[TenTec] An open apology...

[Bill Acito]

Despite anti-virus software and anti-malware software on all of my machines, some malware on a malicious site or ad extracted my hotmail login from a "cookie" on one of my PC's, logged into hotmail, and sent the "link" to everyone on my contact list, which included the ten-tec list. I normally don't keep contacts, but hotmail likes to default to adding someone on the sent line to contacts anyway. This malware, as I understand it, is typically used to guide people to a website, and if you click on the link, the person who originated the malware gets a fraction of a penny for the referral....   get enough people to click, and you can make a tidy sum. I personally did not click on that link, so I have no idea where it may have sent you.

In the last 12 hours I've had to send follow-up apologies to some family members, friends, and some ebay sellers. The Ten Tec list is the last one I have to do. As a software  professional and a ham for over 30 years, I can assure you that I did not originate the email. 

Likewise, in the past 12 hours, I've gotten some pretty "choice" replies from members of the list -- ones that I have had to ask my children to leave the room as I read. Shoot from the hip first, eh?

I apologise to the list only for the fact that this scum was able to gain access to one of my systems, and send the email.

I have removed all the contacts from my hotmail account and changed my password just in case to try to prevent it from happening again, or at least, to give them no one to send it to.

Regards,

Bill W1PA