Change email provider? That isn’t a flippant remark, it’s a serious suggestion.

[PhilWakelin]

I think I have accepted that changing email provider is in reality the best solution for anyone with a persistent BT hacking problem, which can especially be a problem for vulnerable or elderly users who are less resistant to phishing.

It seems clear from this forum and from direct discussions with the BT helpdesk, that BT 2FA (two step auth.) is not robust, as it profiles new logins on a risk basis,  perhaps just as simple as the client IP address. Other email providers are much more robust with support for 2FA via passkeys and authenticator apps which seem to be sadly lacking from BT.

[WSH]

As I said before, I genuinely don’t understand why people go with an ISP based email account.  It just means you’ve got to move it when you move ISP, with all the hassle that entails.

[Kimberlin]

@WSH 

Because there is no need to change email provider, especially if you’re with BT email because there’s no problem with it. Indeed BT email is from what I gather looking through the many threads on this forum, a premium product with excellent security features that is no longer available to new customers, which is a huge shame because I’m on the lookout for a superb ISP email service.

[PhilWakelin]

@Kimberlin can you clarify these excellent security features you refer to.

[WSH]

Matter of opinion.

Back in the day, I was with FreeServe, then Wanadoo, then Orange.  Back in the year 2000 I decided I was getting tired of moving it every few years and went with a Hotmail account.  Been using it ever since.  Never had any problems.  Similarly, gmail is well established and independent of any ISP.  Of course, if you are happy with your ISP why not use theirs?   Matter of opinion.  

[Kimberlin]

@PhilWakelin 

Apologies. My penchant for sarcasm and cynicism is often lost on other contributors 👍

FWIW, if you’re considering changing email provider, then you’ve clearly formed your own opinion on the BT email product and I genuinely wish you well with whichever email provider you choose.

[Andy_N]

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@enfield250wrote:

Ironically, whilst I have looking at this thread, I have had an email from someone calling themselves Nigel Gutteridge asaking me to get the an Apple Gift card. I don't know anyone called Nigel Gutteridge. I have tried using the Password Manager from Norton's, but it's hopeless if I update a password Nortons doesn't update itself. So I end up keeping a book with passwords in, not very secure but !

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A book with passwords in it is actually pretty secure - as someone has to physically steal it from your property. A monile/tablet device is easier to get hold of!

Either way, receipt of that email is frankly not your issue - but the potential sender. Replying to it is not likely to go to Nigel, but to the scammers who have probably set up a forwarding address in Nigel's email settings. Unfortunately some people known to Nigel may well have got gift cards - then type out the numbers in an email - forwarded to the scammer, and the money is gone as they will soon spend it.

[Kimberlin]

@Andy_N 

Whilst utilising a book with passwords and it being at home and therefore only accessible if the house was compromised, the problem arises where folks completely refuse to use secure passwords with strings of letters/numbers/special characters etc. You've just got too many folks using their pets name or their own DOB or something else equally fairly simple to crack. The fact is, it's just too complicated for people to sit down and formulate a secure password because by the fourth character, they're bored with it.

Some of us, probably foolishly, use the password manager in our iPhone. I've 163 passwords all completely different, generated by the password manager which I haven't got a chance of ever remembering because they're all so complex. But then I'm one of those people who flies in the face of the easy route, which isn't actually true because it's so easy to use a password manager. If my phone is stolen, well the thief has to get into it. It's all backed up and I can remotely erase it if I have to.

I think I'm more surprised that some people are seemingly completely unable to tell a fake/spam email when it's staring them in the face. Yes, that reads as unfair, but there's so many indicators (usually) that something isn't quite right.

[WSH]

“The fact is, it's just too complicated for people to sit down and formulate a secure password because by the fourth character, they're bored with it.”

It’s not rocket science.  You don’t need a password generator.  Four groups of four characters.  Each group has one of uppercase, lowercase, number and symbol.  Not in the same order each time, of course.

Write it down in your notebook.  Job done.

[Kimberlin]

@WSH 

Of course, you're absolutely right, it isn't rocket science and you don't necessarily need a password manager, but it does make life considerably easier when you're accessing multiple websites a day. I couldn't cope with a book with long strings of characters written down, making a mistake half way through and then having to retype everything I'd just inputted. I'm happy with my iPhone password manager personally, it makes my life a lot easier.

What works for some, doesn't always work for others, we recognise that, but using the same password for multiple sites, is both stupid and unnecessary, but folks still and will continue to do so.