Jean said in a deposition she feared she would be fired if she didn't give up her password, a twist in the case that Mr. Maltby says could sway a jury against the company.

WSJ: Employers Watching Workers Online Spurs Privacy Debate

"Getting access to one password can give someone access to lots of things, " she said.

BBC: Google targeted in e-mail scam

Anyone unwise enough to give their login and password would make their past and future e-mails, and contacts, available to the snooper.

ECONOMIST: A Chinese cyber-attack on a jumpy America

When you sign on, of course, BestFriends asks for permission to access Facebook and you give them your username and password.

FORBES: How Did I get Hacked and Why Didn't Facebook Help?

But the fix for both the Chuck Norris and Craig Heffner's attack is simple enough: Give your router a decent password.

FORBES

He experienced a similar scenario after his grandmother died, and he tried to get the password for her e-mail account -- only to give up because of the hassle.

CNN: New services promise online life after death

Each time users give out valuable information like birth dates or addresses, they could be providing hints about their password, security experts say.

CNN: Facebook, Twitter crooks just a click away