Recently, we've been noticing a growing a trend. Essentially, we will get a spam post by a long time member - seemingly out of the blue. I'd guess we've had over 100 of these in the past week. So, what's going on? Has the site been hacked? Actually, no. And what's going on is quite simple. When you see a long time member with a spam post, it's because that user has used the same password elsewhere... and that "elsewhere" was part of a data breach. This breach could have happened last week or it could have happened years ago... But, rest assured, that user is not taking their password responsibility seriously enough and is using the same password on multiple sites. And what happens next is predictable. Spammers have bought the databases from the hackers that performed the data breach and now are using these email and password combinations to log into other sites such as this one. In doing so, they are able to get past our spam filters and use your accounts to post spam. It's a complete pain in the ass... And has cost me hours and hours of work. So, please... CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD ON THIS SITE RIGHT NOW. You can do so here. Also, don't use a password you've used anywhere else. Use a password manager if you are forgetful. I recommend 1password, but there are many others. For more pointers, see here.
Thanks for the heads up Ryan. I assume you let the HAMBER know when you see a post that is out of character for that HAMBER? Great site - thanks
I checked my saved passwords on my PC and used the one that I am logged in on the hamb, it's invalid. I'll change it on all my log in's with Atomic Industries when I figure it out. HRP
Done, appreciate the heads up. Changing passwords should probably be a regular maintenance item but most of us don't give it much thought; we get complacent.
The Jalopy Journal
