ISP Closes Webmail After Spammers Get Addresses

An anonymous reader writes "Error prone British ISP PlusNet, who you might remember for accidentally deleting 700GB of customer's e-mail last year, have done it again with a major security gaffe. Their webmail service was compromised this week, and spammers got hold of customers' e-mail addresses who they've been happily spamming away ever since. They've since made the decision to close their webmail service, in the ultimate admission of incompetence for the now BT owned ISP. In an e-mail to their customers, Network director Phil Webb goes on to recommend that their customers install security software, along with telling them that they shouldn't call up to complain. One might suggest that they need to practice what they preach."

Comments

Couldn't find a UK host, but I sure tried hard.

[SpzToid]

I tried Pipex and was unimpressed, among several UK hosts. Still, they did come through on their 30-day money back guarantee, and on the last day possible even.

I had a client that *required* a use a host within the UK and I never did manage. It was a nightmare. In the U.S. I use Dreamhost http://www.dreamhost.com/r.cgi?134994 in L.A., Even though I'm in Amsterdam using Drupal which requires much server interaction, I'm very pleased with my subscription for nearly 2 years already. I've seen and heard of similar good US hosts, and some nearly as competitive here in the Netherlands, but I'd really like a solid UK host with skillz to step up to ./ and tell us what they've got, and why they deserve our business.

- - - -
you can't be ahead of the curve, if you're stuck in a loop.

Re:let me get this straight...

[Bert64]

0845 is _NOT_ local rate...
It is LO-CALL rate, which is a revenue sharing service. It is charged at the same cost local rate calls used to be in the early 90s, and it is always charged by the minute regardless of your phone service plan. Also, inclusive minutes usually don't count for calls to 0845 numbers.
BT charge a flat rate of 5p for a 1 hour national landline call at evenings and weekends on their lowest call plan, a 1 hour evening or weekend call to an 0845 number would cost 120p evenings and 60p weekends. BT's higher calling plans (options 2 and 3) charge you nothing for the first 60 minutes to a national number at evenings or weekends (again 0845 arent included) and in the case of option 3, also during the day.

What's worse is, a share of the call revenue goes to the company operating the number (which is why BT can't offer free calls to 0845) which gives these companies an incentive to keep you on hold.
In essence, 0845 really is premium rate. It may be a lower per-minute cost than 09 premium rate numbers, but it works in just the same way.