does this sound ok?

with exetel for internet but telstra for the mobile.....can exetel do the internet off the mobile for while we are away???

Laura

Probably just as well you get disconnected every two hours - we met someone with mobile internet through the bigpong, and when their mobile connection dropped out due to erratic reception, they couldn't log out and the bill kept on running up even though they weren't connected. Got a bill for thousands $$$s when they got back to civilisation. Apparently there was an obscure place they could have tick to enable auto log off 20 minutes after disconnection.

I'd be talking to Dept of Fair Trading about being charged for a service when it was not being provided i.e after call dropping out. That billing system is defective !

Hi,

I have a vodaphone data plan - $30:00 for 100Mb, there are other plans available up to $100:00 per month for 1Gb....I have never gone over the 100Mb.

Not sure if exetel have a similar plan....just give them a call!

Rod

Be aware tho, that Firefox is not always compatible with internet banking.
Certainly isn't with St Geo

Cheers

Would need to be tested first, but works fine with Citibank, Virgin, Bank of Qld, Amex, ING...........

I use firefox with St George. A while ago I could not use Netscape as Sun Java was not compatible with the non- standard M$ Java. St George has now come into line and is now using industry standards. Install JRE on your Firefox and allow St George to use it and you will be right.

PeterD

Peter

JRE ??

As that certain readhead once said .... please explain?

Cheers

JRE... Java Runtime Environment

If you install the latest firefox that should be all you need to do. If not, download the latest Java from Sun.com

Laura,

Sorry to repeat myself but just thought I should clarify what I said...I use Exetel for a home connection, not sure if they have a mobile service - I am already in a contract with Vodafone for there datacard.....

Vodafone review

The mobile connection holds for up to 15 minutes, find a good spot to connect and stay there while you do what you have to. Think most phone companies have a similar product and cheaper than the phone plans I found.

Funny thing is I get to work while I am on Fraser Island because of it, couldn't ask for a better work enviroment though....:)

Rod

You should be extremely cautious using an internet cafe for your internet banking. This is one of the easiest ways for your passwords to be stolen. You have no idea what key logging and data logging programs are running on that kind of system. In many cases the owners of the cafe have no idea either but there have been cases where they were actually involved in the scam to steal passwords. All it needs though is for the last person using the PC to have loaded a trojan program.

It's less of a risk if your financial institution has some extra level of security such as password tokens but still a risk.

Tim.

Understand your caution, Tim, but please show me one single documented case of someones banking details being stolen due to a key logger running on an Internet Cafe's computer....

Right up there with "Got this warning via email from Microsoft about .........."

i was only going to do it because of the banking that needs to get done but i have run my mother through it and she is going to do it for me....!!! Will use cafes for emails though....

Laura

Hi John (Mr Bitchi),

It is not just my caution and there are documented cases. Unfortunately I have so much stuff relating to security of Internet Banking that I haven't been able to find the references to the actual case I know of in a short space of time. I have this information because in my other life off this forum I am involved on the side of providing internet banking services.

I will keep looking and see if I can find actual documented cases since you are right that is the only proof rather than what I might say.

In the meantime every single internet banking site that I know of has some security recommendations on them. Take their word if you don't trust mine :). I have just had a look at the Westpac one and it recommends ringing them and changing your password straight after using a public computer. But it also suggest using telephone banking as an alternative. Same sort of warning on all the others.

It has always been easier to steal information from the end user than it has been to attack the actual internet banking site. The security at your end can only be assured on a computer that you control, not on a public one. Your virus protection and firewalls etc don't travel with you to a public computer. They are perfect for things that you don't mind being public like looking for information about things but I would not trust them to keep private information private.

Oh well, down off the soapbox. If you do get you money stolen John you will probably be ok since the banks will probably cover it for you even if it is your fault. Very nice of their insurance companies don't you think?

Tim.

Ok, I have managed to find a news story on the prosecution that I was initially talking about. If you follow this link you will read a news story about an owner of a chain of internet cafes who was logging all passwords.

www.castlecops.com/article2568.html

Fortunately he got caught, but I will say again - the problem with public terminals is that you have no idea what programs have been loaded on that machine before you got there.

Most of the information about how hackers got hold of an end users password is not publicly available as it is usually the result of internal investigations. A lot is by the method described in Roachie's recent post of getting the user to log into a fraudulent site but key logging programs delivered via e-mail and online chat are also prevalent.

All the efforts for security on the side of the banks and other financial institutions are good, and you as consumers should be insisting that your FI provides you with the best, but a lot of responsibility lies with the user to protect the equipment used for access.

Tim.

Most (all the ones I use) banks require you to enter your login details using your mouse, a method that defeats keyloggers.

Most internet banking fraud is accomplished by Phishing or 419 scams.

Be wary, not Paranoid.

Hi John,

It defeats some of the key loggers. There are others that will record mouse clicks and some will even capture screen shots of what you are doing. We only ever play catch up games with the hackers.

Have you ever thought about the issue of a camera that might be looking over your shoulder? There are many ways, some of them very simple. People are still discovering new ways to hack ATM's that are wonderfully creative but driving a truck into one still works.

It is not paranoid to avoid public computers for internet banking. On your own computer you can control your environment and can do all the things necessary to be comfortable about your security. I am not in any way saying that you should not use internet banking as it is as safe as a credit card when used properly. All I am saying is that it is not safe to use a computer that you don't control.

Tim.

Works well for me too.