Hey guys. Just this evening, as I was walking home from work, I got a text from my bank, saying there was suspicious activity on my debit card. I called them up, they say it was several hundred euros worth, an online shopping transaction that had been done about an hour beforehand while I was busy working, from a foreign website. I of course disputed the charge, and they cancelled my debit card. I then went to my local police and they verified the number I called, they rang into my bank and the bank confirmed I had indeed been sent a legit fraud alert message.
Now, I'm looking for tips as to how to stay safe online. The problem is...I thought I had been! I'm hugely paranoid about online shopping.
Here are my security practices to date
1) Each and every single online service, game or online application (so things like Skype, Facebook, Steam, MMOs) has a separate email address using one of various webmail services (so I have a ****facebook@gmail, a *****skype@outlook and so on). The email addresses have randomized passwords, and so do the actual accounts (so my facebook@gmail has one password, and my actual facebook account has another password).
2) I keep a list of all my passwords in a password protected text document on a machine permanently disconnected from the net. That machine runs a non-Windows OS and requires two passwords, one to boot, one to log in to the OS. Whenever I need a password, I open that document, look at the password, and manually type it in, on the machine I am actually using.
3) I run Avast at all times. I also have Malwarebytes, but not as a persistent scanner.
4) I keep software as up to date as possible.
5) As to actual usage of my bank card, shopping online, I use as few services as possible. I have a Paypal account, which I linked to my debit card (the one that got cancelled this evening). I use Paypal to pay for Steam and Ebay purchases.
Amazon has my debit card, I use that to pay for Amazon purchases.
I sometimes order food from Dominos but they do not have my debit card saved, I manually type that in each time.
6) Whenever I shop, I check the web address, I check that I'm using HTTPS.
In terms of online security, I think I'm covered, but of course, there has to be more I can do, given that this fraud happened. Any tips? I'm thinking of taking one of my laptops (I have three), formatting it, installing Linux and then installing a virtual machine on top of that (a non-persistent one, so no data is saved between usages), and using that machine for literally ALL of my online shopping/banking.
Any other tips? I'm also careful about ATMs - the main ones I use are either the ones in my workplace, or ones that are set into the walls at bank buildings.
Thanks.
Now, I'm looking for tips as to how to stay safe online. The problem is...I thought I had been! I'm hugely paranoid about online shopping.
Here are my security practices to date
1) Each and every single online service, game or online application (so things like Skype, Facebook, Steam, MMOs) has a separate email address using one of various webmail services (so I have a ****facebook@gmail, a *****skype@outlook and so on). The email addresses have randomized passwords, and so do the actual accounts (so my facebook@gmail has one password, and my actual facebook account has another password).
2) I keep a list of all my passwords in a password protected text document on a machine permanently disconnected from the net. That machine runs a non-Windows OS and requires two passwords, one to boot, one to log in to the OS. Whenever I need a password, I open that document, look at the password, and manually type it in, on the machine I am actually using.
3) I run Avast at all times. I also have Malwarebytes, but not as a persistent scanner.
4) I keep software as up to date as possible.
5) As to actual usage of my bank card, shopping online, I use as few services as possible. I have a Paypal account, which I linked to my debit card (the one that got cancelled this evening). I use Paypal to pay for Steam and Ebay purchases.
Amazon has my debit card, I use that to pay for Amazon purchases.
I sometimes order food from Dominos but they do not have my debit card saved, I manually type that in each time.
6) Whenever I shop, I check the web address, I check that I'm using HTTPS.
In terms of online security, I think I'm covered, but of course, there has to be more I can do, given that this fraud happened. Any tips? I'm thinking of taking one of my laptops (I have three), formatting it, installing Linux and then installing a virtual machine on top of that (a non-persistent one, so no data is saved between usages), and using that machine for literally ALL of my online shopping/banking.
Any other tips? I'm also careful about ATMs - the main ones I use are either the ones in my workplace, or ones that are set into the walls at bank buildings.
Thanks.