At 3AM, within seconds, there were two attempts at using an "incorrect password" with my AppleID. The message from Apple was that it was probably a harmeless error. Seconds later, the third attempt worked, and that was the last my email has worked.Next???

Question

At 3AM, there was one attempt at entering my AppleID password, which failed per the email message. A few seconds later, a second attempt failed and the email message from Apple was that it was probably a mistake caused by someone entering a wrong keystroke when trying to enter their own password. Well,, a few seconds later, the message was that I had successfully changed my password. Great.
Yes, it was a full twelve hours later that I saw this, since 3AM is a perfect time to hijack anyone, and I did do what it said about changing my password. But I want to know how someone changed my password at 3AM and had total access to my whole computer. My security is the highest Apple has.
Mostly, that was the LAST email I've gotten. I can't bring email online. I can't do anything.
I am mostly computer ignorant, which is why my daughter made me get an Apple in the first place. I love Apple. Any ideas at all the damage done? This seems like a big hole in Apple email. I am absolutely sure no one knew the password because I used a sequence I have never told anyone. Even my ex-husband of 35 years would have no clue.
Did someone have to know that password? Is there another way? Well, I guess so.
Help. Those emails are critical.

Answer 1

Well if someone got access to your AppleID, they didn't get access to your computer, however, there is some information such as you iCloud information that they may have gotten access to.  If you changed your pasword back to something else, then they won't have access to it anymore either.  I'm not sure what is going on though because I have been getting a lot of those emails on my work AppleID that I have to have for work because I need to keep their phone seperate from all of my personal equipment.  It's just strange though that in the past few days I've been getting like 5 or 6 of those emails stating that an attempt was made to change my pasword a day.