I gave up using Windows for internet use years ago. If the viruses don't get you the antivirus applications will bog you down.

Running a live Linux cd like Puppy is super fast and super secure because you can not write to a cd - it cannot be infected by anything. It always stays pure and safe.

What amazes me is that people still haven't realized the advantages of Linux and continue to pay top dollar for one of the most insecure and unstable computer operating system available.

The problem is using closed source software, in general. Open Source prevents exploits because no one profits from hiding them. Microsoft has and always will hide exploits found in it's systems. It costs money and sales when an exploit is found and made public; if you can hide it while quietly fixing it and suppress information about it, all that messy publicity, and costs to fix it quickly are avoided.

Surely with the price of usb sticks its faster to use one of them?

Also some motherboards these days come with browsing capabilities straight form boot so you dont have to boot into the os.

Hello from Croatia,
We have nice thing here Tokens,
Put visa/maestro in token enter pin and you get on time code to login.
every transaction (one or more bills) has challenge/answer part you have to enter/get from token.

So ????? how can someone then use your comp to connect to your bank without token?????

And for all that i pay my Bank 1€/month (account, eBanking, pay per SMS, ... etc)

"Uh huh. And what will happen when everyone in the world is running Linux as per your advice? Think about it"

Very primitive comment.
It is much more profitable for hacker to be able to attack Linux machines, but it is much easier to get there trough Windows machines.

The best example is Apple and it's OS.
since they switched to BSD core, they have reduced successful attacks while gained serious popularity.

Windows is insecure by design. It will be for decades more.

As for users, my parents not the best, and during their use of XP it was disaster for me to keep their XP clean, safe and usable. Honestly, i have much better things to do with my time.
They using Linux for years and perfectly happy. And it's not even Ubuntu. They use Sabayon.

I think they do get targeted, for the same reason a lot of people won't buy their products-their neo human business practice. You have to pay double if you want to actually use the software like...software. Similar to if you bought a TV and once you plugged it in, unless you paid double the price, you have to buy a new TV if you want move it to another outlet. And sorry, you can't sell that TV, unless you paid double-and then it can only be sold once. That's just for starters. You can't significantly upgrade your computer, but you can significantly upgrade it. Which shade of gray is that? The company sucks and it's no wonder why they have so many friends who feel their 'pain'.

I committed to using Linux and made the move almost two years ago. I built a new machine and used a KVM switch so I could run my old machine side by side until I figured it all out. It's a lot more work, and I'm guessing it's got it's own security issues, but it's still way cool. I can load Linux on anything and on as many boxes as I like, as many different versions as I like, and I can get involved and do some programing myself. I think most people who would stand up for ya vole would likely be just as happy if computers never existed, more at home with a club and a can of beer then a computer. For me, the computer itself is half the fun.

Be real, be sober.

@SERIOUSLY

Even if you win at Russian Roulette, you're still a fool for playing. The 'big win' that MS claimed for financials has now reversed. The London Stock Exchange is ripping out the Windows machines that MS personally was involved in setting up and maintaining because they've had several huge outages costing tens of millions in losses. Windows machines had to be reset every day from the constant memory leaks. Some of their old VMS machines had been running constantly for decades without being reset.

@Anon - as others have already pointed out, there is malware that waits until that moment right after you're authenticated to transfer your accounts to Russia or to buy a full load of some penny stock or far out of the money options.

What will you do when the banking application says ... "For this website to work properly please use IE6" :D :D

I forgot to mention BartPe which UBCD4WIN is based upon.

Hey.........there are live Windows versions too! UBCD4WIN for example.

If you dont like ms then dont fking use microsoft product... I fking mean it you fking inquirer

Avoid the INQ as a source of tech news for it is plagued by utter tripe - mainly in the form of baseless bias.

Windows is damn fine for internet banking. I happen to carry out transactions daily and that too on Windows.

Hatemongering is fine, but if hatemongering deludes you to the point where you fail to see a good product because it COSTS then it becomes pretty lame.

I bet my bottom pound that the reason why the INQ profoundly hates MS and Windows is because their office cannot afford it.

I don't have any money, but it is an interesting concept.

barrarthurjames11@live.com)‏
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Banking Is Weak Link, that makes Poor retailing Very Easy. Its Little Fish,BIG Fish thinnn.

drashek

@ no virus

'there is virtually no malware circulating that attacks Linux machines'

Uh huh. And what will happen when everyone in the world is running Linux as per your advice? Think about it.

The best way to do online banking is to scan your face with a scanner and e-mail the file to the bank every time you login.

Just load Linux and use it as your primary OS for web surfing and everything else. You really cannot have a "safe" web surfing experience using Windows.

If you "must" run Windows occasionally for some reason, probably the safest way to do so is in a "sandboxed" virtual machine under Linux (such as Sun's Virtualbox: http://www.virtualbox.org/wiki/Downloads )(hey, kind of sounds like what Windows 7 is supposed to do, but Linux and Virtualbox are free and Windows 7 is, after all, Windows and insecure by design).

Could also dual-boot, but this provides Windows with more opportunities to install rootkits, keyloggers, etc.

However -- to be fair -- users using ANY OS can still be duped by phishing attacks, phoney look-alike websites that steal their sign-on info. So even if you are running Linux, never follow email "links" allegedly from your banking institution. But Linux certainly does protect you from all known Windows viruses, and there is virtually no malware circulating that attacks Linux machines (as testified by the security of most web servers, that run on Linux).

First, specify which version of windows. I'm guessing the vast majority of cases are unpatched windows xp boxes running ie6.

Windows Vista and Windows 7 have much improved security models.

A live cd isn't a terrible idea though, but keeping an up to date livecd with security updates is going to be a pain. The majority of new attacks these days are shifting to phishing and similiar scams - and they affect all browsers and operating systems. It's a true disservice to tell people that linux or mac os will solve all their security problems, that is simply not the case.

I tried this many times but always failed as I wasn't proficient enough with linux to get my wireless connection to work....instead I now have a virtual pc...still using windows xp that I use to do online banking and infact any online browsing...afterwards just turn off the VPC using the "turn off and delete changes" option and it automatically loses any changes including malware downloads that occurred during that session. Just make sure you do a fresh restart before you do you online banking....easy as that.

lol @ anon. PIN Key fobs are nice, but they're still vulnerable to MitM type attacks, or in this case MitB.

If somebody decides they want your account info, there's generally always a way to get it. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Man_in_the_Browser

If you do banking online alot, Linux or Linux boot CDs are the way to go generally. Even better, you could just not do your banking online at all!

Anon, dont think your pin sentry is keeping you secure. Look up zbot virus and man in the middle attacks.

Your details you input will be sent to the controlling pc in real time and then they have upto 3 minutes to log in with the same credentials.

i know of at least one person who uses the same system with Barclays and they were hit!

You have to wonder how any company can run a computer system and not have sufficient enough safeguards on _any_ O/S that deals with money to stop malware/virus/porn being installed.

Using a "live" CD is akin to just re-installing Windows every time you want to check your bank account to make sure your "secure"

Another classic case of P.I.C.N.I.C

Problem
In
Chair
Not
In
Computer

Let's see, yes I suppose user interaction IS required here - one has to turn the machine on and connect it to the outside world, unprotected. (A/V s/w does GUARANTEE a ssfe machine right?)
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=197002712&subSection=All+Stories
And I guess those 13 or so updates on the 13th Oct were "optional" and trivial?

Perhaps this Inspector Clueso can explain just how my Windows pc is vulnerable when I do my online banking?

I use PIN Sentry & as my PIN number is used ONLY once for any one particular login occasion,no keylogger or any other malware used would be any good.

But then,like all good bent coppers,they like to brag about something they know nothing about.

The weakest point on any computer is ....you guessed it...the person sitting in front of it.

I agree with the above idea and have been doing that very thing for about the last 6 months. And yes windows is the most targeted os because its the most popular and the most insecure.Windows 7 will be no different and MS will just keep patching the holes and is content with that. They really do need to be much better because most people don't have any idea how insecure it really is and trust it way to much. A thumb drive can get you online but the default settings will be lost when its rebooted.
Anyone remember .NET was keep track of all our credit cards and personal data?
Thays just plain scary, Halloween scary!

Imagine if Microsoft was a bank. Just call it VoleBank.

A message from VoleBank's customer service:
"Sorry Sir, but a confluence of errors from a server failure has caused all your banking data to be erased, and regrettably we must inform you that all record of your account and funds has almost certainly been lost. We did not have a back-up."

Trust Microsoft with security? Everything they touch turns into a security nightmare. Avoid Windows for online banking, and any other security sensitive work.