Your AT&T, bellsouth.net, and AOL passwords need to be changed if you use any application to access your email

 I've been away for a while:  writing a book.  But I'm nearing completion and I can deal with other issues.

The title says what the problem is, but I'll reiterate.  The companies listed above, and maybe others, now require that, if you use another application to access your email other than one from the provider,  you have to use a special web page on their web site to obtain  a special application specific password from your provider.  You can't make up your own password for your email application and your old password will suddenly stop working without warning sometime in the future.  Don't you hate that.  

The problem is that email providers are implementing something called OAuth.  This means that, for example, if you want to use Gmail to access your bellsouth account, you have to go to the bellsouth web page that provides the password for accessing the bellsouth account, https://www.att.com/support/article/email-support/KM1240462?authNState=Y&haloSuccess=true Get a password from that page by copying it to the clipboard.  Go back to the setup for your gmail account and enter that password in the dialog...

For gmail, 

• open the email interface
• click the gearbox in the upper right corner
• Click on the blue "See all settings" link at the top of the dropdown for settings.
• Click "Accounts and Import" at the top of the Settings page
• Look for "Check Mail From Other Accounts" on the left navigation area.  Your bellsouth, att, or aol email should be listed there.  Click the blue "edit info" on the right side.

• Change the password to the one provided by pasting it into the password field. 
• Click "Save Changes" and wait for the dialog box to disappear.
• Click "Check mail now" back on the Settings page to test it.

I know that AOL is requiring this change too.  See https://help.aol.com/articles/Create-and-manage-app-password

WARNING:  Because the drop dead times are approaching for switching, there are Phishing scams that exploit this requirement by sending a very official looking email to you.  Click on any of the links and you are dead meat.  Go to your provider's web page without going through any email link. I suppose that means, if you want to be strict about it, that you shouldn't click on the links I have provided

Using Outlook with Gmail

If you convert your email to Gmail, then the best user interface for your mail is the Gmail web interface.  However, if you are a longtime Outlook user and want to continue using it, you have to create a new user account in Outlook that points to your gmail account.  This is not a straightforward exercise.  Plus, in the end, if you want to continue to pull email from your old account, you will have two .pst files in Outlook.  (If you just want to start anew, I have a branch in the instructions below that you can follow to use your old .pst, but with the new gmail email.)


Here are steps to set up your Gmail account in Outlook: Follow these steps in this order. The order is important as unlocking the captcha should always be your final step.

In Gmail, go to Settings . Forwarding . POP/IMAP and make sure IMAP is enabled. Leave all settings at default

1. Start Outlook

2. Go back to your browser and sign into your Gmail account at https://mail.google.com

3a. If you use 2 step verification, go to your security settings and generate a new App Password. Copy that password

3b. If you don't use 2 step verification, enable access for "less secure" apps: https://www.google.com/settings/security/lesssecureapps.  Then go here: https://accounts.google.com/b/0/DisplayUnlockCaptcha and click Continue.
Then immediately - go back to Outlook and set up your account again, letting Outlook do it automatically using the Setup Wizard.

4a.  If you use 2 step verification, give Outlook your username and paste the App Password you copied earlier into the Password box.
4b.  If you don't use 2 step verification just give Outlook your username and your normal account password

5.  Then let Outlook get on with it and set up your account for automatically.

Leave all Outlook's settings at their defaults until you know whether you have been successful.

Warning about Phishing emails associated with CaronaVirus

Unknown hackers are running a mass spam email campaign that tricks users into thinking they’re opening a public health bulletin. But the files that come attached are secretly malware, which the hackers are hoping you’ll open without thinking.

Here’s how it works: An email will arrive claiming to be from local authorities with information about infections in the area. A PDF or similar file will be attached to the email, but opening it will infect your computer with phishing malware. Tap or click to see how well you can spot a phishing email.

Following infection, the malware gets to work harvesting personal data. What’s more, it can potentially inject even more malicious code into your system to steal information or monitor your activities.

Presently, this cyberattack is only making the rounds in Japan. This is probably due to the sharp increase in cases in the country and nearby territories. Researchers fear the current campaign is only the beginning, and as the real virus spreads, the hackers will launch the spam campaign globally.

{copied from KimKomando site}