Brenda writes:

<< I use Incredimail as my default email =
program and have had no problems up until now.

I have all my work schedules in a folder, with a subfolder named =
'paysheets' or something like that.  I also had a subfolder named 'leave =
requests.'  The two subfolders are gone.  They've been there for over a =
year, but just suddenly disappeared. The main folder is still where it =
was.

I have looked in all my folders in Incredimail and the 2 vanished =
subfolders haven't been moved by mistake. >>

Using Incredimail as your default emailer, I'm not at all surprised.

You've no doubt read in this and other forums of the high security risks of
using Incredimail.

In short, it is reputed to place a trojan invisibly in your computer. (It's
actually the little envelope logo, I believe).  Now, any software that
secretly places any sort of Trojan into your computer is highly suspect,
despite all their protestations to the contrary.

A trojan, by definition, enables outside agencies to have access into your
computer, either to add what they wish, or to extract whatever they wish.

Why you would want to place your paysheet or any other folder into the
Incredimail folder I've no idea---unless perhaps they are in the form of
email letters---this is unclear from your posting.

There are robots (called "bots") continually circling the internet seeking
security holes in your or any computer they can find entry into, usually
for the purpose of extracting info to target you for spam.  This is a
multi-million dollar industry, an unfortunate by-product of the largely
unregulated internet.

I'm not a hacker, but my guess is that some hacker has accessed your
computer silently, sucked out whatever info it can find, and destroyed the
evidence of its visit by destroying your folders as it left.

This is purely fanciful conjecture, but if I were a reasonably competent
hacker selling private information on the internet, this is how I would
operate.  Incredimail with its high security risks and ready-made entry
point must surely be a prime target for some of these bots.

All this is done in silence, usually without the operator suspecting a
thing.   If you are on broadband, the risks are increased 100-fold, as it
takes but a moment for the info to be transferred, either in or out.

"Why would anyone want my paysheets?" you may well ask.  Well, if by any
chance they contain any names and addresses, that's info which can be sold.
Or perhaps anything that might look like financial info. It might only be
worth a few cents, but multiply that by the 40 million or so computers on
the internet (last time I counted), and that adds up to big megabucks. Bots
cost nothing to run.

There may well be a simpler and less sinister explanation, but I believe
the above scenario is at least a likely possibility.

Incidentally, Incredimail is know to secretly place this trojan on all
other computers which receive your emails.  That is its biggest
danger.  Consequently many, perhaps most, people like myself would have
their email filters set to block all Incredimail correspondence.   Thus, by
using it as your default emailer, you may find that your emails would not
be received by some recipients.

Am I being unduly harsh on Incredimail?  Perhaps,  but the evidence is
there for all to see. Why take the risk?  (As well as its other anti-social
deficiencies, which I needn't go into here).

Don Penlington































 From the Beach at Surfers Paradise in sunny Queensland.
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