalling everything.