Don't do any online banking using Windows!

[hazel]

Several arrests were made today in connection with the use of a trojan called Zeus. As far as I can gather, this is basically a keylogger which steals passwords, but it also inserts html code into your browser so that when you next look up your bank account, you see the original page, not the new one that would show you that money has been taken out of your account. So you don't find out what has happened for quite a while. To make matters worse, Zeus is difficult for anti-virus software to detect.

Of course when this came up in the news, the usual experts were wheeled out to say how you should protect yourself by keeping your anti-virus up-to-date (which doesn't seem to be very helpful in the case of Zeus) and not responding to phishing attacks. Nobody made the obvious comment that maybe you should be using Linux for your online banking and not Windows.

[rokytnji]

What is funny Hazel. I take my AntiX Netbook to the bank to reset my User name, password and login question. The Help Desk looks at me with a blank face/confused.

Says, "over there is our windows computer to reset your account". In other words. We don't allow Linux into our reset service. Just Windows. And Our box is the only box that will allow access for reset of account. Catch-22.

I don't run Windows except to tune motorcycles. I never internet bank in Windows, except for resetting my account like I stated above. I live in a one horse town so options are limited.

[cousinlucky]

I am blue in the face from telling people that it is not safe to use windows on the Internet but people still do and they continue to get ripped off using their credit card numbers, checking account numbers, or on-line banking!!!

Some of my friends will get an " I Don't Want To Hear It! " from me when they
have a new woe to relate. They paid for windows and they will not give it up!!!

[Segfault]

I am blue in the face from telling people that it is not safe to use windows on the Internet but people still do and they continue to get ripped off using their credit card numbers, checking account numbers, or on-line banking!!!

Some of my friends will get an " I Don't Want To Hear It! " from me when they
have a new woe to relate. They paid for windows and they will not give it up!!!

Yes, I'm sick and tired telling people if your primary defense is blacklist-based then you do not have defense. BTW, security experts estimate heuristics-based malware protection catches about 35% of bad stuff, so it's no help either.

[MikeTbob]

The safest way to do online banking is with LiveCD's. One of the local banks in my area was proposing to do just that but I don't know what happened to that awesome idea.

[Rubberman]

The safest way to do online banking is with LiveCD's. One of the local banks in my area was proposing to do just that but I don't know what happened to that awesome idea.

That would be awesome - just give their customers a non-writable mini-boot disc that automatically connects to the banking site, ready to log in! It could be one of those little crediit-card format CD's. Cost to the bank is pennies each, and it would save a HUGE amount of pain and suffering for their customers. Of course, they couldn't use their iPad or iPhone to bank, but what the heck!

[MikeTbob]

That would be awesome - just give their customers a non-writable mini-boot disc that automatically connects to the banking site, ready to log in! It could be one of those little crediit-card format CD's. Cost to the bank is pennies each, and it would save a HUGE amount of pain and suffering for their customers. Of course, they couldn't use their iPad or iPhone to bank, but what the heck!

That was the general idea and I was a huge fan of it. I wish they'd do it. But on the other hand.....not being able to use Ipad/Iphone/Ipod devices may be the reason they haven't done it.
Here is a similar article, I can't find the one I read before.
Can Ubuntu save online banking? - Computerworld Blogs

[Rubberman]

Well, I do all of my banking online, but I only use Linux systems. I haven't tried my android phone yet, but I expect it would work ok as well, at least using the normal browser front end.

[elija]

The safest way to do online banking is with LiveCD's. One of the local banks in my area was proposing to do just that but I don't know what happened to that awesome idea.

People are generally lazy, so how many would be bothered to find the CD, insert it, reboot, wait.... wait.... do a bit of banking, remove CD and reboot. And then realise that they forgot to make a payment so go through the whole process again.

Far easier to run Linux and if your bank insists on Windows, either run VM or change bank.

[Etna]

People are generally lazy, so how many would be bothered to find the CD, insert it, reboot, wait.... wait.... do a bit of banking, remove CD and reboot. And then realise that they forgot to make a payment so go through the whole process again.

Far easier to run Linux and if your bank insists on Windows, either run VM or change bank.

Don't blame the OS.

Blame the users who cannot be bothered to give a rat's @$$ about basic online security and allow themselves to get robbed of their money.

I have done online backing with XP (yes, that OS with security holes bigger than a bus) and Vista, and not once did i ever have any issues. Maybe it's because i actually bothered to:

1) Ensure that Windows is running without Administrator privileges.
2) Check that I am actually connected to a proper page and not a phishing site
3) NOT do online banking using a public hotspot
4) set Windows Firewall to make the PC 'invisible' from probings.