Applies to: Everyone
In this how-to guide we show you one simple trick to be the first to know when (yes, when!) companies lose your account details.
There are lots of companies which have lost data over the years, some you may never have heard of like 000webhost (a website hosting company, they lost 13 million records) and some you might know like Adobe who lost 153 million passwords, email addresses and usernames!
But how can I know if my account was leaked?
Head over to https://haveibeenpwned.com and fill in your e-mail address. You will instantly be shown if your email was involved in any of the leaked data the site knows about. It’s free!
Then click on where it says “Notify Me when I get pwned” and you will receive a conformation email, just click on the confirm link…
…when new leaked data is loaded into the site, and it matches your email address, you will get an email explaining what has happened.
https://haveibeenpwned.com
What if my email shows as hacked or pwned as they call it?
Don’t panic. Change your password on the affected websites, and anywhere else you used the same password.
This is the alert I get for my email address:
You can see that 4 websites have leaked my email and password. Just under this message it shows you the websites involved…
The advice is to change your password on these sites, and anywhere else you have used the same password.
You should use different passwords for every website.
Please don’t use 123456 or any of the other worst passwords (scroll down the page a bit to see the list).
Can I trust this website?
Yes, absolutely, it doesn’t ask for anything other than your email address and it is run by a Microsoft Valued Professional. The head of the Government-backed online safety resource Get Safe Online says it’s a “stark reminder to many” of the need to protect yourself online.
As ever, if you have any questions please drop me a message in the comments below or on The Clubroom.
Stay Safe
Mike
October 6, 2016 at 4:08 pm
Hello Mike
I have finally had some success with BT, and now have a new password.
Hopefully I can reset my security answers tomorrow.
I don’t think I will use ‘eM Client’ anymore, although it was an easy site to use.
Maybe I could continue with it, as long as the ‘remember password’ is not clicked.
Does that make sense?
October 6, 2016 at 4:30 pm
Fantastic, glad you have got sorted with a new password.
Yes I would change your recovery questions as quickly as possible. Then you might be interested in our posts about Password Managers which you can find full details of here: https://www.pcinnercircle.co.uk/index.php/2016/09/how-to-stop-remembering-passwords-using-lastpass/
I don’t see any problem letting eM Client remember your password, I guess the only problem comes when you change it? But then EM Client should ask for your new one when the old one doesn’t work.
Let me know how you get on changing your Recovery Questions, and remember you don’t have to answer the question properly.
For example it might ask
“Whats your mothers maiden name” and you could answer “not telling you 5874”
This is because quite often details like that can be found out or guessed at. Again just make sure you keep a secure note of what answers you did give.
Hope this helps
Mike
October 6, 2016 at 11:40 am
Hi Mike
I did get through to BT who gave me a temporary password, which they said I could use and then change, and that I could reset the security questions. However the Yahoo site was not functioning last night, and this morning they accepted the new password, but no option was provided to change the password to a more secure one, nor an option to change the security questions. So I remain somewhat frustrated.
The eM Client option accepted the temporary number, but I did not click the box for this to be stored.
regards, Elizabeth
October 5, 2016 at 4:08 pm
Hi Mike
No there isn’t one called ‘accounts dat-wal’
Elizabeth
October 6, 2016 at 9:46 am
Hummm maybe you have a slightly different version of EM Client,
in my folder (when EM Client is closed) I have a file called “accounts.dat”, leave it with me and I will take another look.
Sorry this is going round in circles.
Did you have any luck speaking with BT?
Thank you
Mike
October 5, 2016 at 3:58 pm
Hello again Mike
I have now found the page again, there is one called ‘attachments dat-wal’
Could this be it?
October 5, 2016 at 4:03 pm
Hello
Is there one called “accounts.dat” ? it seems to have changed on my screen to that so I will update my How-To guide.
It think it is all dependant on if the program is open or not. if it is open then it is called “accounts.dat-wa” and if closed it is just called “accounts.dat”
Let me know if you see one called accounts.dat
Thank you
Mike
October 5, 2016 at 3:28 pm
Thanks for your reply.
I have followed the instructions as far as No. 3
But there is no file ‘accounts.dat-wal’
Then I tried again, and didn’t get any further than completing No. 2
October 5, 2016 at 10:45 am
Hello Mike
A. I am getting into my mail via a saved password through eM Client. I can’t remember what the password is, but my PC has it stored.
B I cannot access my emails through BT.com webpage, emails.
I haven’t used edge, at least not as far as I know.
I think it would be good to talk this through, and I will give you a ring in a while.
Regards.
Elizabeth
October 5, 2016 at 2:02 pm
Hello Elizabeth
Lovely to speak to you earlier and thank you for the extra details on what is happening.
I have had a first go at putting a how-to guide together on how to get the password out of EM Client.
I tested this process on Windows 10 using EM Client 7, if you have a different version then my instructions might be a little different.
I have included version 1 of my instructions below, I would be grateful if you could give them a read through and see if any of the points need me to be more detailed.
If you feel there is enough detail in there for you to give it a go then go for it and see how far we get. You can always pop back on here and ask any questions.
The Instructions can be found at the link below (PDF):
https://www.pcinnercircle.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/10/Retrieve-password-from-EM-Client.pdf
Let me know how you get on
Thanks
Mike
October 4, 2016 at 7:29 pm
Thanks for your answer. I am still struggling to change my password, and I suspect this is due to problems with my security answers. My mother’s maiden name comes from German, and I sometimes spell it wrongly – but I have tried both ways without success. I also tried using another question, about the street where I grew up, again without success. Is it possible to change the security questions. Would changing the ID and the password work, or would I still have these security problems. I am receiving emails, but through a password which is remembered in my commuter.
I used the link you suggested, and found that I have not been hacked, but this doesn’t seem to agree with what some friends have said they have received from me.
October 5, 2016 at 10:02 am
Hi Elizabeth
Thank you for getting back to me.
Can I just check that:
A: You can get into your email through a saved password
B: you are getting into your email via a web browser (Edge) at https://bt.com/mail
As I don’t have a BT email address I can’t be sure what it asks when you go to change your password, but if it does ask for security questions then you might need to change those first.
BT Have a help line you can call them on which is 0800 121 4476
If your password is saved in Edge then we should be able to see exactly what that password is…
Follow the instructions (from about 1/2 way down this page) under the title “Edit or Delete Logins from Windows’ Credentials Manager” to view your saved passwords.
http://www.laptopmag.com/articles/manage-saved-passwords-edge-browser
Just drop me a reply back if I can be clearer, or this might be easier to talk through on the phone if you would like? I am in the office today (Wednesday) and Thursday 10 – 4 fi you want to give us a ring and ask for me. 01229 777606
Sorry this is going round in circles, but I am sure we can get it sorted
Thank you
Mike
October 3, 2016 at 9:02 pm
I have been asked by BT to change my email password but am having difficulty.
My last password is remembered in my PC, and I cannot remember the password to access/change the password via the bt.com site; and because I have been having difficulties, they have now locked me out.
How can I resolve this issue?
October 4, 2016 at 10:23 am
Hello
It seems that BT locks your account for 15 minutes after you have tried several unsuccessful login attempts.
Probably the best thing to do is to reset your password, BT have a page for resetting your password which you can get to from the links at the bottom of the page about why they lock you out.
http://bt.custhelp.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/9364/~/why-do-i-seem-to-be-locked-out-of-my-bt%3F
Once you have changed your password, the next time you log in, your browser should ask you to update the saved password.
You might be interested in our Journal Post on Password Managers which you can read here: https://www.pcinnercircle.co.uk/index.php/2016/09/how-to-stop-remembering-passwords-using-lastpass/
Let me know how you get on, and if you want I can provide more detail on making sure your browser updates the password, (or even forget it all together)
Let me know how you get on
Thank you
Mike