Comments on: Basically it’s a Massive Pisser for You http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/ Out of the crooked timber of humanity, no straight thing was ever made Sun, 22 Nov 2009 04:42:59 -0800 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.6 hourly 1 By: abb1 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-198497 abb1 Thu, 31 May 2007 19:07:18 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/#comment-198497 To gain on-line access to my UBS account (garden variety) you'll need to obtain their electonic gadget and to steal my personal chip-card (in addition to phishing the contract number associated with the card and the password). So, it's not really the lack of security <i>of the user</i>. To gain on-line access to my UBS account (garden variety) you’ll need to obtain their electonic gadget and to steal my personal chip-card (in addition to phishing the contract number associated with the card and the password).

So, it’s not really the lack of security of the user.

]]> By: Stuart http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-198484 Stuart Thu, 31 May 2007 17:31:18 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/#comment-198484 I forgot the other obvious way that thieves get user credentials - asking for them via email, now in the last year I have probably been asked for my account details (either directly or by having a link to a fake website within the email) or for at least 40 different banks (39 of which I dont bank at, some not even having branches in this country). I can't imagine there have never been anyone that have answered such emails (given the success of the Nigerian scams and so on). I forgot the other obvious way that thieves get user credentials – asking for them via email, now in the last year I have probably been asked for my account details (either directly or by having a link to a fake website within the email) or for at least 40 different banks (39 of which I dont bank at, some not even having branches in this country). I can’t imagine there have never been anyone that have answered such emails (given the success of the Nigerian scams and so on).

]]> By: Stuart http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-198483 Stuart Thu, 31 May 2007 17:27:48 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/#comment-198483 There is of course some difference between someone robbing a bank, and them gaining or faking your account details to take money from your account of course. In a bank robbery the customer doesn't have the key to the vault which his own actions might have led to it being copied by a thief and then used. In many cases of identify theft it is actually the lack of security of the user that causes the problem, maybe they have installed random software on the web (things that claim to block ads, speed up your system, protect you from viruses, download music files, and the like being common ones) which then log the users credentials and email/transmit them to the thieves to use. So where do you assign blame when often the cause of the theft is unknown - it might be an unsecure aspect of the banks website, but it might be that the customer has basically given their details away to a thief to use due to their own mistakes and lack of computer security knowledge. There is of course some difference between someone robbing a bank, and them gaining or faking your account details to take money from your account of course. In a bank robbery the customer doesn’t have the key to the vault which his own actions might have led to it being copied by a thief and then used.

In many cases of identify theft it is actually the lack of security of the user that causes the problem, maybe they have installed random software on the web (things that claim to block ads, speed up your system, protect you from viruses, download music files, and the like being common ones) which then log the users credentials and email/transmit them to the thieves to use.

So where do you assign blame when often the cause of the theft is unknown – it might be an unsecure aspect of the banks website, but it might be that the customer has basically given their details away to a thief to use due to their own mistakes and lack of computer security knowledge.

]]> By: ejh http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-198362 ejh Wed, 30 May 2007 21:26:08 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/#comment-198362 Really? I thought it was <a href="http://www.macon.com/266/story/54107.html" rel="nofollow">accountants</a>. Really? I thought it was accountants.

]]> By: lemuel pitkin http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-198346 lemuel pitkin Wed, 30 May 2007 20:06:30 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/#comment-198346 <i>abb1: It’s already been done (although taking in card/PIN details rather than deposits).</i> Albanian gangs have <a href="http://www.magneprint.com/media/news_articles/news_articles.asp?sort=030803" rel="nofollow">done the same thing</a> in New York City. Every time I go to an ATM in a bodega now, I wonder how I know it's not a front for an Albanian crime syndicate. Albanians really seem to be at the cutting edge of organized crime these days. abb1: It’s already been done (although taking in card/PIN details rather than deposits).

Albanian gangs have done the same thing in New York City. Every time I go to an ATM in a bodega now, I wonder how I know it’s not a front for an Albanian crime syndicate.

Albanians really seem to be at the cutting edge of organized crime these days.

]]> By: Robbing identities at Gavin’s Blog http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-198284 Robbing identities at Gavin’s Blog Wed, 30 May 2007 11:57:05 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/#comment-198284 [...] Hehe. Banks don’t have their money stolen anymore. [...] [...] Hehe. Banks don’t have their money stolen anymore. [...]

]]> By: Simstim http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-198274 Simstim Wed, 30 May 2007 10:44:52 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/#comment-198274 abb1: <a href="http://catless.ncl.ac.uk/Risks/17.34.html#subj5" rel="nofollow">It's already been done</a> (although taking in card/PIN details rather than deposits). abb1: It’s already been done (although taking in card/PIN details rather than deposits).

]]> By: abb1 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-198268 abb1 Wed, 30 May 2007 09:35:37 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/#comment-198268 I imagine the identity of a bank can be stolen too - if, suppose, some thieves open a fake branch office and collect deposits. I wonder if the bank would assume the responsibility in that scenario. Nah. I imagine the identity of a bank can be stolen too – if, suppose, some thieves open a fake branch office and collect deposits. I wonder if the bank would assume the responsibility in that scenario.

Nah.

]]> By: Chris Bertram http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-198266 Chris Bertram Wed, 30 May 2007 08:47:25 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/#comment-198266 Suspect there's not a real ejh to start with! Suspect there’s not a real ejh to start with!

]]> By: ejh http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-198265 ejh Wed, 30 May 2007 08:43:31 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/#comment-198265 How do we know it's the real Chris Bertram who said that? How do we know it’s the real Chris Bertram who said that?

]]> By: Chris Bertram http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/comment-page-1/#comment-198262 Chris Bertram Wed, 30 May 2007 07:16:39 +0000 http://crookedtimber.org/2007/05/30/basically-its-a-huge-pisser-for-you/#comment-198262 Absolutely brilliant Kieran! Absolutely brilliant Kieran!

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