Call for help on password thefts?

Question

I have these important questions which I always contemplate in my mind after noticing that peoples has got all my yahoo contact details.

-How can others get my yahoo password without sharing pc's?
-Can someone access my pc from remote without my knowledge?
-What is riskware/malware?

Of course,I remember one day that I clicked one link which was sent to my messenger from my friend which I later found that it was a virus.This virus sent the same link to all contact lists in my yahoo messenger and I am suspecting that this might be the link which allowed others to get my password.

I hope you will give me detailed information on this.

Answer 1

You can get the definition of malware from Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Malware

There are many ways to get your password, such as phishing e-mail.

From your description, it seems that you allowed your browser to remember your passwords. Then, that virus may send your personal data inclusing all your password to others and your address books.

If you are using IE, set your security level to medium which would prevent your personal data flaw out. Similarily, you can set yahoo e-mail box with security . Just follow the instruction from yahoo in the e-mail box. You would know when you use your browser to log-in your e-mail box in yahoo.

After setting the security, you have to change your username and password.

Answer 2

Ithink you are assumming a lot

the most likely way to get your password stolen, is if you lived in a college dorm and someonethere is key logging you or spying you through the network

it is not likely through the internet unless its criminal activity getting banking detail.

use a strong password of garbage with numbers and stuff in it like

9dkjq7834kawfj1

what you do is create in MS Word a page full of these stupid key strokes and have a secret string
like this
4uv898gt8gr1hd49fn1t67wern13459b no8tn
6v n98t7vn 83t7q t03v9ur 2ir wp0i4cn49v
57v76bc9r875cb29yvb9dkjq7834kawfj1
88483576p9v82759287tercfivtyv q39t8t
and so on

now you can see your password is on the last of the third row in that garbage.

what you do is never type your password
you open this document and highlite the password, copy it and paste it into your password field using the mouse..

Any spyware or key tracker would only know that you copied or pasted something

Answer 3

The generic answer is ,,, YES <
As long as your computer is hooked up to the "outside world" you are vulnerable to attack...

As Dr. Ruth would say "Buy and use protection"

But there is no "foolproof way"
Never allow your passwords to be "stored" for you
that'll help alot.

Answer 4

nicely, make certain your password isn't too short or ordinary to wager (like names of family members, pets, college, delivery date etc.) Make it something unique which you're actually not likely to forget approximately. attempt to apply letter and type mixtures on your password. which will stump them ;-)