Police advice on Internet Banking security

Here's my thoughts on some advice that came out in the past few days. <---- clicky.

That's interesting Rich, unfortunalty for me I got ripped off last week!!!!

xxxxx

I hope your bank are doing the right thing for you to put it right! I wonder if they're aware of this advice? I'm in the financial sector myself & have forwarded similar stuff on to my manager to hopefully get passed up the chain.

On a slightly related note, here's a thought that just occured to me. I reckon with that, the safety of important online transactions would be dramatically improved. Just a theory mind!

One thing you got to remember even though Linux is getting more popular windows still is installed on most systems around the world.
It's obvious that criminals will target the masses for a better return on there criminal activities that’s why most viruses/ Trojans target window OS.
Any system isn't fool proof while you have users allowing viruses or spyware into their network for it to do any recording of information to be sent back to its creator.

I myself do alot of online transactions and I NEVER do any wireless money transactions as you know Rich as wireless transmissions can be intercepted and recorded and decoded and played back at the capturers leisure.

Elaine You should be covered by your bank as they should return any monies taken from your account and recommend some sort of software that they recommend for you to use.

Some of the problems that exists comes from the FREE antivirus/ Trojan software if users get the free version of any software please go tot e site and check out the difference between the free one and the one you have to purchase you might find that you are not as protected as you think you are.

Not true to the extent you think... What about the servers that a LOT of web sites are hosted on? A very sizeable percentage, you'll find, run on Linux hosts. This would make them very valuable targets if they were easy to target malware at. Windows users can quote security by obscurity as much as they like, but it isn't true. Windows gets attacked because it is a big (But not overwhelmingly huge.) easy target. I maintain that if you are serious about security, you'll not use Windows. I'm quite happy to debate this with logic, not FUD.

I would love to debate with you on this Rich but alas I’m not qualified to as I don’t relay use Linux myself.
When I said “windows still is installed on most systems around the world” I meant for home use not commercial use.
Behind the scenes Linux is there running on most servers no doubt about that but most hackers get in to the actual customer accounts by infecting PC’s/ Laptops and not attacking the server/ website itself and this comes down to the users themselves and what they tell their security software to allow in.
The increase of Trojans in songs I’m finding on my daughters Laptop is increasing she doesn’t get her music from ITunes but from P2P sources but her getting Trojans
don’t bother me as I regularly scan her Laptop for them also she don’t do any banking just kids stuff like MSN etc.
But how many kids use their parents Laptops/ PC’s and downloads music from P2P networks other than ITunes and other reputable places and that contain Trojans? Unknowingly infecting their parents systems and giving criminals potential access to their account details.
By using free antivirus that will properly find viruses / Trojans if the user does a scan of the system but most free antivirus software doesn’t scan in coming code as it comes in from the internet and using P2P software to obtain music and telling their security software to allow it through the firewall etc they are putting themselves at risk.
I will keep my eye on Linux it’s getting better from what I have read so far and supporting more and more popular applications/ hardware as each version is released with Codeweavers/ Google working hard I don’t think it will be to long until they get Word 2007/ Photoshop CS4 up to Silver and get rid of the bugs.

That's exactly the scenario where Linux or other even more secure systems win! You can download whatever you like and it cannot break your system. It's all to do with the way programs get installed on a proper multi user system and the separation of users' accounts and the admin or root account. I know Microsoft seem to be trying to emulate this model but their admin/ordinary user account model is far inferior to systems that were designed that way from the word go, not having to be amended to try to mimic it. Apple's OS X works this way. I'm sure no OS X user has ever had a problem with someone in their family downloading a torrent file and infecting their whole system. The problem is, of course, you have to pay £££ for the privilege of using OS X.

I'm putting together some info on my professional recommendations for a really secure system along with a bit of reasoning behind my choices. when it's done, I'll post a link here. You'll no doubt be surprised to see that Linux comes in as my #3 recommendation for where stability and security are a priority. All of my recommended systems cost £0 to download and install though.

Update:

Well, here's my considered recommendation. No offence intended but I really do believe in my capacity as an 'IT professional' that anyone using a Windows system and thinking they have any real degree of resistance against malware is kidding themselves for the sake of not being willing to change to something that will serve them better. Of course, as long as they stop kidding themselves and accept that fact then it is their decision to use whatever system they please! Banning Microsoft systems from the internet would result in a much less risky online life for us all, but as I've said in other threads I'm absolutely against banning things!