Other Data breach or worse?

[Gingerbeer]

OK, I am suddenly receiving a LOT of junk/spam/phishing mail at the email address I only use for this forum. I do not send anything out on this address, just receive; and it's only this address that is being targetted.

I have an old email address format that lets me put anything I want before the @ to create a unique address. e.g. Me@Account.ISP.co.uk - so I can and do just make unlimited individual addresses for each of my online accounts and all mail comes to my main account, but is still separated by the unique addresses. It's a very good spam trap and is obviously useful for identifying attack vectors. This also means, if my computer had been compromised, I would be seeing stuff directed at all of my addresses.

So, it would seem either the forum security has been breached or someone has decided to start selling user data.

Neither is a good thing, but I rather hope it's not the latter.

Is anyone else suddenly seeing higher rates of unsolicited email?

 

[confusis]

Thanks you for the heads up. We have seen no indication of a data breach, just business as usual. I'll work with our team and see what we can uncover, though.

For clarity, we will never sell user data.

 

[Phuncz]

I have also noticed nothing out of the ordinary on this mail I use here. As an aside, I've noticed on ISP based email is that security is so lacking, basically anyone on that ISP can send email unsecured to anyone on that network, along with unrestricted spoofing. Your account is about 6 years old, did you use that mail address on the phpBB version of the board ? I'm not sure if email addresses were visible (after logging in) back then. Your email is not even visible to moderators on this version of the forum software and I even doubt it was on the old one.

 

[Vesko]

I haven't received such emails, it's probably your email provider who doesn't provide adequate protection.

 

[Gingerbeer]

I haven't received such emails, it's probably your email provider who doesn't provide adequate protection.

???

I know that was a throwaway statement but did you read anything in my opening post?

 

[46x02]

???

I know that was a throwaway statement but did you read anything in my opening post?

I don't see it as being a throwaway statement, and would strongly suggest you reconsider its worth.

Not only is an old ISP more likely to have lax security, no one else has reported having a sudden influx of spam to the email they used for their SFF Network account.

Furthermore, you yourself stated in your opening post the possibility that "someone has decided to start selling user data". That someone could well be your ISP.

A spammer isn't likely to attempt targeting all the addresses they know at once, hence why it could seem to you that only a singular address was compromised.

And again, that no one else here has reported an uptick in spam to their personal email suggests your ISP was at fault, not SFF Network.

I would also add that I have checked the spam folder for my email and there were no messages at all.

Lastly, I would be curious to know what you would consider the likelihood of someone guessing the *initial* portion of your email. It is trivial to enumerate subdomains (i.e. no security leak would be required for someone to obtain the part *after* the @ sign).

 

[Gingerbeer]

I don't see it as being a throwaway statement, and would strongly suggest you reconsider its worth.

Not only is an old ISP more likely to have lax security, no one else has reported having a sudden influx of spam to the email they used for their SFF Network account.

Furthermore, you yourself stated in your opening post the possibility that "someone has decided to start selling user data". That someone could well be your ISP.

A spammer isn't likely to attempt targeting all the addresses they know at once, hence why it could seem to you that only a singular address was compromised.

And again, that no one else here has reported an uptick in spam to their personal email suggests your ISP was at fault, not SFF Network.

I would also add that I have checked the spam folder for my email and there were no messages at all.

Lastly, I would be curious to know what you would consider the likelihood of someone guessing the *initial* portion of your email. It is trivial to enumerate subdomains (i.e. no security leak would be required for someone to obtain the part *after* the @ sign).

Oh where to begin...

An old ISP is likely to have lax security? What on earth are you talking about? It's one of the biggest in the UK. Old doesn't mean defunct or out of touch.

My ISP is selling my address to spammers? That ONE address, out of the dozens I have linked to my account?

As for the rest of your post, guessing the initial portion of my address - I don't have to specifically create an incoming address with my ISP. I can just sign up to a site with any name I want and messages from that site will make it at least as far as my spam trap until I accept them. So, a spammer could guess numpty@account.ISP.co.uk and it would be received in my spam trap. The complete lack of any such emails to guessed addresses pretty much rules that out.

If you've finished white-knighting, I'd appreciate it if you left this to be addressed by SFFNET staff, if they feel it necessary.

 

[confusis]

I appreciate the frustration you may feel @Gingerbeer, however please keep a friendly decorum in this forum. The above users have only popped in to try to assist in determining the issue.

Further to my previous post, and with continuing research into the sitation, we continue to see no evidence of a data breach.

SFF Network, SFF Workshop Limited (the parent company) and the owner thereof (i.e. Me) will not at any point sell the personal data that you registered with.

Aside from Google ads, we do not partner with any third parties that could get your data - and Google would surely not get any of your data aside from username and _possibly_ your IP.