[HLUG] Odd security email

[Ceri Williams]

Hi Julian,

The FQDNs in the headers looked legit, but I checked with a friend on the
Security Team and he confirmed that they do proactively lock accounts and
send out notifications.
He also said that he thinks that it uses an internal lookup to avoid calls
to third parties, but doesn't work in that team for the specifics.

Use something like LastPass, KeepassX, etc and generate random ones per use
;)

Cheers,

Ceri


On Sun, 13 Oct 2019 at 12:28, Julian Robbins via Herefordshire <
herefordshire at mailman.lug.org.uk> wrote:

> Hi Everyone
>
> I just received the email purporting to be from booking.com
>
> First time I've seen an email quite like this.
>
> Read the message below then come back.
>
> Firstly, if they say they think my password has been compromised but via
> another unconnected site . If it's unconnected how do they know my password
> has been hacked? Perhaps they routinely run passwords against the 'have I
> been owned list' ?
>
> It is very good security advice they give especially regarding changing
> passwords and enabling TFA, but how do they know my password on a site
> unconnected to them?
>
> Answers in a postcard please?
>
> Julian
>
>
>
>
> As a precaution, you need to reset your Booking.com password
>
> Hi Julian,
>
> We're getting in touch to let you know we have temporarily locked your
> Booking.com account.
>
> During routine security monitoring, we discovered that your login
> credentials may have been compromised via another site unconnected to
> Booking.com. Because many people use the same email and password
> combinations across multiple sites, we have temporarily locked your account
> as a precaution. Your Booking.com account is safe and has not been
> compromised.
>
> To access your account again, you simply need to reset your password. We
> strongly advise you to do the same for any other sites and services where
> you use the same password, creating a strong, unique password for each one.
>
> Resetting your password can be done in four easy steps:
>
>    - Go to the Booking.com homepage
>    - Select ‘Sign in’ at the top of the homepage
>    - Click the ‘Forgot your password?’ link
>    - Enter your email address and we’ll send you a link to reset your
>    password
>
> Enabling two factor authentication (where an additional log-in code is sent
> to you, usually via a mobile device) is also one of the best ways you can
> ensure the safety of your online accounts. You can enable this for your
> Booking.com account in the Security tab on your Booking.com account
> settings.
>
> We take your security and privacy very seriously, and will contact you
> quickly if we notice anything unusual in the future.
>
> Many thanks,
>
> The Booking.com Security Team
> --
> Herefordshire LUG mailing list
> Web:  http://www.herefordshire.lug.org.uk
> List: https://mailman.lug.org.uk/mailman/listinfo/herefordshire

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