Thorn Tree travel forum

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I've seen a few computers across Vietnam with key capturing softwares installed.

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Online banking whilst on the road - steps to take & stuff to bear in mind in order to avoid the problem described above

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Online banking whilst on the road - steps to take & stuff to bear in mind in order to avoid the problem described above

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i am already practising all the suggested steps at home and on the road. some internet cafe set up their systems such that you are not allowed to delete temp internet files, etc. i make it a point to only check the most frequently used email account and not to do any online banking outside of home. pcs at public libraries maybe "safer".

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One of the technical areas my employers specialise in is 'Network Security' we have a division that provides networks security advice and solutions to banks, international corporations and the military. A collegue who works in that division repeatedly cautions against using internet banking. He regards it as far too risky.

5

Don't use public PCs to access your bank account.

Spyware and keylogger is big problem.

Yim nit-noi.

6

Hell. I'm stuffed then. I have all sorts of complicated shifting of sums and payments etc going on whilst I'm out of UK and run my business banking online too. Works just fine when I'm using own secure PC. I've never had problems before and have used net cafes in Asia for the last 6 years happily. This thread is making it glaringly clear how easily those accounts could be breached. In fact even I could do it and I'm no expert.

Shit.

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7

I have always been afraid of this. I read my email on the road but that's it. I tried to pay for something with PayPal once and they recognized I was out of country and wanted me to take a few security measures by giving extra info. Seems just as stupid to do that if you could be watched.

8

This seems to be a big "told you so" to all those here who seem to have an evangelical opposition to carrying a laptop while traveling. This is one thing you don't have to worry about if you're using your own computer.

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9

I wish that where true Tods, but the spy software can be sent onto your machine in an email, attachement, music, video etc.

10

True, but in that case it's your own fault. It's not the same as walking into a cybercafe and using a computer you know nothing about.

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11

Is my bank really so much brighter than anyone elses in that they send me a paper sheet full of one-time usable codes for every transaction? (This in adition to regular login information and an extra pass-code)

After making a transaction it'll say something like 'Please enter code #73' and unless you type in that code from the sheet then things don't happen.

So people can log keys and passwords all they want, without the codes from that sheet they're not getting a penny.

Another thing that just comes to mind if you're worried about key-loggers getting your passwords would be to carry your passwords on a USB memory stick or even a floppy and open the thing into Notepad and then do a cut and paste. Then the actual password doesn't get logged only a 'Ctrl-X' and a 'Ctrl-C'. Or perhaps typing random characters into a Notepad window and then after that cutting and pasting the characters that make up your password separately. Would have to be mighty fancy logging software to catch that.. (Not impossible tho.. some software records everything that goes on on screen) So... How about:

* Open a Notepad window and move the screen completely off the viewable area.
* Hit Ctrl-O to open a file
* Open the text file with your password off your own floppy disk or Memory stick.
* Hit Ctrl-A to select all text (i.e. the password)
* Hit Ctrl-C to copy the password to the clipboard
* Navigate to the browser window and click the password field to enter the password
* Hit Ctrl-V to paste in the password.

Would that work? I suppose not because a history of the clipboard could be logged/saved as well..

Cheers,
Chanchao

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12

Steve, I'd say the things I touched on in my previous post are already at least as advanced as what's in your link. What I just wrote has by no means been thought through, but I think the page in your link focuses too much on relatively low risks, i.e. them cracking even 40 bit encryption or something being in between the Internet cafe and your bank, i.e. at the ISP or somewhere in between.

So far I'd say my last suggestion (with moving the Notepad screen off the viewable area and doing a copy-paste) is the best thing yet, and it's NOT perfect at all!

Cheers,
Chanchao

Check out pics and reviews of all kinds of food at chanchao.fotopages.com. Get the Thai Travel Menu, a printable bilingual menu to help you order great food off the beaten path.

13

Well.. so much for the clipboard idea....... :-(

http://www.spytech-web.com/spyagent-features.shtml

The thing logs absolutely anything..

I think the best way would be to bring some anti-keylogging / anti spyware tool with you on a floppy or memory stick.. Found several of those, two that look good so far are 'Keylogger Killer' and 'PrivacyKeyboard'.

With the first one I think a problem will be that internet cafe computers are usually so FULL with ad-ware/spyware that it will find loads of potential threats, making it impossible to see which are the real threats from an online-banking security point of view. At the very least you'd spend an hour to clear a internet cafe computer from spyware; NOT something you'd want to do (and pay for the time at that!)

Cheers,
Chanchao

Check out pics and reviews of all kinds of food at chanchao.fotopages.com. Get the Thai Travel Menu, a printable bilingual menu to help you order great food off the beaten path.

14

Latest news is the guy is still talking to the bank - its the biggest bank in the world by the way. The one that has just had problems in Japan and the one who some disgruntled employees in Lux tolfd the Belgian tax authorities who was hiding money there.

The guy did have a laptop -I bloody sold it to him, but it seems he started using internet cafes as it was more convenient or something (I bet it was the 15/30 minute cutoff in some apartment buildings)

From what I gather it has to be the cafe owner and/or pals.

The guy concerned hardly knew how to log on a short while ago so security precautions would have had him out o his depth. I have worked in IT for 15 years and I know little about security - it a specialty as Itchy says.

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