Malware·2,759 discussions

Am I careful or paranoid?

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At my work, the iPhone has become the smartphone choice, and when my older phone died, I received one.

I’ve been doing online banking for years at home and from work, but I wouldn’t do it from an internet cafe or wifi hotspot. At home I have defense in depth – HW firewall on my router with strong passwords, fairly secure computer with software firewalls,ant-virus, anti rootkit, anti malware. My works has even stronger security, daily scans my computer for unauthorised applications.

My bank has fairly good security protocols, randomly asks me a personal question from the 10 answers I’ve given them, watches for suspsicious activity on my cards like a hawk (generating a few embarassing situations where my card has been declined).

My bank recently announced a new iPhone app for online banking. While it might be convenient, I am worried that by using the iPhone, I’m giving up my security blanket.

Thoughts?

James

Topic

You’re being careful

In reply to Am I careful or paranoid?

Wait a couple of years, that way you won’t be beta testing their app.

Neither

In reply to Am I careful or paranoid?

Rather, it’s, “careless”.

First commandment of personal security: [b]Keep Your Mouth Shut[/b].

Oh come on now.

In reply to Neither

I’ve not given away very much in terms of personal security information here. Very few people know my “real name”, you are one. Fewer still my address, where I work.

You could probably with some work get this information.

But unless you are in the same city, have access to my cell, or know where I am going to be when I might use the banking app, interception is not very likely. My logon has nothing to do with my name, my email address, home address etc. The number of people who could answer all 10 personal questions used in the random passes is very small. None outside my immediate family. My mom couldn’t answer them all.

This issue affects potentially millions of users. If someone wanted to hack it, they would be better off to go right downtown and try it at a Starbucks near the bank’s headquarters, than to try to track me down. I’m not going to access my bank account from my iPhone from my home or work or car.

Are you suggesting I should not raise concerns about banking from an iPhone? If I said nothing, would no one ever attempt to hack it? I doubt that somehow.

James

I wouldn’t use the app

In reply to Am I careful or paranoid?

The security is out of your control. Yeah, I would just wait to do your banking at one of your two trusted computers.

Then again, I’m into security like you are; I’ve often asked myself, “Am I careful? Or am I paranoid?”

My opinion? When it comes to banking, you can’t be too careful.

James as the number of phones left accidental sky rockets

In reply to Am I careful or paranoid?

I personally wouldn’t be using one for any Finical Transactions at all. The wife has left her phone at least 30 times in places over the years and always had a call from it to get it back so far.

I’ve yet to loose a phone though I have broken more than a few over the years but other than forgetting it and leaving it at home I have yet to forget to pick up the dam thing as I leave some places where I can not have it on me inside the place. The operative word there is [b]Yet[/b] though.

Apparently 6,460 phones where left in Taxi’s alone in Sydney in a 6 month period in 2006 and I’m sure that the number has gone up from that time.

So using any portable device that can easily be lost for Bank Related transactions is a Big No No as far as I’m concerned.

But then again I may just be Paranoid. I’m sure that the average Shrink would call me that but then again they would be complaining bitterly when they loose their phone and their Bank Accounts get cleaned out. I’m not one of those who think that [b]It will never happen to me.[/b] :^0

I however would vote as [b]Being Careful and Far More Sensible[/b] than the majority of people. I used to remember my father saying just because everyone else does that doesn’t mean that you have to or if everyone else jumped off a Cliff would you? And he was right. 😉

Col

Your father is wise. no text.

In reply to James as the number of phones left accidental sky rockets

🙂

Good point

In reply to James as the number of phones left accidental sky rockets

One of the conditions of being issued a Smart Phone here is that we have it configured with a password. If the password is entered incorrectly too many times the phone is useless.

As for the banking app, I’ve not been brave enough to actually launch it, I see it had the option of remembering my bank card number, something I never check, since even at home, I won’t do that. Its sheer laziness to me, since I always have the bank card within reach.

James

I think you’re being reasonably careful

In reply to Am I careful or paranoid?

Bill Gates once said, “Only the paranoid survives.”

It’s good to always cover worst-case scenarios. As long as there is a possibility (no matter how small), cover for it.

Paranoia on the other hand, is covering for something that isn’t even possible to begin with.

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