Live Boot CD makes online banking safer

[Bold Eagle]

Well it has been brought to my attention that it is very cheap and rather easy way to make yourself almost "bullet proof" for online banking.

- Make a read-only Live Boot CD of a good linux OS (many are free).
- Enter BIOS and turn of the HDD and set system to boot from CD.
- Boot into the OS and do your banking (making sure you are at "the right site!!"

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sec...e_bank_on.html

No mailware can ever be written to the "read-only" CD and thus there is nowhere for malicious code to be stored and then hack your details.

Anyone got any suggestions on some decent linux OS's please.

[hawklord]

mandriva linux

http://www2.mandriva.com/linux/one/

is the distro i use, i have it installed but it can be used as a live cd,

some others to try are

pclinuxos

kubuntu

mint

ubuntu

[foogoo]

A fine source is DistroWatch
http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=cd

Also here is an interesting twist to that stroy.
http://consumerist.com/5393579/citib...ss-linux-users

[studiot]

How does this prevent you being redirected from the real bank site to some fraudulent one?

[augiedoggie]

Originally Posted by studiot

How does this prevent you being redirected from the real bank site to some fraudulent one?

I would think if one put the energy and time to run a LiveCD then one would be able to spot a phisher or as you say a redirect. My bank has 3 levels of security when it doesn't have a previous cookie installed, actually happened today and I make sure I know what the URL's look like and check everytime. I've been burned once by phishers but that was at a forums I admin and a hole was inadvertently created with a mod. That taught me a big lesson!

[Bold Eagle]

Originally Posted by studiot

How does this prevent you being redirected from the real bank site to some fraudulent one?

Excellent question but some points that are bought up in the article and links from them may help prevent this:

"Virtually all of the data-stealing malware in circulation today is built to attack Windows systems, and will simply fail to run on non-Windows computers."

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/sec...e_bank_on.html

A more complex procedure for making the LiveCD so that the linux has FireFox with NoSCript and the Bank's website saved as a bookmark before the final copy is here from page 41 on:

http://www.sans.edu/resources/studen.../200910_05.pdf

This would arguably significantly raise the security "level" for the average user when ever they do online banking and would halt the "current" threats in their tracks.

[Bold Eagle]

I have been using NoScript for years and it does stop "ClickJacking" (redirecting).

[Bold Eagle]

Originally Posted by foogoo

A fine source is DistroWatch
http://distrowatch.com/dwres.php?resource=cd

Also here is an interesting twist to that stroy.
http://consumerist.com/5393579/citib...ss-linux-users

I wont go into it but they are a very bad business on so many levels and I would never have my funds with them. Some countries have even "halted" their trading:

http://www.tradingmarkets.com/.site/...0News/2391992/

That is only the tip of the iceberg.

[Bold Eagle]

Well guys and gals I am now typing to you from Ubuntu LiveCD session and I must say I'm very impressed so far . Either I'm just getting more and more geeky or this is a really easy to use OS with some nice features.

[augiedoggie]

It is easy to run, easy to install but still weak in some driver areas like video and wireless.

[loonacycle]

Originally Posted by Bold Eagle

Well guys and gals I am now typing to you from Ubuntu LiveCD session and I must say I'm very impressed so far . Either I'm just getting more and more geeky or this is a really easy to use OS with some nice features.

it's hard out there for a pimp. plenty of good live cd's to use for many various computing tasks.

the only prob is ya gotta use them !

Bold Eagle the specs on pc #3 cool... little monkey w "electro El Shocko rectal probe"

reminds me of my Dell X1-Spinchter Blaster Lap Dancer Attitude

[sikvik]

In the same boat kinda. Down loaded Mint ran of CD no problem.
.
Now this being a Sunday, chilled beer was todays poison. Never dual booted before. So I'm tinkering and thinking give it a go Had win7 Rc running on the LT

Looked up dual boot win 7 and ubuntu on the net. C$@P every search I got was win over ubuntu but none for ubuntu over Windows. Hmm boredom and beer sets in

I figure nothing important on the LT lets give the install a go.

Of course the beautiful partition manager options show up. I can see where win 7 is installed. But what next?

Ahha right time to chug the beer and get a refill!

Well the beer didn't help at all

Long story short after a lot more beer I managed to loose win7 And the Cd was only 300 miles away

Next step might as well go with Mint. The damn thing went all the way to step 7 the last and froze while installing at 5%. Tried it a few times same prob.
Could have been a burn issue or the MD hash. Beautiful just my luck!

Suddenly have a fuzzy recollection. Had an Ubuntu Jaunty CD lying around. Installed it. Phew!!

And posting from it.

I'm so tired

[augiedoggie]

Ya, I always burn OS's at the lowest speed. I don't dual-boot Ubuntu but I'm running it virtually, of course one has to have the HW specs to run that properly.

[sikvik]

augie, burnt it at 4x. Must have been a problem with MD5 sum/hash. New to this.
Boom and Bugballou will be in hysterics reading my post

[Bold Eagle]

I had 3 failed attempts (MD5 and SH1) with Linux OS's but I finally DL via a "usenet" newsreader, "GrabIt", with all the PAR2 files. Maybe the PAR2 files where an extra 100MB but at least it flew through all the MD5, etc. Usenet for those "delicate" files".

[BoredOutOfMyMind]

Originally Posted by sikvik

augie, burnt it at 4x. Must have been a problem with MD5 sum/hash. New to this.
Boom and Bugballou will be in hysterics reading my post

Nope, Mint 7 borked on me. I posted a thread.
Now 300 miles away...

[Halo]

Wonder if running linux in a Virtual PC would work also as it would save the need to boot to CD and the slowness running of a CD can cause.

However many are caught out on Windows as they dont update the OS, apps and security apps and fall for phishing.

Was reading this earlier this month and is very interesting http://www.eweekeurope.co.uk/news/de...x-malware-2627

[risk_reversal]

Halo said:
Wonder if running linux in a Virtual PC would work also as it would save the need to boot to CD and the slowness running of a CD can cause.

Although I have Linux installed on a couple of dual boot laptops, I also use Linux Live cds. The ones I have been using for a while are Puppy. They are about 100Mb in size and once booted it installs and runs in ram only (need enough ram though).

Once booted to the Linux desktop, you can just take the Live cd out as it is not required any more.

I have tried other Live Cds but they are usually larger (apart from DSL) and create this slowness.

Other reason I like Puppy is that it was virtually the only Linux distro that allowed for relatively easy wireless configuration.

Good Luck

[Halo]

Hi Risk

I will give that a go cheers with Puppy, not run Linux off a liveCD for a while and only in troubleshooting various PCs, tend to have a few versions of Linux and a collection of Windows versions in VPC.

Running Mint and Kubuntu at present and just wondering if in a VPC enviroment you end up with the same effect as the original posting in running linux to prevent Windows malware keylogging etc, not that I'm too worried at using Windows to bank or shop as my PC is as secure as I can get it for those tasks.

[risk_reversal]

Halo, try it I think you will love Puppy. You can also do a full install which I have done.

The Puppy Linux forum is also full of info for additional enhancements and software.

Good Luck