On Sept. 5, 2009, someone hacked on my cousin's YM account and the crook used it for his/her evil plan, to get free prepaid cellphone loads. After 3 days, my cousin informed me that one of her friends listed in her hacked YM account received the same message. Then the crook told her friend to click on a link to view my cousin's picture to prove to her that it was her. Her friend clicked on the link only to find out that her YM account was now being hacked.
Her friend later on learned that her relatives in the US and in the Philippines as well, received YM messages asking for financial help. What's also very bothering about the news is that she uses that same YM account in some of her banking transactions. My cousin advised her to contact her friends, relatives listed in that account to warn them not to fall for the trap. And also, to make a quick move to change her bank info containing the hacked account.
As for my cousin, she already received a lot of phone calls asking if she's in financial trouble. This really is very alarming considering it only took a matter of days to spread. And with only one person to fall for a trap, it could spread that fast.
This led me to thinking, it didn't happened to me yet. I wasn't hacked yet. But how can I prevent my account from being hacked? This are what I stumbled upon in the net :
1. Avoid P2P file Sharing Through Yahoo Messenger
Be it known or unknown, prefer not to receive any file from your friend unless you know what he is sharing and why. Avoid downloading .exe or .zip files from them as they are more likely to attack your computer or install trozans without you being aware of it. Never trust a stranger when he asks you to click on any site you haven't heard of.
2. Avoid Clicking on Spammy Links
If you were chatting with someone else and suddenly a PM box flashes on the screen with a lucrative offer/interesting site which has a spammy look, don't click on it. These websites have a lot of spyware who get silently installed if you go and surf them. Never download a toolbar unless its as authenticated as Yahoo's or Google's.
3. Use Ignore Option Effectively
Yahoo has an ignore option that lets you ban a person or mark as spam so that he can't disturb you once again. Use that option effective. Go to Yahoo Messenger main box -> Preferences -> Ignore List. If you want to avoid talking to strangers (which I always recommend)i.e. wanna talk to your buddies only, Check Ignore anyone.. option. That helps you be safe and block on the unwanted and potential hackers from reaching you. See the screen-shot below.
4. Use other Chat Clients
Yahoo Messenger has too many loopholes. It doesn't have a strong security to block contents either. So, if you want to get rid of spams and porn contents all under one go, then you should go for some popular and secure yahoo chat clients like Yazak. You can also go for Yah-Elite and Yam They may not have the same sophisticated GUI or entertainment features but they will increase the security of the chat sessions by many folds.
Here is a link that can help you with some more chat clients. I don't recommend any except these.
5. Always Use Newer Versions of Yahoo Messenger
Remember, the more you stay with the older versions and feel lazy to get upgraded, the more you are helping the hackers. Yahoo or any software, brings out these updates not only to extend features but also due to security reasons. A newer version of yahoo messenger 9 is hardly bootable by DoS attack whereas Yahoo Messenger 7 can be booted out or hacked by a script kiddie.
6. Don't download Yahoo Plug-ins from Unauthorized source
Do not ever download a plug-in of Yahoo messenger from any other site however lucrative it be. Plug-ins like these exploit the vulnerability once installed and send your account details to a third party revealing and cracking down your id. So, better be safe than sorry. No?
7. Use Proxy if you have a Better Firewall
Yahoo also gives you option to change your proxy. Go to Preferences and hunt down Proxy servers. You will see that you can set your own proxy server so that Yahoo gets redirected through yours giving you a better chance to protect yourself and secure by your network. But if only you have that faith on your network security. You can change it by going to Yahoo Messenger main box -> Preferences -> Connection
8. Use Word Filter
You can also use your word Filter in Yahoo messenger. It just discards all the obscene or threatening words by intelligent filtering system if you choose StrongYahoo Messenger main box -> Preferences -> Chat. option. But be aware, there may be some times when your own friend can get banned while cursing your jokingly. Word filter is another good option to be within your network and not let some specifically targeted spammers to arrive. It increases security too. You can change it by going to
9. Be sure to Delete Your Profile after Chatting from a Public computer
Most of the users don't know about it. Whenever you sign in to yahoo messenger, yahoo makes a profile of yours in the directory Yahoo -> Messenger -> Profiles by the name of your yahoo id. There is an option by default at Yahoo messenger that messages will be saved as long as you are signed in to your account for that session. A good hacker can have access to that file and decrypt it to learn your private conversations.
What you must do if you are sharing a public computer to chat from, is, you can change it by going to Yahoo Messenger main box -> Preferences -> Archive.No, do not save any of my messages and you are done. Oh don't forget to delete your profile from Profiles inside Yahoo folder after you sign out. Change it to
10. Apply Your Common sense and Use a good Antivirus and anti spyware software
Applying your common sense is the least you can do to prevent your account from being hacked. A good anti-virus and anti-spyware always warns you about dangers that you may have overlooked. So its better to have them as well. If you implement the above 9 tips, you won't need to worry much I gues until you personally hand over your information to the person willing to crack your computer down.
Yahoo messenger and other messaging tool are fun and very useful to stay connected with our loved ones and also gain new friends. But there are some inconsiderate persons who will not hesitate to ruin your reputation. It wouldn't hurt to follow the simple tips above rather than fixing the problem caused by the hackers.
source : blog.taragana.com
