For Those Of You Who Received the HSN/Epsilon E-mail Alert...

kittkatt · Apr 7, 2011

I thought you might want to know that I've already been getting spam e-mails. Y'all may want to keep an eye out yourselves if you got one of those e-mail alerts. I also posted the following in the thread about the alerts, but I don't know if any of you noticed so I thought I'd post it here again. Just an FYI.

For those of you who shop online at HSN, this may be of interest to you. I decided to change my e-mail address for the online shopping sites I use after the HSN e-mail alert thing, and when I tried logging in to their website, this is what I got after right-clicking onto the page like Winchester recommended:

The page that you use to log in to is NOT secure judging by this.

Look at the bottom where it says "connection not encrypted". I had always thought that I was logging in to a secure page.

Maybe I'm reading things incorrectly, but I don't think I am. If I'm reading this incorrectly, feel free to correct me.

I thought y'all might want to know this. Thanks so much, Winchester, for pointing out that right-click thing: it made me more aware of how to check things such as this.

ut0pia · Apr 7, 2011

You're right, the page is not secure..
Another easy way to tell is just by looking at the URL at the top, if it starts with "https://" then it is a secure page, if it's just the usual "http://" then it's not! And, if it's encrypted you will see a green url and a lock at the bottom right hand corner.
There is a firefox add on I believe which allows you to access all pages that you go to securely, at least the ones that allow it, I can look for it and let you know if anyone is interested.

Willowy · Apr 7, 2011

I guess Target was involved in the security breach, because they're the ones that sent me the e-mail. Anyway, I must be used to spam or something, I just browse through my e-mails and pick out those from known senders and erase the rest. No biggie.

My Citi Mastercard keeps getting breached. It's the 3rd time they've sent me a new card with a new number because of some kind of "merchant security breach" (there were never any unauthorized charges on my card, so they must have caught it early). I don't even know which merchant. . .at least this time it's just e-mail addresses.

carolpetunia · Apr 7, 2011

I use Google's Gmail program, and it has excellent anti-spam filters, plus the ability to automatically place mail from designated addresses in a "preferred" frame -- so even if spam slips through (which almost never happens), it doesn't show up among your important mail.

blueyedgirl5946 · Apr 8, 2011

I received a similiar email from my credit card company concerning epsilon. I didn't click on anything in the email. I called the credit card company and they advised me to forward the email to them, saying it was a spoof. Apparently there were several companies affected by this breach.

larussa · Apr 8, 2011

Thanks for the info but I always call HSN to order, never do I order online. I have not received any spam as of yet. Actually I haven't ordered from HSN in a while, I like QVC much better.

whisky'sdad · Apr 8, 2011

I got the same body of the email, but it was from Chase. If the email has no instructions to click on a link or a number to call, just info telling you about something, it isn't a spam.

kittkatt · Apr 8, 2011

Originally Posted by ut0pia

You're right, the page is not secure..
Another easy way to tell is just by looking at the URL at the top, if it starts with "https://" then it is a secure page, if it's just the usual "http://" then it's not! And, if it's encrypted you will see a green url and a lock at the bottom right hand corner.

I always check for the https thing when I order online (FF doesn't have the lock thingy), but if you'll notice in the screen shot I took, HSN's website has a pop-up page that you sign in to instead of the usual page you normally sign in to (you can see it below the page that I right-clicked on to for the security info). I had always thought that I WAS logging on to a secure page when I logged on to HSN, according to their assurance that it WAS supposed to be a secure page. It really ticks me off that it's not.

I never would have known about right-clicking on the page to find out if it weren't for Winchester cluing me on it.

There is a firefox add on I believe which allows you to access all pages that you go to securely, at least the ones that allow it, I can look for it and let you know if anyone is interested.

I would like to know if you find out, Utopia. Thanks!

jcat · Apr 8, 2011

This is the add-on ut0pia is talking about: HTTPS Everywhere

kittkatt · Apr 8, 2011

Originally Posted by jcat

This is the add-on ut0pia is talking about: HTTPS Everywhere

Thanks, Tricia.

Do you use that add-on? Do you like it?

jcat · Apr 8, 2011

I've been using it for several weeks, and like it, but find that a lot of sites simply don't support https. If you use Facebook, you have to turn it off to change any of your settings, which is a simple matter of unchecking FB in the options, then rechecking when you're finished.

kittkatt · Apr 8, 2011

Originally Posted by jcat

I've been using it for several weeks, and like it, but find that a lot of sites simply don't support https. If you use Facebook, you have to turn it off to change any of your settings, which is a simple matter of unchecking FB in the options, then rechecking when you're finished.

I don't do FaceBook, so that wouldn't affect me any. Does it get to be a hindrance for other websites, and do you have to reset a lot of things? (if that makes any sense).

gailc · Apr 8, 2011

I received the Target email but I use gmail as mentioned above-no problems.

jcat · Apr 8, 2011

The only time I've had to turn it off temporarily is when making changes to Facebook. It slows down page loading marginally at some sites that support it, but not enough to be annoying.

Originally Posted by KittKatt

I don't do FaceBook, so that wouldn't affect me any. Does it get to be a hindrance for other websites, and do you have to reset a lot of things? (if that makes any sense).

Winchester · Apr 9, 2011

Interestingly, I have never ordered anything from HSN, but received that email just recently.

I'm glad that right-clicking helps you!

kittkatt · Apr 9, 2011

Originally Posted by Winchester

Interestingly, I have never ordered anything from HSN, but received that email just recently.

I'm glad that right-clicking helps you!

Yes, it does. I'm so glad you pointed it out!

kittkatt · Apr 9, 2011

Originally Posted by jcat

The only time I've had to turn it off temporarily is when making changes to Facebook. It slows down page loading marginally at some sites that support it, but not enough to be annoying.

Thanks, Tricia.

For Those Of You Who Received the HSN/Epsilon E-mail Alert...

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

TCS Member

Thread starter

Mo(w)gli's can opener

TCS Member

Thread starter

Mo(w)gli's can opener

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

Mo(w)gli's can opener

In the kitchen with my cookies

TCS Member

Thread starter

TCS Member

Thread starter