Home  Hacking and Online Banking
|
Hacking and Online Banking |
|
Written by Kane Parker
|
|
This article provides tips that when followed will make your online banking experience a safer one. We all know by now the most common online banking hack is Phishing. If you have not heard of Phishing then this article also explains Phishing and is a must read.
One incident Comsys investigated involved an elaborate set up of proxy computers spanning from China to USA to Australia. The hacker used a technique called Phishing to discover usernames and passwords of online banking customers. The hacker simply sent emails to his victims asking them to login and verify their security settings. Once the user clicked the link inside their email, they were taken to an identical website to the bank in question. Here the user entered their login details, clicked the login button and then an error occurred. Disappointed, the user then tried again with success and were logged in to their real bank account. The user carried on without cause for concern, little does the user know but on the first login their details were inserted into a hackers database. This user could have easily avoided this hack by following the below tips.
Safe Tips for Online Banking
- Look for the yellow padlock located at the bottom of your browser within the status bar. If the yellow padlock is present this lets you know that you are within a secure SSL Session and that all details sent by you are encrypted over the internet until they reach the final destination at the bank. Note: Sometimes hackers can also set up SSL (Certificates can be set up instantly and are too cheap today) so it is wise to also follow the tips below.
- Memorise your Online Banking URL, ensure you are at this URL before your login. If your browser does not show the URL, press CONTROL+N. A new window will open and you will be able to verify the URL. (If you see an IP Address ie 203.22.22.123 then this is cause for concern, most phishing hackers send their victims to temporary IP Address's).
- Keep your personal information private and secure, if you have to write down your username and password, DO NOT write them down in the same location.
- Ensure that your online banking withdrawal limit is not excessive and is appropriate to your requirements.
- Check your PC regularly for viruses and to avoid an attack from viruses, install good anti-virus software such as Symantec's Norton AntiVirus or McAfee and update it regularly. If you are unsure of which AntiVirus software you should install, check out the reviews here.
- You should also run a simple personal firewall to block out attempts by hackers to look into your PC and steal data. Remember to clear your cache and history. Zone Alarm http://www.zonealarm.com/ is a free firewall you may want to consider.
- Disable the Auto complete function in your browser for user names and passwords. You should be aware that this function stores your Login ID and password in the PC's memory so that your PC will automatically fill in your forms when you next login. It means that anyone else who uses your PC can use the same function to easily login to your secure areas.
More about Phishing
Phishing is the practice where a person requests personal and financial details pretending to be from a legitimate organization.
The word 'Phishing' was invented in 1996 by hackers who were stealing America Online (AOL) accounts by scamming passwords from unsuspecting AOL users.
Over the passage of time the definition of this word has expanded and access to all personal and financial data is also included. The way of phishing is also changing and growing. Now fake websites, installations of Trojan horse key-loggers including screen captures and man-in-the-middle s attacks are all designed to steal your personal details. Trojan Horses and man-in-the-middle attacks will be covered in forth coming articles.
Happy and safe online banking.
|
|
|
|
