Hackers warn High Street Chains

[madasahatter]

 

Tesco, M&S etc could be next

[Rik]

It's almost inevitable, isn't it. I wonder if they'll go for the banks too?

[madasahatter]

Wouldn't surprise me, but you would hope that the banks are more security concious with data 

[Rik]

 

You mean the banks that allow customers' data to be stored on laptops which are taken off site? 

[madasahatter]

ahhhh yes  - the very same.

Hmmmmmm - looks like we could all be in big trouble soon 

[Rik]

The Nationwide online banking server was down for most of the day on Thursday. They won't say (as usual  ) what the problem was, but DDoS would fit the symptoms perfectly.

[madasahatter]

What would happen if they hit all the banks simultaneously?

[Rik]

Lots of irate customers, considerable load on the banks' call centres, massive disruption to the banking system.

[madasahatter]

Lots of irate customers, considerable load on the banks' call centres, massive disruption to the banking system.

So basically lots of fun for everyone then 

As long as they don't do it on my pay day 

[Rik]

If they had any sense, they'd target the last/first days of the month, when more people access online banking.

[madasahatter]

that's true, but then we wouldn't want to be seen to be suggesting things to help them would we? 

[Rik]

I doubt they need any help from us, Mad. I suspect they would know exactly when and where to strike.

[madasahatter]

Unfortunately true 

Why don't they all just 

[Rik]

They have, it's called anarchy.

[madasahatter]

That's true, but it just makes me wonder where we would be if peeps like that used their obvious intelligence for something to benefit us, rather than inconvenience us at best, and really ^&*% us up at worst. 

[Rik]

Sometimes they do, of course, but we shouldn't forget that people can earn a lot of money in this way. They're not entirely without motive.

[Tacitus]

Tesco, M&S etc could be next

A lot of this is down to poor security, not by Tesco et al, but by individuals who let their machines get taken over as part of a botnet.  Some of it is also down to a single OS being installed on some 90% of the world's PCs making it easier to create a botnet.  As in nature, diversity is a good thing.  The fact that the OS in question is inherently insecure, unless you know what you're doing, doesn't help.  That said, the most insecure part of a computer is the bit that fits between the chair and the keyboard   

Disclaimer:  I use a Mac, but the opinions expressed have nothing to do with Macs, Apple, or fanboyism 

[Rik]

That said, the most insecure part of a computer is the bit that fits between the chair and the keyboard   

What, my stomach!!?

[madasahatter]

A lot of this is down to poor security, not by Tesco et al, but by individuals who let their machines get taken over as part of a botnet.  Some of it is also down to a single OS being installed on some 90% of the world's PCs making it easier to create a botnet.  As in nature, diversity is a good thing.  The fact that the OS in question is inherently insecure, unless you know what you're doing, doesn't help.  That said, the most insecure part of a computer is the bit that fits between the chair and the keyboard   

How very true, but then I'm guilty of going along withe Windows crowd too - although I would hope that I have a lot more of a clue than most  8)

[Rik]

Does that make you a clued hoob?

[Malc]

Lots of irate customers, considerable load on the banks' call centres, massive disruption to the banking system.

So india would come to a standstill then.

[Rik]

 

A few satellites in meltdown maybe.

[Malc]

Does that make you a clued hoob?

and not a Hoob Noob 

[madasahatter]

So india would come to a standstill then.

[Rik]

and not a Hoob Noob 

I like hoob noobs.