Frontier E-mail Change

[Brownie]

Frontier Communications is my ISP, and they send this e-mail concerning e-mail changes to take place on May 1st. I use Apple's Mail as my e-mail client, and get along just fine with it. Is this stuff really necessary?


Hi,

We noticed that you are accessing your Frontier Mail using a lower security sign-in that is sometimes used in third-party mail applications such as Outlook, IncrediMail, MacMail, Mozilla Thunderbird and others This can leave your Frontier Mail account vulnerable.

Frontier email uses the Yahoo email platform. Yahoo is in the process of moving users using less secure apps to a newer, more secure email access technology. This security technology, known as OAuth, helps prevent unauthorized access to your username and password. With OAuth, your log in credentials are encrypted and better protected from hackers.

We will be rolling out this change beginning May 1st, 2017 through May 31, 2017. You will be impacted at any time during this time period, so we encourage you to take steps outlined here no later than May 1st, 2017.

Access your mail via frontier.yahoo.com or with a mail client that supports OAuth
Upgrade your current mail client to a version that supports OAuth
Visit https://security.frontier.com/ and create an app-specific password
For more information, a list of clients that support OAuth and step-by-step instructions, please see our help page: https://frontier.com/helpcenter/categories/internet/email/email-security-upgrade

Thank you for being a Frontier Mail user.

Sincerely,

Frontier Technical Support
1-877-937-8330


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[Raz0rEdge]

Yahoo's email service has had had two major hacks within the past couple of years, so they aren't really credible to speak about security. Either way, OAuth is fine, but a lot of people aren't really getting on it, MFA/2FA (Multi/2 Factor Authentication) is what most people are opting for now. You keep your username/password as before but have to use a code that is accessible on your phone through an app (Authy, Authenticator) or by getting an SMS with the code.

The app-specific password while generally fine, is again just a single point of failure and thus most people recommend a two step process.

Anyway..if you want to stick with Frontier Email..you'll have to no choice to go long with their recommendations to continue to have access to your email..

 

[chscag]

I might add here that Frontier has taken over the Verizon FIOS accounts in Texas, NY, and California. (Verizon sold out to them.) It has taken the better part of 6 months to get everything back to normal the way Verizon had it before they sold out. I can't recount how many times I was on the phone with their support to get things straightened out. They finally have things running again the way they were before and have issued several refunds (bill credits).

My advice is to keep in contact with them especially since it impacts your mail. Like our moderator stated you probably have no choice but to comply with their new security rules regarding your email.

 

[Raz0rEdge]

Speaking about Verizon, I just signed up to my FiOS account to see that there were many pending announcements from Verizon a out their email service. They are killing their own email service and allowing you to keep a @verizon.net account and transfer to AOL Mail or go elsewhere and copy your data. Since I never used my Verizon email account, this doesn't affect me one way or another..

With Verizon's acquisition of both Yahoo and AOL (named Oath now), this makes sense I guess..

 

[chscag]

When Verizon left the Texas area my Verizon email account (which I never use anyway) was transferred to AOL mail. However, my mail address sign on is still with the old verizon.net account. I don't know what Verizon is up to nowadays but there is a strong rumor floating around that they are about to announce some sort of merge with Comcast. Either that, or Comcast is trying to buy them out.

 

[ferrarr]

When Verizon left the Texas area my Verizon email account (which I never use anyway) was transferred to AOL mail. However, my mail address sign on is still with the old verizon.net account. I don't know what Verizon is up to nowadays but there is a strong rumor floating around that they are about to announce some sort of merge with Comcast. Either that, or Comcast is trying to buy them out.

I think this is what you heard, https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/03/technology/verizon-oath-yahoo-aol.html?_r=0, I only just became aware of it yesterday. I have Verizon where I am .

 

[chscag]

No, not the same. I already knew about Oath. This is another rumor involving Comcast and Verizon.

 

[ferrarr]

Oh, ok.

 

[MacInWin]

My brother had FIOS, and his email got sold off to AOL. They then promptly locked him out. Took days to get it sorted out. Not a good start in Northern Virginia, the home of AOL!