Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Security & Hacking: "Hackers hit small US town, steal tax payer data and $400,000"

http://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2012/10/15/burlington-hacker/

Online banking isn't safe, though everyone is gradually being forced in that direction, since mailing statements cost time and money.

If you are going to do online banking or other finicail transactions, like stocks or other investments, then use a Live CD or as a distant 2nd choice, use a  iOS device on a private password protected WiFi connection.

For iOS devices were security is concerned you want to use an iPad 2 or newer, iPhone 4S or newer, or 2012 iPod Touch or newer device, because there are hardware related limitations to the security of earlier iOS devices (some security features were add in the hardware, and also some of the more recent software security features require the more powerful CPU & etc of the newer devices).

Here is a Guide to using Live CD by someone who knows what he is talking about, Brian Krebs, http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/10/e-banking_on_a_locked_down_non.html 

Link above is older one from when Krebs was still writing for the Washington Post, here is more recent one from the Washington Post (2010) http://voices.washingtonpost.com/securityfix/2009/10/avoid_windows_malware_bank_on.html 

And one from this year, on Live CD from his blog Krebs On Security http://krebsonsecurity.com/2012/07/banking-on-a-live-cd/

I have also suggested to a few people, that having two separate Bank or Credit Unions, and having some of their money split between them, would be helpful if you do get hacked.

Since you might only lose money from one institution, so you would have some money available to pay Rent/Mortgage, buy food, keep paying for Medical & other types of important insurance, and buying medicine.

You might get some money back if this happens to you, but there is no guarantee of that.

Sadly for the city workers hit by this, ones that were getting their paychecks direct deposited, even having two separate accounts might not have helped them at all.


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