Play it safe
By Charles Miller

Not just one, but three Atención readers emailed to alert me to a recent online column by Adrian Kingsley-Hughes on ZDNet entitled “Time to ditch Windows for online banking and shopping.”

This column quoted FBI Director Robert Mueller telling how he nearly fell for a bank phishing email, and that as a result he no longer does any banking online. That is one way to deal with the problem; however, a lot of people in San Miguel feel they have to rely on being able to do their banking and shopping online, so to simply say they have to stop is not a satisfactory solution.

An alternative offered up in the ZDNet column is to use a Linux Live CD. This is a simple and attractive approach for several reasons, which I will expand upon after first answering the question “What is a live CD?”

A “live CD” (which could be CD or DVD medium) is a disk containing a bootable computer operating system. The term “live” refers to the fact that the self-contained disk includes all the files necessary for a complete, functioning and operational system that does not need to be installed on the computer’s hard disk before it can be used. The most popular live CDs are based on Linux because it is free, and because Microsoft and Apple are not free and do not encourage distribution of live CDs.

Using a live CD could not be simpler. Simply load it into your computer, reboot, and the desktop from the CD soon appears. Your live CD should include one of the popular browsers such as Firefox or Opera, which you will use to browse the web and access your bank account.

The reason for recommending the use of a live CD for online banking or shopping is this: The assumption is that any operating system installed on your hard disk (Windows, Mac or Linux) could be infected by keystroke loggers, spyware, etc. because it is possible to write to the disk. It is impossible to write to a CD and therefore the disk is 100 percent safe from infections.

Mr. Kingsley-Hughes as well as Washington Post columnist Brian Krebs recommends using a live CD for all online banking, even on your own home computer. I agree with their reasoning and would go further to recommend two other uses.

As a technician, I have been using live CDs for years, mostly as a diagnostic tool but also as a security measure and protection from infections. The computers in Internet cafés are usually quite infected, but using your own live CD overcomes any worries you might otherwise have about some spyware on the computer stealing your passwords or otherwise compromising your online banking. Be sure to ask permission first; last year I was ejected from an Internet café in Guadalajara for using my own disk without asking.

Another use for a live CD is well suited for the holidays when many of us have houseguests. I would rather a guest ask to share my toothbrush than use my computer. So, along with clean towels and a fresh bar of soap, guests at my house will be provided a live CD to use if they need to check their email or surf the web. If I place that live CD in my computer and insist they use it, then the risk is small they will make unwelcome changes to my computer.

So, the next logical question is “Where do I get a live CD?” There are many from which to choose, and my favorite is Ubuntu. Use the web address http://tinyurl.com/2cm3o5, where you may follow the instructions to download your own live CD for free.

Charles Miller is a freelance computer consultant, a frequent visitor to San Miguel since 1981 and now practically a full-time resident. He may be contacted at 044-415-101-8528 or email FAQ8 (at) SMAguru.com.