Posted by Victor (24.240.219.47) on December 03, 2001 at 09:31:46:
In Reply to: Computer Experts HELP PLEASE!!!!! posted by Jackie L on December 03, 2001 at 02:01:48:
programs, you can access your hotmail account from any computer in the world just by knowing your handle and password. If you haven't transferred any of your e-mails to your folder that is on your own hard drive, any virus would be in that 3 MB or so space that MS allocates to each hotmail account and I don't believe an anti-virus program can check it unless it's set to check whatever you transfer into your own drive. You could also try a computer at your local library to see if the same thing happens.
You could try completely closing your account then opening it again, but will probably have to change your handle and password. I keep a hotmail account active, what the heck, it's free, just opened it a few minutes ago after not checking it for a week with over two spam messages. No sense in blocking these as the spammers change their e-mail address every five minutes. And since you are limited to only blocking 200 addresses, each address has to be manually removed one at a time.
You can get e-mail from your own server as part of your package, normally 10 MB of space, you have to call him to set up your e-mail handle and password and set your anti-virus software to intercept each incoming e-mail. You can get MS Outlook for free from the MS site as your e-mail program, but I prefer Eudora Pro that has a much better e-mail filing system.
You have to remember that being on the web is like having a huge old fashion type of telephone line where anyone in the world can get into your system. Even with your own server E-mail space, this is on line and any hacker can download software that would eventually learn your password. For sensitive documents, I use scambling software where the key is phoned or faxed to the intended receiver, but I guess even these can be broken if someone is interested enough going through enough combinations. Another element is time, if a sensitive e-mail comes in, it's taken off the net the instant it is received, checked for a virus than stored on CD Rom after decoding.
Ha, for ten years, GM only used seven different trunk and car entry keys for every GM car made, odds are one in seven that your key would let you get into another GM car. You think you are safe, but really are not. Course, there are stiff laws for illegal home and car entering as there are laws for breaking into a personal computer. But there are plenty of law breakers out there and with the net, it's world wide.