Any way to secure forum account?

[Redoubt]

Hi, like the title says, I've been hacked before, and i don't want it to happen again, are there any ways (or maybe tips) to secure my account on this forum?

Also if there is any way to restore my old account, it would be really appreciated.

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

Use a good and strong password, change yours to a strong one if it is weak now.

Forum account: security, privacy, and recovery
Sign a bitcoin message from one address you have its private key and stake it in Stake your Bitcoin address here

Recovery for your hacked account: Recovering hacked/lost accounts

You woke up after 4 years and began your posts in this year. What happened in between 2017 and 2021?

[Upgrade00]

How exactly where you hacked? If it was through an email compromise, then you will have to protect your address; use security conscious mail services, like protonmail. Do not expose your personal details and do not use the same address for multiple platforms, so a breach in one does not result in a breach in all.

Also, take all precautionary measures:
• Use a strong password and change it from time to time.
• Do not log in over unsecured WiFi
• Check for phishing sites, some would use the forum's interface and try to trick visitors into entering their login details.

Also if there is any way to restore my old account, it would be really appreciated.

Is the account still active? If yes, try restoring the password using secret question. This would lock the account and prevent the hacker from causing more damage.
If you don't remember the secret question, you can request that DT members tag the account, but you'll have to prove that it is yours for that to happen. Then follow the instructions in the link above.

[Redoubt]

Sorry for the really late reply (I've been doing research on how my account was hacked and when did it happened, i have a hazy memories about it, it's kinda emotional to me that i wanted to forget it lol)

Use a good and strong password, change yours to a strong one if it is weak now.

Forum account: security, privacy, and recovery
Sign a bitcoin message from one address you have its private key and stake it in Stake your Bitcoin address here

Recovery for your hacked account: Recovering hacked/lost accounts

Ok, totally will do that. thank you

You woke up after 4 years and began your posts in this year. What happened in between 2017 and 2021?

So what happened in past 4 years, well...


Short Answer:
I went back to cryptocurrency at around 2017 - 2018, found out my account was hacked, made new account, and I decided to let it go and just focus on my IRL stuffs. But now I'm back again (since i have a lot of free time now and also looking a way to earn some dime), and wanted to know how to secure my account this time (I don't want to repeat the same mistake i made back then).

Long Answer:
I started posting on this forum at around 2014, and gained some bitcoins from Signature Campaigning (I was a Member ranked user back then, again if I'm not mistaken), because i made some dimes with Sig Campaigning, I was figuring out how can i double my income, so i choose a CFD based stock trading on a website for a year or so (if I'm not mistaken the web I meant was 1broker), and i found out that this CFD based stock trading is much more profitable rather than doing sig campaigning, so i decided to went off at around late 2016.

Fast forward to late 2017 / early 2018, since the bitcoin price is rocketing (and soon will plummet) at 2017 - 2018, i decided to sell my bitcoin and "enjoy" my hard work. Sadly i sold it around 2018 therefore i only got like a small amount of incentives from the market going broke at that moment.

Since that withdrawal kinda helped my family, i decided to go back on bitcoin, and maybe i will earn a dime or so doing the signature campaign again. Sadly, i found my account was hacked, confused yet heart-broken that all of my hard work went to ashes. I went into 5 stage of Grief in a relatively short amount of time, I'm angry, sad and confused, in a quick-response i made a new account (this one) and have the intention to call out the hacker. But i thought to myself, who would've believed me, therefore i didn't do that, instead i just accepted the fact that i lost that account and continues with my life.

Fast forward to nowadays (2021). Again i found out that I still has some savings inside my wallet that has grown into some relatively medium amount of numbers, and try to cross-check the said info with the internet, and it's true that bitcoin has risen up once again. Also it's pandemic, and i have a lot of free time, therefore i checked back again with bitcointalk, and started posting some posts to rise up my rank on this account. But after posting some posts, those PTSD came back to me, and then i decided to write this topic, since i didn't do what i should've done in my old account back then (which is having very little security on my old account). So decided to not to repeat the same dread mistake, I've made this topic, and you know the rest.


Well, i don't want you to believe my story, but if you read the story, thank you for reading it. If you don't well it's ok too. All i wanted is to secure this account and to not to repeat my past mistake.

Anyway, have a nice day

Edit: Doing some layout to make the post prettier and cleaner.

[Redoubt]

Also, take all precautionary measures:
• Use a strong password and change it from time to time.
• Do not log in over unsecured WiFi
• Check for phishing sites, some would use the forum's interface and try to trick visitors into entering their login details.

10/10 will do that from now on. thanks

How exactly where you hacked? If it was through an email compromise, then you will have to protect your address; use security conscious mail services, like protonmail. Do not expose your personal details and do not use the same address for multiple platforms, so a breach in one does not result in a breach in all.

Is the account still active? If yes, try restoring the password using secret question. This would lock the account and prevent the hacker from causing more damage.
If you don't remember the secret question, you can request that DT members tag the account, but you'll have to prove that it is yours for that to happen. Then follow the instructions in the link above.

As far as my research goes, the account is inactive after promoting some kind of altcoin (at around 2018), also the account is in an list of ignored people in some people's lists. I don't know how they hacked my account probably because of my poor quality password lol. Also it doesn't have a secret question sadly, i think it wasn't a feature back then (?( because i just exactly heard about it recently.

[akirasendo17]

I think the reason why you are hacked is that you use, a simple password

my suggestion:

1. don't use your name as a password
2. don't use the birthday as the password
3. never use 123456 password
4.When trying to make a password use capital letters numbers special characters
5. Secure your registred email name, if the email hacks for sure all connected to that email will be a hack
6. add another level of security to those emails

What to avoid:

1. Don't connect to a free wifi connection, there might someone watching or gathering information in the network
2. avoid using your email address, to register to unknown registration or suspicious sites
3. never lend your account or left it open always logout.

this might help you next time,

[DdmrDdmr]

<...>

Just to point out that any potential recovery process is much smoother, and likely to have a positive outcome, if you can sign a bitcoin message or pgp message from an address you might have written on the forum at some point (ideally, in an unedited post, or quoted by somebody else).

The hacker may or may not have gone through prior posting history to deleted these addresses, but there is also the off-chance that it may have be quoted by somebody else.

If posts have been edited by the hacker, you may (slim chance though) find some archived posts using tools such as TheWayBackMachine, which may have captures a snapshot of something relevant at some point in time.

Edit:

<...> Uh, sadly <...>

I'd include that in your email to account recoveries, just in case they can work with any of what you mention there.

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

Sorry for the really late reply (I've been doing research on how my account was hacked and when did it happened, i have a hazy memories about it, it's kinda emotional to me that i wanted to forget it lol)

Thank your details and again welcome you to use the forum again.

The first thing you must check is finding your hacked account is still usable or was banned.

BPIP.org and loyce.club/bans are third party tools to use. With first website, enter account username or userid to check. With second website, use Ctr+F and type your username or userid, Enter.
Inactive is not a good result, that could be caused by a ban.

As far as my research goes, the account is inactive after promoting some kind of altcoin (at around 2018)

A wave of bans: 400 yesterday, 300 the day before. What changed?. Good luck if your account was not banned in May, June 2019.

If that account was banned by stupid things from hacker, you need to do more things to get it back. Prove your ownership and prove that the cause of ban was not done by you (the real owner). It will be a more complicated process to recover.

Is the account still active? If yes, try restoring the password using secret question. This would lock the account and prevent the hacker from causing more damage.
If you don't remember the secret question, you can request that DT members tag the account, but you'll have to prove that it is yours for that to happen. Then follow the instructions in the link above.

Not many users set a secret question for account.

[ice18]

Because the forum does not support 2fa you can instead use 2fa on the email you used to register since its the only way to recover fast once your account got hacked so your email address is very important on the recovery process a simple tips I can give you can always bookmarked the forum official site link to avoid possible phishing attacks and also try to avoid downloading malicious softwares from different websites it might contains malwares that can copy your computers passwords.    

[Redoubt]

First of all gotta say thank you for all the useful replies and helps
And again sorry for the long reply time and that i reply all of you in a batched reply (since newbie can't post as fast as a member or so)

I think the reason why you are hacked is that you use, a simple password

my suggestion:

1. don't use your name as a password
2. don't use the birthday as the password
3. never use 123456 password
4.When trying to make a password use capital letters numbers special characters
5. Secure your registred email name, if the email hacks for sure all connected to that email will be a hack
6. add another level of security to those emails

What to avoid:

1. Don't connect to a free wifi connection, there might someone watching or gathering information in the network
2. avoid using your email address, to register to unknown registration or suspicious sites
3. never lend your account or left it open always logout.

this might help you next time,

Yes, i will try to not to use basic password anymore, thanks for the tips tho

<...>

Just to point out that any potential recovery process is much smoother, and likely to have a positive outcome, if you can sign a bitcoin message or pgp message from an address you might have written on the forum at some point (ideally, in an unedited post, or quoted by somebody else).

The hacker may or may not have gone through prior posting history to deleted these addresses, but there is also the off-chance that it may have be quoted by somebody else.

If posts have been edited by the hacker, you may (slim chance though) find some archived posts using tools such as TheWayBackMachine, which may have captures a snapshot of something relevant at some point in time.

Uh, sadly i haven't posted any signed bitcoin message or even a pgp message, actually, for now I'm still learning how to use them properly. But i could got in into my old wallet at blockchain.com which it's address has been assigned to my old account (it was a feature back then to assign bitcoin address to your account, again as i remembered and also some proof from Forum account: security, privacy, and recovery screenshot to backup my hazy memory). I don't know if that could be a proof or not, but i also made some trades selling some digital goods at this forum tho. I don't know if it helps or not. But thanks for the information, really appreciate it

Sorry for the really late reply (I've been doing research on how my account was hacked and when did it happened, i have a hazy memories about it, it's kinda emotional to me that i wanted to forget it lol)

Thank your details and again welcome you to use the forum again.

The first thing you must check is finding your hacked account is still usable or was banned.

BPIP.org and loyce.club/bans are third party tools to use. With first website, enter account username or userid to check. With second website, use Ctr+F and type your username or userid, Enter.
Inactive is not a good result, that could be caused by a ban.

As far as my research goes, the account is inactive after promoting some kind of altcoin (at around 2018)

A wave of bans: 400 yesterday, 300 the day before. What changed?. Good luck if your account was not banned in May, June 2019.
....

Looks like my account is inactive not because of ban, but because it made into a scamming account or some kind. I made that speculation because i didn't found my old account name on the second website, and it only says inactive for 2 years on the first website (also the first website is kinda confusing to read, i'm sorry xd).

....
Not many users set a secret question for account.

Why tho? is it riskier to setup a secret question? is it better to leave it blank? Now i hesitate to put a secret question.

Because the forum does not support 2fa you can instead use 2fa on the email you used to register since its the only way to recover fast once your account got hacked so your email address is very important on the recovery process a simple tips I can give you can always bookmarked the forum official site link to avoid possible phishing attacks and also try to avoid downloading malicious softwares from different websites it might contains malwares that can copy your computers passwords.    

Okay, thanks for the tips, i'll keep that in mind .

Edit:
Since DdmrDdmr replied by editing their post, I'm also doing the same thing here.

<...>

Just to point out that any potential recovery process is much smoother, and likely to have a positive outcome, if you can sign a bitcoin message or pgp message from an address you might have written on the forum at some point (ideally, in an unedited post, or quoted by somebody else).

The hacker may or may not have gone through prior posting history to deleted these addresses, but there is also the off-chance that it may have be quoted by somebody else.

If posts have been edited by the hacker, you may (slim chance though) find some archived posts using tools such as TheWayBackMachine, which may have captures a snapshot of something relevant at some point in time.

Edit:

<...> Uh, sadly <...>

I'd include that in your email to account recoveries, just in case they can work with any of what you mention there.

I've sent an email, hopefully they will be able to recover my old account with given information from me.

[Maxstl007]

There is one thing that still needs adjustment on Bitcointalk forum, there is no 2FA yet and there is no security password been forward to email address for confirmation, anyone can just insert email and password over and over again without any worries of getting verification code sent into email address or other ways

[mk4]

....
Not many users set a secret question for account.

Why tho? is it riskier to setup a secret question? is it better to leave it blank? Now i hesitate to put a secret question.

It's kinda risky, and I prefer leaving it blank and using the staked address route instead. Even Theymos himself, the forum admin, placed a warning message:

[Eco_111]

....
Not many users set a secret question for account.

Why tho? is it riskier to setup a secret question? is it better to leave it blank? Now i hesitate to put a secret question.

It's kinda risky, and I prefer leaving it blank and using the staked address route instead. Even Theymos himself, the forum admin, placed a warning message:

It's risky indeed because the question can be forgotten too but I wonder how someone would guess your question right, it depends on what type of question you are asking though, if this is a must one must ask a very tough question that's only know to themselves, it's better to create a very strong password than using a question and answer strategy, with strong password there won't be any problem

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

I don't know if that could be a proof or not, but i also made some trades selling some digital goods at this forum tho. I don't know if it helps or not.

If there are posts for trades with addresses before the hack and you are still able to sign a message from it, it can be considered as proof of ownership.

Addresses should be bitcoin not Ethereum. Moderators and admins are keen on Bitcoin address and bitcoin signed message as proof. It is a bitcointalk forum, not Ethereumtalk forum.

[dkbit98]

Other than what some members wrote above I would also suggest that you should be very careful when you receive any personal messages in forum and don't trust or click any links you receive.

This is one example that happened in my case and maybe it can help others:
How Scammer tried to Hack my Bitcointalk and how to Protect yourself?


 

[Apostlekin$$$]

Other than what some members wrote above I would also suggest that you should be very careful when you receive any personal messages in forum and don't trust or click any links you receive.

This is one example that happened in my case and maybe it can help others:
How Scammer tried to Hack my Bitcointalk and how to Protect yourself?


 

Nice information @dkbit98, most times it's always about phishing links, this is the easiest way for scammers to get users full details and passwords, it's why I believe that verification code will help this forum alot, I don't bother signing in and out of my forum account since I'm always active but I do hope that in future we will get 2FA activated on Bitcointalk

[Redoubt]

There is one thing that still needs adjustment on Bitcointalk forum, there is no 2FA yet and there is no security password been forward to email address for confirmation, anyone can just insert email and password over and over again without any worries of getting verification code sent into email address or other ways

I guess using 2FA at your email (like mentioned by ice18) is the best bet at this moment.

....
Not many users set a secret question for account.

Why tho? is it riskier to setup a secret question? is it better to leave it blank? Now i hesitate to put a secret question.

It's kinda risky, and I prefer leaving it blank and using the staked address route instead. Even Theymos himself, the forum admin, placed a warning message:

https://i.imgur.com/Z4cA3yU.png

....
Not many users set a secret question for account.

Why tho? is it riskier to setup a secret question? is it better to leave it blank? Now i hesitate to put a secret question.

It's kinda risky, and I prefer leaving it blank and using the staked address route instead. Even Theymos himself, the forum admin, placed a warning message:

https://i.imgur.com/Z4cA3yU.png

It's risky indeed because the question can be forgotten too but I wonder how someone would guess your question right, it depends on what type of question you are asking though, if this is a must one must ask a very tough question that's only know to themselves, it's better to create a very strong password than using a question and answer strategy, with strong password there won't be any problem

Ah i see, although, why did Theymos made that feature tho?

I don't know if that could be a proof or not, but i also made some trades selling some digital goods at this forum tho. I don't know if it helps or not.

If there are posts for trades with addresses before the hack and you are still able to sign a message from it, it can be considered as proof of ownership.

Addresses should be bitcoin not Ethereum. Moderators and admins are keen on Bitcoin address and bitcoin signed message as proof. It is a bitcointalk forum, not Ethereumtalk forum.

I might do some more research on my own past self, who knows i actually post one in the past. Although, the problem is the wallet that i mainly use at that time is from blockchain.info (which somehow now changed into blockchain.com). And as far as i know the website itself doesn't have the tool to sign a message using my old bitcoin address. I may tinker a little bit, since on a post titled How to sign a message?! there's a way but kinda hacky.

Other than what some members wrote above I would also suggest that you should be very careful when you receive any personal messages in forum and don't trust or click any links you receive.

This is one example that happened in my case and maybe it can help others:
How Scammer tried to Hack my Bitcointalk and how to Protect yourself?

Other than what some members wrote above I would also suggest that you should be very careful when you receive any personal messages in forum and don't trust or click any links you receive.

This is one example that happened in my case and maybe it can help others:
How Scammer tried to Hack my Bitcointalk and how to Protect yourself?


 

Nice information @dkbit98, most times it's always about phishing links, this is the easiest way for scammers to get users full details and passwords, it's why I believe that verification code will help this forum alot, I don't bother signing in and out of my forum account since I'm always active but I do hope that in future we will get 2FA activated on Bitcointalk

Alright will put extra caution on those personal messages that i receive, thanks for the info .

For the 2FA, that would flip this forum 180 degree, since it really is such a good addition to security for this forum.


Edit:
I'm able to sign a message with my old address which had been assigned to my old account back then when there was a feature to include your bitcoin wallet address inside your profile page (or is it for member rank and up only? idk i forget xd).

[SquirrelJulietGarden]

Edit:
I'm able to sign a message with my old address which had been assigned to my old account back then when there was a feature to include your bitcoin wallet address inside your profile page (or is it for member rank and up only? idk i forget xd).

What do you mean "include your bitcoin wallet address inside your profile page " ?

I believe that you don't understand the sign message. When you sign a message, you need to have a private key of that address/ wallet. The point to prove your account ownership is here: Sign a message from an address that was used and quoted before the hack. It is to prove that today, you are the owner, not the hacker, and still have control on that address and private key.

It is easy to include any bitcoin address to your personal text, and website link and others in the Profile page. I can search those addresses if I know the username of your hacked account and include it into those places. I can do it without control of private key for that address and it is non sense.

[Redoubt]

Edit:
I'm able to sign a message with my old address which had been assigned to my old account back then when there was a feature to include your bitcoin wallet address inside your profile page (or is it for member rank and up only? idk i forget xd).

What do you mean "include your bitcoin wallet address inside your profile page " ?

I believe that you don't understand the sign message. When you sign a message, you need to have a private key of that address/ wallet. The point to prove your account ownership is here: Sign a message from an address that was used and quoted before the hack. It is to prove that today, you are the owner, not the hacker, and still have control on that address and private key.

It is easy to include any bitcoin address to your personal text, and website link and others in the Profile page. I can search those addresses if I know the username of your hacked account and include it into those places. I can do it without control of private key for that address and it is non sense.

What i meant is that i still have the access to my old wallet address that i mainly use at 2014 - 2016, which yes, i still do have the private key, but unfortunately in the past i've never ever did a signed message using that address. And yes I'm still new to this signed message thing, and i got a question, does signing a message with said address need the private key?

I'm sorry for my misunderstanding about how signed message work tho, i'll read more about it.

[aoluain]

Also dont save you login details on your browser, manually typing your
username and password every time you login will implant it into your
memory, you will never forget!

A handy thread which I have yet to get around to doing myself is to stake
your Bitcoin address on the forum as another level of ownership of your account.
Here is the thread > https://bitcointalk.org/index.php?topic=996318.0

I'm not sure if there's another thread for this already, or if this belongs in a different section. So basically I thought it would be helpful to post up your Bitcoin address in this thread in the event that your account gets compromised later on down the road. You can simply make a new alt account, sign the address that your original account posted here, and have irrefutable proof that you're the actual owner. It's not 100% guaranteed that you'll get your account back, but it's a pretty good start. Of course, if your account is compromised, the hacker could just come back to this thread and edit/delete whatever address you post here, so that's why I'm asking people to quote the address posted by the preceding user in this thread. Here's mine:

snip

HOW TO SIGN A MESSAGE THREAD