D&C Lug - Home Page
Devon & Cornwall Linux Users' Group

[ Date Index ][ Thread Index ]
[ <= Previous by date / thread ] [ Next by date / thread => ]

Re: Online Security (Was: Re: [LUG] Are there any linux engineersin North Devon?)



On Thu, 1 May 2003, Paul Weaver wrote:
> When people worry about internet security it's hillarious. The weakest link is
> the banks, and people. Its so easy to get someones details the old fashioned
> way, using social engineering, theres no need to break in to large data
> centers

yes - because SSL means that a website is 'secure' ;)

It is hard to explain to people that SSL only means that the connection
between their browser and the server is relatively secure but that the
credit card details are much easier to get from elsewhere..
- SQL Server : many known vulnerabilities, many systems unpatched and open
to the web
- ASP/PHP/etc : many know vulnerabilities as well SQL injections and bad
application design make it possible to get all those lovelly cc details
stored on the system
- internet explorer : so so buggy its a joke, and quite happy to leak
documents and full access to your system and its cache to all an sundry
- Windows (or dead rat or slowarsis) : many old systems vulnerable to
exploits and pretty easy to go in and copy the whole 'ecommerce' database
for your later perusal.

Mind you there are also the many receipts you have probably thrown away
that hold your full cc details and signature - Railway Ticket CC booking
have all your CC details, most restaurant and other places that take CC
cards will have copies of your details sitting around in the till as well
as your copy that will get left in your hand bag or thrown away.

If you really want stolen identities and CC info its a piece of cake -
much easier that burglary or mugging.

A.


--
The Mailing List for the Devon & Cornwall LUG
Mail majordomo@xxxxxxxxxxxx with "unsubscribe list" in the
message body to unsubscribe.


Lynx friendly