Have I been subjected to a "Man in the Browser Attack" via hotmail link?

Firstly I'm not technical so forgive me for any ignorance's. I have Norton 360 running and it updates itself as required, its as far as I'm aware configured to how it was installed. I consider myself fairly smart when it comes to receiving files via email and don't open attachments unless its a work related file like office documents etc.

 

Norton has picked up various detections when visiting websites in the past so have always felt fairly secure that I am protected.

 

2 days ago I received some bounced back non deliverable emails sent from my hotmail account, I went into my hotmail sent folder and there were about 6 emails sent to everyone on my contact list which was only about 6 people, but also to everyone who I had a sent or received email still in there retrospective folders, so something had gone through each email and collected email addresses regardless if they were on my contact list.

 

I looked at the email that had been sent and I remember a week earlier I had received a similar email from a friend it just contained a link to a website and the subject field just said "Re:" I thought it was a suspicious file so although I looked at the email I don't remember clicking on the link (I may have done but I wouldn't normally) especially as the same person had then sent me an email expressing concern that their email account (also hotmail) had started to send out random emails.

 

Neither Norton or Hotmail flagged the email up as suspicious and I did subsequently click on the link which again didn't pick anything up that was suspicious just took me to a website trying to recruit me into a home working scam... Make £1000's a month etc...

 

I have subsequently changed my hotmail email password, not that that probably helps, I've probably just given them my new password, but I've not had any more emails sent. At first I thought it had originated from my Iphone, but then none of my other email accounts have been compromised.

 

So how has this happened and how do I stop it happening to me or anyone else?

 

I've lost faith on how well I am protected, more worryingly it sent the email to my daughters gmail account on her android tablet which has no virus software on so any recommendations for that?

 

Thanks very much

Firstly I'm not technical so forgive me for any ignorance's. I have Norton 360 running and it updates itself as required, its as far as I'm aware configured to how it was installed. I consider myself fairly smart when it comes to receiving files via email and don't open attachments unless its a work related file like office documents etc.

 

Norton has picked up various detections when visiting websites in the past so have always felt fairly secure that I am protected.

 

2 days ago I received some bounced back non deliverable emails sent from my hotmail account, I went into my hotmail sent folder and there were about 6 emails sent to everyone on my contact list which was only about 6 people, but also to everyone who I had a sent or received email still in there retrospective folders, so something had gone through each email and collected email addresses regardless if they were on my contact list.

 

I looked at the email that had been sent and I remember a week earlier I had received a similar email from a friend it just contained a link to a website and the subject field just said "Re:" I thought it was a suspicious file so although I looked at the email I don't remember clicking on the link (I may have done but I wouldn't normally) especially as the same person had then sent me an email expressing concern that their email account (also hotmail) had started to send out random emails.

 

Neither Norton or Hotmail flagged the email up as suspicious and I did subsequently click on the link which again didn't pick anything up that was suspicious just took me to a website trying to recruit me into a home working scam... Make £1000's a month etc...

 

I have subsequently changed my hotmail email password, not that that probably helps, I've probably just given them my new password, but I've not had any more emails sent. At first I thought it had originated from my Iphone, but then none of my other email accounts have been compromised.

 

So how has this happened and how do I stop it happening to me or anyone else?

 

I've lost faith on how well I am protected, more worryingly it sent the email to my daughters gmail account on her android tablet which has no virus software on so any recommendations for that?

 

Thanks very much

Thanks very much SendOfJive

 

I've done as suggested and changed my security questions as you/artical suggested.

 

It hasn't sent out any more emails but I'm still puzzled how I've been tricked into entering my details, my hotmail password is unique to hotmail and although not a complicated password I doubt could ever be guessed without 1000's of guesses.

 

I'm also periodically getting a security certificate does not match website warning message when on hotmail website. I've double and tripple checked that I have typed in the hotmail website address correctly.

 

Do you think this is related or am I just now paranoid? I have checked my security setting on norton and up'd all the setting to maximum but it hasn't picked anything else up?

 

Cheers


cat-man-do wrote:

I'm also periodically getting a security certificate does not match website warning message when on hotmail website. I've double and tripple checked that I have typed in the hotmail website address correctly.

Do you think this is related or am I just now paranoid?


It certainly could be related.  Those certificates verifiy that you are actually at the site that is showing in your address bar.  If you are getting a certificate error, then it is possible that you are not logging into the real hotmail page, but a fake one instead.  That would certainly be one way your credentials were stolen.  You should not log into any site whose certificate is suspect.

Thanks for replying,

 

It only comes up with the certificate error once I've logged into hotmail (it has all my emails there and stuff in all my folders etc) but when I went into change my password etc it happened when I was updating my details. I don't know what more to do? I can't see any provision to send a suspected email or website link to norton for analysis.

 

Its probably me doing something dumb, but then I never thought I could be tricked into a pishing situation.

 

Any other specifics I can list that would help?

 

Cheers

Cat-man-do