All my affiliate networks accounts plus two email accounts were hacked into today. I found out by chance when I went to logon to my affiliate accounts and discovered that my passwords and login no longer worked. I believe it was a combination of things: my using the Firefox feature that enables the browser to save my logon information and carelessness on my part.
It began this morning when I did my normal routine, check my emails, then check my affiliate accounts to check my balances. I should have been tipped off by the hacker because yesterday someone had gained access into my IncentReward account and changed the method of payment. I changed it back, alerted my affiliate manager and changed the password.
What I should have done was change my username as well, because apparently this slickster had also gained access to my Hotmail and Yahoo accounts and changed the passwords in those, effectively locking me out of my own email accounts!
I never thought this would happen to me. I feel violated and unsafe. My affiliate manager of one of my affiliate programs told me that the offending culprit has an IP address that is coming from Irvine, California. Although that may be rerouted and could be coming from China for all I know. At this time, I no longer have access to my instant messenger accounts nor my email accounts.
Never one to panic, I simply spent the majority of the day on the phone with affiliate managers making sure this doesn't happen again. One thing I won't do again is to store any of my password or login information to anything online again. I have thumb drives, flash drives etc., that can serve this purpose securely. From now on I will use them for more than photos and documents.
The worse thing out of this is my email accounts and not being able to access them. Outside of it being an inconvenience of course, it is minor compared to the damage the hacker could have caused. Imagine if I had not of checked my affiliate accounts this morning and this went on for days? Suppose someone had managed to get ahold of my commissions without my knowledge? A scary thought, no doubt.
As a precaution I consulted my youngest brother, who is an IT Tech, and he advised me of some safety features to add. Because as he advised me, if someone has attached a Bot to my every keystroke, then no matter how many times I change my passwords and login information, the culprits will know it, and have it as soon as I make the changes. So, as a result, I've followed his advice, protected myself and my commissions.
This isn't a post I looked forward to writing, but one that may help the next person. Have you checked your affiliate programs lately? How safe are your online activities?
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