NoScript & BetterPrivacy add-ons

[saint1d]

I have this stupid problem with my Homail account sending out spam emails from China, it's been getting on my wick for a while now, but no matter what scans I have done I cant seem to get rid of it.

Have just downloaded the NoScript add-on for FF which I'm quite impressed with, I like the way it checks everytime a site tries to run a script and I can allow once, always or never.

After reading another blog I have downloaded BetterPrivacy which monitors LSOs (supercookies) which is something I've never heard of before. When I first ran the add-on it bought up a list of these LSOs and omg it is quite astounding how many there are on my laptop. Bearing in mind I regularly run AdAware and Spybot I was very suprised, but not being a total tech-head I dont really understand it all!

Has anyone else got experience of using the 2 add-ons? What do you think of them? Should I delete all of the so called "super cookies" cos to me there seems just too many to go through, and not many of them make much sense anyhow?

 

[timtadams]

I reckon delete 'em all. I would. I cant possibly believe that you would actually need them.

I do use no-script, i agree, its very good as it forbids any script from running unless excepted by you. Excellent at protecting your computer.

But this is the first ive heard of supercookies...sounds interesting

edit: Did either of those addons help with your hotmail problem? If not --> gmail? (which you can set to receive email for your hotmail account, even to send email addressed as your hotmail account) Also has great spam filter

 

[saint1d]

Time will tell with the Hotmail problem, it happens every few days so will let you know. The so-called supercookies are all gone now, no doubt the important ones will come back when needed, but it's quite shocking how many there were. Read that they take up approx 20 times more space than a standard cookie.

 

[Weeble]

LSO's are basically cookies for Flash. It's a way of storing settings related specifically to a Flash file (like an online Flash game - the save functions you sometimes see in them store their data in LSOs).
Easy way to stop those from being created - simply go to Adobe's Flash Player Settings Manager and navigate through the Flash-based tabs disabling global storage or just selecting "Always Ask" for any option you're not sure of.

You can also check all LSOs, authorised sites, etc etc through here. This interface basically allows you to access the controls and settings of the Flash Player installed on your computer. There's no natural interface you can download and run and Adobe don't have access to your settings.

NoScript is a fantastic extension - I've been using it for ages. I simply have mine block everything until I allow specific domains. Means the first time you load a website half the features won't work, but you can be sure that you won't get hit with massive numbers of popups or what-have-you!

As for Hotmail, have you tried changing your password..?
Sometimes spam mail seemingly sent from your address hasn't actually been sent from your address, it's just been spoofed. There's a possibility that's happened here! How do you know that your account has been affected anyway?

 

[saint1d]

Well funnily enough I have also just changed the password, so I guess if it stops sending spam then I wont know which action solved the problem.

 

[atsanjose]

Well funnily enough I have also just changed the password, so I guess if it stops sending spam then I wont know which action solved the problem.

do you use windows live mail?

maby thats what is infected.

 

[saint1d]

Yeah live mail. seems to be a common problem
tbh I dont use just my hotmail account, I very rarely even check it, but it irritates me when it sends crap out

 

[Weeble]

You can delete your Hotmail account... login through the web interface, click on the 'Help' link on any page and search for "Close Account" using the keyword search.
Click on the "Close Your Account" link within the help screen then look for the blue "go to the Close Account" link and click that.

Read the instructions, follow it through and close your account. Simples!

Edit or click here to go direct to the close account page

 

[atsanjose]

You can delete your Hotmail account... login through the web interface, click on the 'Help' link on any page and search for "Close Account" using the keyword search.
Click on the "Close Your Account" link within the help screen then look for the blue "go to the Close Account" link and click that.

Read the instructions, follow it through and close your account. Simples!

Edit or click here to go direct to the close account page

deleting hotmail account? thats like deleting life :/
got 16 years of sheer awesomeness tucked away in my account(s)

:/

strange suggestion

 

[saint1d]

Yeah I dont really want to delete it tbh.

 

[Azzer]

When things like this happen, don't forget to not only change your password, but to also change your "security question and answer", incase anyone has access to that.

You might also want to look at MSN/Windows Live Messenger - this is tied in to your hotmail account. If you've ever added extra "wink packs", "smilie packs", themes, or clicked on any links sent by people (there are many exploits through MSN, which can hack an MSN account and send a link to everyone on a contact list saying something like "hey look at my picture naked http://www.viruslink " which when clicked on and loaded in a non-patched version of IE, hacks YOUR MSN account and continues the infection), then your hotmail/MSN account may have been compromised this way.

 

[Zaheen]

HEY LOOK AT THIS NAKED GIRLS PIC!!!

 

[saint1d]

Like I would be interested in a naked picture!
*whistles*