Internet Cafe

[Daffy D]

I have an internet account with HSBC. To use the account I need to enter a nickname answer a personal question and enter part of my password on a virtual keyboard on their log-on page.

While the first two actions could be monitored by key logging entering only part of my password would defeat that.

Every log-on I am asked to enter three letters of my password and never the same letters, so at no time is my full password used on any computer.

Fortunately I only use internet banking from home so have not had to worry about using a public computer but would imagine this would be a fairly secure method.

D.D.

[kaye]

I'm very glad I found this...I was going

to use the internet cafes to do my banking

as I still have to pay ultilities for back home

when I am in Bangkok...

So one option is to bring my own laptop ?

my hotel I think does not have wifi just one

internet computer so I will have to use the internet

cafes connection with my own laptop...I really didn't

want to bring my laptop...don't want to leave it

in my room or lug it around...

Would telephone banking abroad be a better

option ?

[LivinLOS]

Hi there. i will be spending some time in thailand soon and i will be managing my finances over the internet, what i wanted to know is would it be safe for me to do this in an internet cafe or should i wait untill i get my own computer?. Thank's in advance for your answers.

Jimjom.

I do it all the time....can't get wrong! Absolutely foolproof!

WHY?

My bank (Europe) has a so called e.dentifier given out to every single client.

The steps:

1. you insert your bankcard into the e.dentifier

2. you have to install your personal code first into the e.dentifier

3. log-into your bank website and log-in your bankaccount number PLUS special card-number (which is now in the e.dentifier)

4. AFTER you do a payment the website asks to re-insert the bankcard again and do a whole lot of steps again, up to 3 times.

5. every time you get a new number; if you type the wrong number you will get a signal to start over.

6. Log-out from website.

Even in the case someone is 'scamming' the process and even if they would steal the e.dentifier AND your bankcard they would have to know the special code and coding-system.

Assuming they do that.....than they would have to read the website in my Mother-language ( ) and do the whole (complicated) process themselves

I'll tell you....it took me quite some time to get used to the system.

Apart from that...if they would steal my e.dentifier and card.....1 call to the bank and the account is blocked straight away.

I'm doing this for years; no problems whatsoever.

PS: I lost (or it was stolen) my bankcard on Samui 2 years ago....phoned the bank and through a friend (the bank NEVER send the card abroad) I had a new card in a few days by courier.

We have a very sophisticated (unless the US and other countries) banking system, far ahead of most countries!

LaoPo

Your still entirely at risk from a man in the middle attack.

the chances of a net cafe being set up in such a way due to the very low % of users who may have a keycode hardware setup are slim.. But the technical ability to perform such an attack, should the person wish to is not overly complex.

Dont let some false sense of security lull you to sleep.

NEVER.. EVER.. Use a public computer for private transactions. Any time you do theres a risk, however slight. If you do, them have seperate accounts with small amounts of money in, not acess to accounts holding life savings etc.

[LivinLOS]

Hey

I don't want to get into semantics are be pedantic here, but the report says .....''Therefore, it is correct to call OSX/Leap-A a virus ...''

I want to point out that I said there is no known Mac virus out in the wild. Leap-A certainly doesn't propagate

Like I said, security companies have a vested interest to stir up fear in computer users.

Be assured that I will change my opinion as soon as there is the first serious attack on Macs. Until then, I will advice newbies that Macs are safe because the security issue which is very real and threatening on Windows is non-existent on Mac.

Anyway, not sure what the point is... the fact remains that when you have a Mac, you won't have a virus. I know loads of mac users and none of them run any kind of AV software. The problem doesn't exist on Mac. I don't say it's impossible. It just doesn't exist.

Mellisa can (and does) infect Macs

http://antivirus.about.com/library/virusinfo/blmeliss.htm

[Steve2UK]

In addition to the tools/routes mentioned above, check out KeyScrambler (comes in both free and premium/pro i.e. paid versions):

"KeyScrambler defeats keyloggers by encrypting everything you type at the kernel driver level and decrypting it at the destination application, giving Keyloggers entirely indecipherable keys to record.

* Protects against keyloggers even on security compromised computers.

* Requires no effort on your part after installation.

* Compatible with other security programs and authentication methods such as tokens and smart cards.

* Protects all parts of the browser and many other applications beyond the browser."

http://www.qfxsoftware.com/