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Secure internet banking
gwynne
Posts: 721 Forum Member
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Having had my bank account 'hacked' and all but emptied I am keen to investigate any methods of making my internet banking more secure.
I obviousley used all the Banks recommended software but the hacker still managed to get through!
I was reading up on a software packeage called 'Bitdefender' which seemed ideal i.e.it has a tool called 'Safepay' which opens banking and shopping pages in a seperate,secure browser.
This seemed ideal until I started to read reviews by people who had baught it-most were not impressed and slammed it for very poor performance-mainly in slowing the pc down to a crawl!
Went on an American comparison site and Bitdefender rated top ,at 10 out of 10!
It would be interesting to hear from anyone who has,or is,using Bitdefender.
Also most welcome would be suggestions as to how I can further protect my banking activities from fraudsters.
Would using a seperate pc (say) confined to just banking activity be sensible or effective?
I obviousley used all the Banks recommended software but the hacker still managed to get through!
I was reading up on a software packeage called 'Bitdefender' which seemed ideal i.e.it has a tool called 'Safepay' which opens banking and shopping pages in a seperate,secure browser.
This seemed ideal until I started to read reviews by people who had baught it-most were not impressed and slammed it for very poor performance-mainly in slowing the pc down to a crawl!
Went on an American comparison site and Bitdefender rated top ,at 10 out of 10!
It would be interesting to hear from anyone who has,or is,using Bitdefender.
Also most welcome would be suggestions as to how I can further protect my banking activities from fraudsters.
Would using a seperate pc (say) confined to just banking activity be sensible or effective?
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Comments
Just using an 'up-to-date' browser, anti-virus, Windows firewall, a sensible, secure password, not writing things down, etc should be all that you need.
Edit
Plus a good helping of scepticism and common sense.
In addition to a good AV and firewall I would install Malwarebytes if you don't already have it. Run regular scans with your AV and Malwarebytes to ensure your machine is clean.
The problem is that you can make your PC more secure than Fort Knox but at some point your details will have to be released out into the wild. And once it disappears out of the other end of your broadband router there is sod all you can really do about the data. You are reliant on the website you are using being really secure and that the systems behind that website are secure.
So a great dollop of common sense and being careful is as important as all the security software you install on your PC.
Importantly though what did your bank do to assist in this matter?
Were the funds reimbursed?
But, as has been said already, common sense is as vital as any security software
You are much more secure if you are NOT running Windows as your operating system.
Burn yourself a Puppy Linux Live CD and boot from that for your online banking. Don't be surprised if you find yourself using it for all your other computing tasks too once you get used to it.
A USB flash drive can be used to save your settings (or even boot from) and you can unplug it at all other times for additional peace of mind.
As others have suggested you can also use instead a Live boot disc such as Precise Puppy 5.4 or Linux Mint 14 (cinnamon or mate) or Knoppix 7.0.5 (one of the longest established Live Linux systems available). One of the great things about Linux is that trojans, keyloggers. viruses do not work in it. Though if you give away your password details via a dodgy email link then nothing much can be done.
Likewise except I run MacOSX on my PC.
This /\, but as it says use it with common sense as well!
OP What bank are you with?
Barclays offer
http://www.barclays.co.uk/Helpsupport/HowtousePINsentry/P1242560253457
Can be used with Linux as well.
And also Barclays offer
http://www.barclays.co.uk/Helpsupport/Freeinternetsecuritysoftware/P1242557966961
Latest has private browsing and virtual keyboard.
I've got one.
HSBC secure key.
my bank uses one of those but only when I'm making payments to a new recipient. I thought all banks used them now.
Still, in the OPs case that would've scuppered anyone rinsing their account so it makes me wonder if it was the OP who was 'hacked' or their bank...
Secure Key does away with that and makes things very secure as it used for all of the internet banking process not just payments. In the old way of doing internet banking fraudsters getting hold of a complete security number then had the means to quickly make bill payments (faster payments) and clean out accounts. Trusteer Report by the way flags up fake banking sites.
Most bank fraud now is card based where fraudsters (often working in garages and restaurants) obtain details of a card front and back to then do fraudulent shopping via telephone and internet (No pin number required). Internet shopping on a lot of web sites though has further security for card transactions with the requirement for going through the verified by visa/mastercard process and entering parts of another security number/password.