[LINK] Banks and hacking

[Marghanita da Cruz]

Jan Whitaker wrote:
>  From one of my crime writing lists:
> 
>> In his book, "Art of Deception", infamous 'hacker' (to
>> use the inaccurate media loved term) Kevin Mitnick
>> described how he got into most of his databases. Not
>> through computer networks,but by simply impersonating
>> the person above the level he was talking to. Say he
>> needed the access codes to a level of something. All
>> he did was simply tell the clerk that he was say,
>> Wally from IT and needed the codes to install the
>> updates to the database. Yes, there was some intense
>> computer knowledge required, but he admitted he
>> charmed most of the info out of people in what is
>> known as social engineering.
> 
> So, what sorts of training is happening in our financial institutions 
> and other government bureaucracies where our personal information is 
> stored to avoid this sort of scam?
> 
Jan,

It is more than training that is required. Presumably banks have an interest in 
preventing fraud of this and other kinds and the banking ombudsman would have a 
role to perform in addressing customer concerns. I am not sure what the 
mechanisms are in Government - perhaps complain to your MP?

There is research on credit card fraud, perpetrated on small businesses, 
available on the Australian Institute of Criminology website. The research 
revealed that there is generally a difference in approach between females and 
males. It was also relevant that when fraud was discovered the victims turned to 
the banks rather than the police or government agencies.

See
<http://www.aic.gov.au/publications/rpp/60/section4.html>

Marghanita
-- 
Marghanita da Cruz
http://www.ramin.com.au
Phone: (+61)0414 869202