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In Topic: Clandestine Keylogging Can Be Major Problem
2010-11-15 04:40:50
manarak, on 2010-11-14 17:44:42, said:
I'm an internet professional, here are some pieces of advice:
- update your operating system as soon as a new update is available.
- letting other people use your computer:
never let them use the computer with the same user account as you.
create a "guest" account with no privileges. they can surf the net with that, and in most situations won't be able to install a keylogger.
- mail: use a local mail client like Outlook or Thunderbird, and use accounts which support SSL encryption.
Storing your mails online is a risk, anyone with your password can see all your past messages.
If the messages are downloaded to your local client and deleted from the server, the risk is limited.
But you have to backup your data to avoid loss (for example incase of a defective HDD).
- passwords: use different usernames and different passwords on websites and mail accounts.
A frightening 15% of forum users use the same password for their forum account as for their email account.
Any forum admin can get access to 15% of his users' mail accounts!
- do not rely on "password tools" to store your passwords.
Firstly, these tools are software, and any software can be broken into.
Secondly, being "password storage" tools, they are prime targets for criminals.
If you really need to store your passwords in a file, use a simple text editor like notepad, textpad, etc. and write your accounts and passwords in there.
Then zip or rar the file and set a password, and store the zipped file on a USB stick.
Additional security can be achieved by zipping the file a second time with another password.
Don't forget to delete the unzipped version!
- protection: you need 3 levels of protection: antivirus, behavioral protection and firewall.
I use 3 free security programs: avast, threatfire and zonealarm
Avast is a classical antivirus and will also scan your emails.
Threatfire is very useful and checks if some programs behave "abnormally", i.e. if they make copies of themselves or if they access areas of the system they shouldn't access.
Zone alarm will alert you of every attempt made by a program to access the internet. This would for example give away the keylogger.
- internet cafés: I avoid them completely.
Use the internet café only for surfing the net and avoid logging in anywhere. This sounds a bit unreal if you want to check your mail or write in forums, but internet cafés are just too unsafe.
You can purchase a mobile internet SIM card with unlimited usage for 600 baht a month. It is a bit slow, but it is fast enough for email and internet browsing.
If you have to use an internet café, try to use your own computer with their wireless network.
Caution, the wireless network might be tapped too, but there is less risk if you use mail services that are SSL encrypted.
- update your operating system as soon as a new update is available.
- letting other people use your computer:
never let them use the computer with the same user account as you.
create a "guest" account with no privileges. they can surf the net with that, and in most situations won't be able to install a keylogger.
- mail: use a local mail client like Outlook or Thunderbird, and use accounts which support SSL encryption.
Storing your mails online is a risk, anyone with your password can see all your past messages.
If the messages are downloaded to your local client and deleted from the server, the risk is limited.
But you have to backup your data to avoid loss (for example incase of a defective HDD).
- passwords: use different usernames and different passwords on websites and mail accounts.
A frightening 15% of forum users use the same password for their forum account as for their email account.
Any forum admin can get access to 15% of his users' mail accounts!
- do not rely on "password tools" to store your passwords.
Firstly, these tools are software, and any software can be broken into.
Secondly, being "password storage" tools, they are prime targets for criminals.
If you really need to store your passwords in a file, use a simple text editor like notepad, textpad, etc. and write your accounts and passwords in there.
Then zip or rar the file and set a password, and store the zipped file on a USB stick.
Additional security can be achieved by zipping the file a second time with another password.
Don't forget to delete the unzipped version!
- protection: you need 3 levels of protection: antivirus, behavioral protection and firewall.
I use 3 free security programs: avast, threatfire and zonealarm
Avast is a classical antivirus and will also scan your emails.
Threatfire is very useful and checks if some programs behave "abnormally", i.e. if they make copies of themselves or if they access areas of the system they shouldn't access.
Zone alarm will alert you of every attempt made by a program to access the internet. This would for example give away the keylogger.
- internet cafés: I avoid them completely.
Use the internet café only for surfing the net and avoid logging in anywhere. This sounds a bit unreal if you want to check your mail or write in forums, but internet cafés are just too unsafe.
You can purchase a mobile internet SIM card with unlimited usage for 600 baht a month. It is a bit slow, but it is fast enough for email and internet browsing.
If you have to use an internet café, try to use your own computer with their wireless network.
Caution, the wireless network might be tapped too, but there is less risk if you use mail services that are SSL encrypted.
On March 15th, Symantec made the decision to lay off approximately 1,000 people company-wide. The PC Tools office in Boulder, which was responsible for the development of ThreatFire, was closed. The majority of staff in the office were immediately let go, and the development of ThreatFire was transferred to a very small group in Sydney, Australia. This is why djames, ebennett, and others no longer post here.
At the time, there were serious doubts that ThreatFire would continue to be developed, as the group assigned to pick up the software was 1/6 the size of the group in Boulder. The fact that there has not been an update to the program probably answers that question.
Many of the staff from the Boulder office found their way to a competitor based in Boulder. PC Tools' loss is their gain.
Sourced from PCtools Forum
In Topic: Thai Central Bank To Address Unfair Transaction Fees
2010-07-21 12:32:46
Rucharee, on 2010-07-21 09:58:58, said:
spiderleghead, on 2010-07-21 09:50:38, said:
gkinbkk, on 2010-07-21 09:34:19, said:
I wonder if they will identify the 150b international transaction ATM fee as being unfair?!...somehow I think not!
or the charge they make you pay for changing small change into notes, and the fee i was once charged for paying in 3000 baht in small change into my account, apparently to pay for the time and energy taken to count the money that was already counted and bagged ready for the teller to put it on their money scales.
International fee is beyond Bank of Thailand jurisdiction.
Anyway, you people can afford it.
