Further to the mail informing me I'd overloaded a super server and would be charged appropriately, last evening I was in receipt of a missive from those nice folk at Google informing me that someone had just tried to log into my account using my password. Did I panic? Of course not. I verified the mail was genuine THEN panicked. As you do. It all rushes through your swede does it not? From that hack it's identity theft then bank account emptied and the villains left pondering what to do with their ill-gotten gains; invest it or buy a new pair of socks.
My fingers flew over the keyboard – actually, my right index finger frantically rubbed around the track-pad until my Google password was changed. That's that then, right?
Wrong. Less than an hour later Google was back. Another try had been made, again with my password. How can this be? They noted it was time to check what device was having a go at getting in.
What I did do was change my password again; this time using every letter in the alphabet, twice, big and little size, everything contained between 1 and 10 and lots of funny squiggly stuff.
An hour later, my new bestest pen-pal, was back! Another attack had occurred. Okay, stay calm and let's see what device is having at me. Following the link in the warning mail I discovered it was a Nexus tablet. They provide a map that pin-points where the attacker is located. Yup, they're in my town. I zoomed in on the map and it got really, really scary. The attacker was in the house!!
This was the point when I thought to myself, how stupid can you get? Actually, I've had reason to think that before and it's now obvious I've still a good ways to go. My tablet was charging and the mail application, still can't refer to software as an app, was logging in and checking mail close to hourly.
Shortly thereafter I typed last nights post in Windows Live Writer, hit publish and nothing. Ah ha!! Change password and try again. Nothing.
You know what? Google have gone done changed some stuff and now consider many bits of software as security risks and won't let 'em play with them but once this is figured out there's one of they on/off pretend switches in Google settings to allow, what they consider 'insecure apps', into the playpen.
When this 'application security' was implemented, I have no idea and if it was a while ago, why it kicked in with a mail checker yesterday and a new password broke Live Writer, I've even less of an idea; it'll just get filed away in that draw of Mysterious Delights in the kitchen.
Again, a mail explaining what they were planning to do and implement by such-and-such a date would've been so much nicer than one stating I'd been attacked and basically saying, 'Hay buddy, looks like you have a big problem but your on your own. Sort it out if you can.'
Just remains to see if Live Writer will now transport these words into the world according to Google. See y'll on the flip-flop. Possibly.
On the bright side, I saw an advert for a forthcoming TV series; Cobblers To The Stars. How long do we have to stand in the dumb corner?
The quote below was located here. Linux quotes are here.
Quote; ??
“Any fool can use a computer. Many do.”
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