Friday, May 17, 2013

Your Smartphone - The Quickest Route to Your Bank Account

Many consumers simply don't realize how vulnerable their Androids, iPhones and other devices can be. 

An April study by the Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta said threats are proliferating, ranging from "phishing" -- where consumers click a phony email or text message and are tricked into handing over personal information -- to consumers' reluctance to use security protections they normally have on home computers, like a password...

Organized crime operations see smartphones as the most vulnerable entry point into the electronic financial system, according to the Federal Reserve...

Vikram Thakur, principal security response manager for security software giant Symantec, said attackers can get complete control of a phone simply by getting people to click on a link. Without actually having the phone in their hands, the hackers can access messages, phone calls and personal information. (more)

Spybusters Tip #734: 
• Password protect your phone. Keep it turned on.
• Don't click on anything 'iffy'.
• Keep Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned off unless needed.
• Avoid sensitive transaction over public Wi-Fi hot spots.