Your Password May Not Be Secure

[TFP Admin]

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I received a report that one member had their account here accessed by someone who was not supposed to be able to access it. So far, the only damage was a change in their profile.

After some investigation, it appears that the problem is the member used the same password on another website. Someone with access to passwords on another site, which would generally mean someone with administrative ability on another site (that is not always just the owner), has used that password and the member's user name to gain access to their account.

You should not use the same password on multiple sites. I cannot emphasize this enough. Some forum software (and other website programs) make it very easy for an administrator to access your password. Unfortunately, there are some administrators who do not honor your privacy. Don't trust any site enough to use the same password on them - it's not safe.

About 2½ years ago, someone who administered another forum used a password of one of our staff members. They created a lot of havoc, but we recovered from it. Staff members have different - stricter - rules about passwords than other members now. But that still leaves members who use the same password on other sites open to abuse by someone who likes to play games or cause trouble.

My advice: change your password here or on another site if you use the same one.

I apologize for the inconvenience.

Jim

[Barry Carlton]

Thanx Jim,
I know I am guilty of using the same passwords on multiple sites. Now the one here is unique.

b

[TFP Admin]

Barry? Forum Guide Barry??? You're staff and should be aware of this requirement. I better make sure I didn't let that little rule fall by the wayside in the staff forum. This is prob'ly my fault for not making it a part of the job descriptions.

Thanks,

Jim

[TFP Admin]

People, people, people...

You should listen to what I say sometimes. One of you, who shall remain anonymous because he paid me off , failed to protect your account here at TFP and some asshole who used to be an administrator on another flooring forum for a big name organization (and was also accused of being the hacker on the FCI message board and was always messing with other member's accounts and knew what their passwords were) logged into that member's account here today and posted a bunch of messages. Some of them rather insulting, some of them breaking the copyright rules and all of them making the real member look bad.

1. If you were a member of the old CFI Floorums message board, your password here could be jeopardized.
2. If you were a member of the FCI message board more than a year ago, your password here could be jeopardized.
3. If you are using the same password here that you used on either of those message boards, CHANGE YOUR PASSWORD!
4. If you use the same password here that you use on ANY other forum, change your password.

Some of you may be wondering where your posts went today. I had to delete a couple dozen posts (maybe not quite that many, but a bunch), most made by the creep who likes to cause trouble here and all those that were replies to those posts. Some of them were pretty good posts made by me too, so don't feel bad. I am pissed off at me too.

I am sorry for any trouble this has caused. Some of the posts were actually pretty decent posts, thought provoking and helpful, but they weren't from the member whose account was hijacked. No matter how well-meaning, helpful or insightful the hijacker is, he has absolutely no regard for you, me or anyone else except himself. He is self-serving, arrogant and egotistical. I know, so are many of us. But none of us go so far as to steal account passwords and impersonate real flooring professionals.

If you need help with the password change feature, let me know. I will provide you with instructions. It's pretty easy though. Just go here: http://www.thefloorpro.com/community...o=editpassword and it should be self-explanatory.

Thanks,

Jim

[rusty baker]

Listen to Jim, I was the one who had my profile changed a few weeks ago. I was using the same password on several boards.