AOL/AIM security

I have had a few friends complain that their AOL/AIM account has been “hacked“. Since I doubt it’s an inside job, I’m assuming it’s either man-in-the-middle (doubt it) or just insecure practices (more likely).

Because of this, I’m posting some quick instructions on how to make your AOL/AIM account more secure. First, some settings you’ll need to change:

1. Go to http://my.screenname.aol.com and sign in with your AIM/AOL screenname.
2. You will then see the “Manage your account” screen. Click “Edit” to change your password. It is a good practice to have different passwords for each service or account you may have. Also, you should include numbers and different cased letters in your password.
3. You should also edit your “Account security question” and make sure it’s not something that is easy for someone to guess.