This morning, I woke to find my email account had been hijacked.

It didn't unleash a virus on my computer or infect recipient operating systems, but Cotome, a Chinese electronics company, sent emails to everyone in my contact list under the guise of a friendly email from me. Requesting readers visit Cotome's Web site for the latest in "high quality electrical products," Cotome sent messages to everyone I know and then some.

I opened my email to find a long list of "undeliverable" email returns; essentially, Cotome's Internet hacker sent the same standard email to real and fake email addresses alike.

So, now, what to do? Kill the account altogether? Blame Hotmail for a breach in their security? Track down a live person behind Cotome? Or simply move on?

One friend suggested changing my email password. Assuming Cotome hacked into Hotmail's security system and accessed my password, if I change it, problem solved right?

Unraveling more than a decade of my emailing interaction in one simple hijacking, Cotome may very well force me to give up the email address I've used for over a decade.