Tag: GMail

How to: Enable IMAP support in GMAIL

I hate POP3 as I routinely check my e-mail using multiple computers / devices such as mobile / pda etc.

Internet Message Access Protocol (IMAP), lets you download messages from Gmail’s servers onto your computer so you can access your mail with a program like Microsoft Outlook Express, Mozilla Thunderbird or Apple Mail, even when you aren’t connected to the Internet.

IMAP creates a constant connection between mail clients (desktop and/or mobile) and Gmail. Unlike POP, IMAP offers two-way communication between your web Gmail and your email client(s). This means when you log in to Gmail using a web browser, actions you perform on email clients and mobile devices (ex: putting mail in a ‘work’ folder) will instantly and automatically appear in Gmail (ex: it will already have a ‘work’ label on that email).

In addition, IMAP provides a better method to access your mail from multiple devices. If you check your email at work, on your mobile phone, and again at home, IMAP ensures that new mail is accessible from any device at any given time.

Finally, IMAP offers a more stable experience overall. Whereas POP is prone to losing messages or downloading the same messages multiple times, IMAP avoids this through its two-way syncing capabilities between your mail clients and your web Gmail.

If you’re trying to decide between using POP and using IMAP with your Gmail account, Google recommend IMAP.

How do I enable GMAIL IMAP?

To enable IMAP in your Gmail account:

  1. Log in to your Gmail account.
  2. Click Settings at the top of any Gmail page.
  3. Click Forwarding and POP/IMAP.
  4. Select Enable IMAP.

How to: Enable IMAP support in GMAIL

Configure IMAP client

See this help section for more information.

Gmail and Yahoo webmail hacked

Robert Graham, the CEO of errata security, surprised attendees by hijacking a Gmail session on camera and reading the victim’s email. He went even further by demonstrating the attack to us in person, taking over another journalist’s Gmail account and then sending us sheep-loving emails.

Now you know why it’s dangerous to check your web emails in public hotspot or through open wi-fi connections. You can try https session and only use secure wifi connection to avoid problems.

From the article:

The attack is actually quite simple. First Graham needs to be able to sniff data packets and in our case the open Wi-Fi network at the convention fulfilled that requirement. He then ran Ferret to copy all the cookies flying through the air. Finally, Graham cloned those cookies into his browser – in easy point-and-click fashion – with a home-grown tool called Hamster.

The attack can hijack sessions in almost any cookie-based web application and Graham has tested it successfully against popular webmail programs like Google’s Gmail, Microsoft’s Hotmail and Yahoo Mail. He stressed that since the program just uses cookies, he only needs an IP address and usernames and passwords aren’t required.

Point and click Gmail hacking at Black Hat