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However, despite assurances that there systems are (almost) perfectly safe, a growing number of banks are moving away from the simple ID/password login system to the more secure two-factor authentication method.

But maybe the banks are right and the risks are very low.

After all, when several hundred Westpac customers were tricked into disclosing their login details by a clever phishing expedition last year, it appears as if no significant amount of money was lost.

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Most of us think that phishing exploits or the use of keylogging trojans on computers are the kind of things that would be most effective against naive home-computer users who don't run anti-virus software or simply have no idea how to protect themselves.

Apparently not true!

UK police have just foiled a plan to heist over NZ$660 million from the Sumitomo Mitsui bank there.

Just how did these bold villains attempt to make off with all that cash?

Well they had no guns, no get-away car and no pantyhose pulled hard over their faces.

No -- believe it or not, they used keylogging software they managed to install on the banks own computers and were attempting to simply transfer the money to the accounts of accomplices around the world.

So far there's been just one arrest, an Israeli who was the intended recipient of around NZ$40 million.

In the wake of this report, can banks really blame customers if they too fall victims to keylogging software and lose money as a result -- or is it a case of "do as we say, not as we do" when it comes to computer security?

Of course we have to admit that the crims didn't get away with the heist so I guess the bank's security isn't all bad.

Please run your anti-virus software regularly :-)

Lighten Up
Man, what a week! Too many 18-hour days for this old fella -- but here's a bit of a distraction to round things out.

I tend to think that men will score better than women in The Urinal Game.

Keep those lighten-up links coming folks!

Aardvark Forums
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