ALERT:Within the CNBC news this morning is mention of a massive breach of Yahoo's data which exposed "several hundred million" customer's accounts. I sure as hell was one of them. Last Friday I discovered a hundred or more rejected emails sent out on my email name- but altered with "fastmail alert" inserted before my email name. So, if my email name was "mg@bellsouth.net", they went out as, "fastmail alert mg@bellsouth.net". It solicited recipient info such as alias and pass code. The pretext was, "you have used your email capacity. In order to continue receiving and sending email, send your user id, alias, passcode..." etc.
Yahoo's security rejected the mass sending as "suspicious".
It was very unsettling, as I imagine they also could read my mail. I'm a plain vanilla guy but still I wonder if anywhere along the way I noted some vital info.
The breach was precipitated by someone attaching a new alias to my account about a week before. Yahoo software dutifully sent me a notice alerting me to the change. I immediately tried to remove the alias but Yahoo's message came up "Ooops, we are unable to complete your request at this time", or something like that. About 24 hours later, I was able to get the intrusive alias dropped through Yahoo's now working system.
I opened a gmail account when I couldn't remove the intruding alias attached to my account. I've ceased using the Yahoo account, though email still comes in. I suppose I should close it but wonder if I'll lose access to my history
I have begun investigating not using email, rather relying on text, regular mail, telephone and in person. I dunno, have to think it through more.
I've discovered some leading Americans, including members of congressional intelligence committee, do not use email. They must have known how vulnerable it is.
There is some thought that email is becoming passe, anyway.
MG
PS It's likely Putin was reading Hillary's email before she got out of bed, imo.
