Instructable: How I discovered Instructables' email database had been stolen

instructables.com

7 points·Terretta··3 comments

I used to create separate email addresses like the author. Then I realized it's a waste of time. Some will get used for spam - but what's the use of knowing the address came from site X? Either the site operator sold the addresses, the site got hacked, or they were otherwise compromised.

Either way you need a good spam filtering setup.

Incidentally, I don't see why the author thinks a PDF exploit was used. There are quite a few other exploits.

Some will get used for spam - but what's the use of knowing the address came from site X?

A couple of years ago, I used TaxACT's website to file taxes. After I began receiving several spam messages a day using the unique email address I signed up with (I have read on third party websites that someone stole their email distribution lists), I realized I needed to find someone new to use to file taxes online, since it was clear that I could not trust TaxACT to protect my personal information.

There's a downside to having a mail server accept any and all <name>@yourdomain.com: people will make uo accounts for your domain, use that as the sending address, and the address gets verified as "real". You then all the crap that bounces back.

I now use the james+something@domain hack.

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