PLEASE READ: To Ruud and all my friends at IUOMA

[Plush Possum Studio-Rose McGuinn]

I hope this gets the attention it deserves.

I am not happy with how things are for me today here at IUOMA's ning.

For one thing, Val's mail ends up several times a day in MY inbox, not in his.

I can do nothing about this problem.

He says it all started when his email was hacked into. Since then, his private correspondence at IUOMA is being changed against his will. I am in the process of changing every password and preparing to leave the IUOMA if this problem is left to linger.

I do not like to receive other people's email, do you?

I seriously fear we are now the recipients of a worse problem than Val thought. Here your average hacker can bumble around and decide for himself how to ruin things for others.

There could be more than one problem involved with this hacker deal.

 

My understanding of hackers is, they aren't careful, and can leave messes behind them which nobody can sort out.

Also, they might bring other nasty consequences along with their presence, such as malware/spyware.

Is your security loose? Maybe so. Maybe I'm wrong here.

It could be I do not know enough about how spyware and malware are used.

However, it is my belief anybody experiencing hacking of any kind in his/her private online life should stay out of publicly shared sites altogether until such time as things are totally clear in his/her computer setup and his/her online presence is pristine enough to be safe for others.

 

Please see what may be done. But act quickly. There's a buildup of mail to Val in my inbox already, and more coming every time I check.

I've tried contacting you alone via a note to your inbox, but got no response. I thought this way I might have a better chance. I mean, other mail might get hacked into now Val's mail has gone viral.

 

I will not be back unless I hear the All Clear from you personally.

Meanwhile, I'll be checking into my own computer's security and make ample provision if necessary.

Thank You so much for your time and attention in this matter. It would help me tremendously to know you are aware and are taking steps to prevent more problems with security here at IUOMA.

Sincerely,

Rose H. McGuinn of Plush Possum Studio

[Marcia Cirillo (Fifi LePew)]

Rose, I think it's just people hitting "reply to all", as I have got the same thing recently. This also happens where I work on an internal network. It causes the system to slow down but does no damage to computers. There has been a spate of hacking recently into email systems, see:

http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/technology/2011/06/lulzsec-publishe...

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/IMF-Systems-zacks-3922597692.html?x=0...

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20110503/ap_on_hi_te/us_tec_sony_hacker_...

These are just the most recent reports from the U.S. If you check non U.S. reports there are lots more. Since IUOMA doesn't participate in silly extra-network apps like MyFarm or MyGoldfish or whatever like Facebook does, it seems unlikely it is the culprit. Anyway, hope you get everything straightened out. I know it must be painful and distressing for you.

[Marie Wintzer]

That's reassuring, Ruud, thank you.

[cheryl penn]

I would like to add my support to Ruud here. I have been here for quite some time, during peak times and not, and have NEVER encountered any problems.

[Ruud Janssen]

I know my way in the IT. No traces of a viral inside IUOMA. Just some do 'reply to all' too much (which I delete when I receive it).

When someone doesn't get e-mails or gets too much. They can change the settings.

Garding your password is something every member has to do. When an account is missused I het a SPAM message and act on that. So the security is quite good here at NING.

Ruud

[Plush Possum Studio-Rose McGuinn]

I came here tonight to clarify. Beyond that, a comfort level that was here is pretty much gone.

Here's why.

Our IT is telling me it may well not be safe enough yet for anybody currently logged in to IUOMA as Val's correspondent, possibly also as no correspondent of his at all. And again, it can't be stressed enough, there is NO BLAME attached here with Val's name, just a caveat to be more careful.

If, as some would suggest, this might be a mere settings issue, a "reply to all" issue, then why didn't it happen to me before he had his email hacked into?

Now, I do recall his Smartsis message, and I hear others may be receiving replies from others to his initial message in their own inboxes, but it does not matter. Both our IT savvy possum member and her Super techy relative, an IT by trade, have warned me to stay away, to even remove myself from IUOMA permanently. This is partly in that I began to receive replies to Val  PRIOR to the Smartsis campaign, and immediately following his hacker experience.

This is no joke.

It is based on pure theoretical science, and not meant to injure anyone.

So. Before we have another theory introduced as to, when Val's email has already been violated and he unwittingly did continue his IUOMA routine, why others' inboxes suddenly became like extensions of his inbox here, please stop. Stop and take a little time to involve yourself in the science of the matter.

 

Do one thing for me: Run scans for every kind of malware possible through such a venue and THEN check back with me here. As we are currently running scans of all our equipment at our IT's instigation, it is suggestible for anyone concerned to do so.

I am not making it up. I don't joke when it comes to anything this serious. And I don't pull pranks on people. This is serious business.

And it may only amount to some silly glitsh in the system here on IUOMA. Or not.

Better to be safe than sorry and never worry.

 

Oh. And one more thing. Always log out when finished here and do the same when using any email account. Having any place "remember" you, our IT tells us, is just plain asking for trouble. It's like leaving a back door open on a home with no fencing.

No offense to anyone. Again, wisest to be certain.

Take care, all.

Rose

[Lynda Jo Thornbrugh]

I believe it is reply all messages you are seeing....are they mostly about the Smartsises?

[prettylily]

Hope you get things worked out.  I mailed your Asemic Book pages this AM.  Hopefully you are still in the project.  Thanks for the heads up.

[andytgeezer]

Hi Rose. I'm not so sure it's hackers. I think it's just a bad case of "reply to all"

[Nadine Wendell-Mojica]

Thanks so much for the news. I totally get where you're coming from. This is another reason I'm a Ludditte of sorts. Is it ok to send you stuff through the snail mail route?

[Plush Possum Studio-Rose McGuinn]

This couldn't have happened at a worse time.

Just as I was getting comfortable.

Take care, everyone.

Val, no hard feelings. Just things seem out of hand and not easily restored.

Rose