Want to use Better Email for an unorthodox purpose...

Posted on
Sun May 17, 2020 5:58 pm
eric offline
Posts: 59
Joined: Dec 22, 2014

Want to use Better Email for an unorthodox purpose...

I have been getting my various email accounts compromised lately and my password changed by the hacker. It usually takes a few hours to notice this.

Even though it's not recommended I was thinking of using Better Email with my actual email accounts as a sort of email version of the "online sensor" plugin. Check all of the accounts every five minutes to see if they are working and to notify my if any of them gives a login error.

Has anyone tried this and do you have any recommendations as to how I would implement it so it does not interfere with my email accounts?

I have the option of POP or IMAP with my isp.

Thanks.

Posted on
Sun May 17, 2020 6:41 pm
FlyingDiver offline
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Posts: 7189
Joined: Jun 07, 2014
Location: Southwest Florida, USA

Re: Want to use Better Email for an unorthodox purpose...

Use better passwords? With 2FA on the admin interface, if possible? What email providers are you using?

joe (aka FlyingDiver)
my plugins: http://forums.indigodomo.com/viewforum.php?f=177

Posted on
Sun May 17, 2020 8:01 pm
eric offline
Posts: 59
Joined: Dec 22, 2014

Re: Want to use Better Email for an unorthodox purpose...

I’ve removed the first sentence from my post above. Let me try again:

Even though it's not recommended I was thinking of using Better Email with my actual email accounts as a sort of email version of the "online sensor" plugin. Check all of the accounts every five minutes to see if they are working and to notify my if any of them gives a login error.

Has anyone tried this and do you have any recommendations as to how I would implement it so it does not interfere with my email accounts?

I have the option of POP or IMAP with my isp.

Thanks.

Posted on
Sun May 17, 2020 8:15 pm
FlyingDiver offline
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Posts: 7189
Joined: Jun 07, 2014
Location: Southwest Florida, USA

Re: Want to use Better Email for an unorthodox purpose...

If you use IMAP and set the config to "Leave in INBOX" it should have no effect at all on your email client.

I'm not sure how you're going to detect an error quickly. You'd have to monitor the log, I guess. There's no plugin Event for a bad login.

But I'll say it again, you would be much better off spending the time securing the account(s), including setting up notifications via email to a DIFFERENT account.

joe (aka FlyingDiver)
my plugins: http://forums.indigodomo.com/viewforum.php?f=177

Posted on
Mon May 18, 2020 2:22 am
eric offline
Posts: 59
Joined: Dec 22, 2014

Re: Want to use Better Email for an unorthodox purpose...

Thanks Joe,

I was going to do a trigger based on the "Server Connection Error" or if that gives too many false alarms set up a send/receive loop that checks if a message can send and receive with specific content.

What causes a "server connection error"? Is this too broad a test?

I am seeing that the plugin gets errors reading hundreds of emails of the server and the the status of the IMAP device while once showing success now shows failure.

This is the error I am getting:

IMAP server connection error: 'ascii' codec can't decode byte 0xe2 in position 39: ordinal not in range(128)

Regarding ISP, 2FA and stronger passwords, I am definitely aware of these things and they are implemented. However in several accounts hackers have bypassed 2FA and in times of COVID at least two companies have told me they have relaxed authentication protocols because people are not at home with access to their home computers etc. The weak link is not online but rather with the customer service reps at these companies who seem surprisingly gullible when they get a verbal request for a password or contact email address change.

Anyway, while I don't expect to get hacked again I would like to have a way of monitoring all of my email accounts at small intervals to make sure that it hasn't happened. And your plugin seems like it has great potential.

Posted on
Mon May 18, 2020 7:31 am
FlyingDiver offline
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Posts: 7189
Joined: Jun 07, 2014
Location: Southwest Florida, USA

Re: Want to use Better Email for an unorthodox purpose...

I'm not sure how reliable that event is. But it's certainly worth trying. BE was my first plugin, and it's pretty complicated internally with all the different server configurations, so those events might not be triggered at all the right times.

If you find situations where it's not working right, just file a bug report on them and I'll see if I can improve it.

joe (aka FlyingDiver)
my plugins: http://forums.indigodomo.com/viewforum.php?f=177

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