Small Dedicated Computer

[alphab1]

Hi,

I am looking for a small computer to be used only for financial transactions (brokerage, bank accounts etc) and not for sending or receiving emails, browsing etc. The purpose is to minimize the chances of getting hacked. I understand bugs can be transmitted also via usb ports so I intend to avoid the use of these as well.

Any suggestions please? Are there other ways to achieve this safety? I do use two factor authentication with these accounts which comes into effect when I change my usual computer or make an error in the password (for example).

Thanks.
alphab1

[swill453]

I'd think a Chromebook would be worth looking at for this.
https://www.google.com/intl/en_uk/chromebook/

Scott.

[ReformedCharacter]

Hi,

I am looking for a small computer to be used only for financial transactions (brokerage, bank accounts etc) and not for sending or receiving emails, browsing etc. The purpose is to minimize the chances of getting hacked. I understand bugs can be transmitted also via usb ports so I intend to avoid the use of these as well.

Any suggestions please? Are there other ways to achieve this safety? I do use two factor authentication with these accounts which comes into effect when I change my usual computer or make an error in the password (for example).

Thanks.
alphab1

Unless you want to get really complicated with something like FreeBSD, I'd suggest a Raspberry Pi running whichever minimal distribution of Linux you like. Presumably you will be using a browser for your transactions so it may be worth looking for one that emphasises security. I would avoid Windows personally.

RC

[Infrasonic]

What's your current setup?
PC make/model number, operating system (Windows 7/8/10/other) main browser(s) et al.

Give us a bit to go on and we can advise about strengthening the security of your current system or (maybe) buying a completely separate box, although the latter still requires some technical knowledge to extract the maximum from it, otherwise you could potentially spend the money and not really be any better off.

If your technical knowledge is somewhere near zero then getting it all looked at and set up correctly by a paid for third party technician might be more realistic?

[alphab1]

Thanks.

I have a 12.2 in Samsung Tablet (SMT 900) which I hardly use. If I cleanse it of all the unwanted apps and leave only the finance-related apps will it be safe for accessing financial web sites? These tablets (and smartphones) come with so many apps that cannot be removed that I feel these may become routes for hackers to get access to other web pages. Maybe, my fears are unfounded.

[Itsallaguess]

Are there other ways to achieve this safety?

If you've got access to a 'normal' PC, then building a bootable USB stick with a clean Ubuntu/Linux install on it might be a quicker, cheaper option.

The idea being that you can boot from that USB stick when you want to carry out sensitive browsing actions such as banking transactions etc., and then simply revert to your 'normal' operating system when such additional security measure are not as important to you.

If this is an option for you, I'd strongly suggest investigating it before heading down alternative, potentially much more complicated routes....

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

[UncleEbenezer]

Are there other ways to achieve this safety?

If you've got access to a 'normal' PC, then building a bootable USB stick with a clean Ubuntu/Linux install on it might be a quicker, cheaper option.

The idea being that you can boot from that USB stick when you want to carry out sensitive browsing actions such as banking transactions etc., and then simply revert to your 'normal' operating system when such additional security measure are not as important to you.

If this is an option for you, I'd strongly suggest investigating it before heading down alternative, potentially much more complicated routes....

Cheers,

Itsallaguess

Agree with that. And there are many variants on that theme that work on a single computer. A dual-boot 'puter is a great solution if you can live without both running simultaneously. Or something running in a Virtual Machine or Jail - but only recommended if you already know and understand the terminology there.

[alphab1]

Thank you all for your helpful suggestions.

I am reasonably knowledgeable about computers but admit not being able to keep up with new developments. I use three computers:

Dell Vostro desktop is the oldest (more than 10 yr old) with dual booting - old Win Xp and Win 7. (I did the installation myself following instructions from the internet.) I use it most often for accessing my brokerage and bank accounts. I find using outlook.com easier but I get huge number of junk mails which accumulate rapidly if I do not check and empty the folder everyday. I have to check at least the sender's address for most as very often this folder includes important emails incorrectly considered junk by outlook. I also have gmail but I find the system of replying, forwarding, keeping copies etc not as simple as with outlook. So, there is a risk that I may click on a rogue outlook.com mail and get into trouble. Also, I may inadvertently open a rogue website.

If my dedicated device does not allow such access and does not have emailing facility then (I thought) chances of hacking of my accounts will be remote.

I have a Macbook Air, also quite old with dual booting allowing me to use Win 7 via boot camp. I admit I did not find it easy to learn MacOs being used to Windows for many years when I bought the Mac. I have the same worries of being hacked with this laptop (which I carry with me when travelling) as with Vostro.

I also occasionally use a Lenovo Thinkcenter Tiny desktop PC with a large monitor but rarely access my accounts from this device.

Ideally I wish to have a portable device for checking my accounts when travelling although I admit I may not find secure wifi easily - whether in hotels or on cruise ships.

So, I will appreciate any suggestions of how to use unsecured internet connection for safe access of financial or other sites, if such a combination is possible

If it is relevant, I also have 12.2 in Samsung Tablet with lots of apps (some 'built-in') which I hardly use. Can I somehow use it for the sole purpose of safe access to my account pages? I can uninstall all the apps I installed (including email apps) but there will still be a few which came with the device. I just do not know if those apps can get automatically activated without my knowledge when I connect to the internet and then somehow used by hackers for monitoring my login information.

Thank you.
alpha

[alphab1]

I just found this tutorial for creating a Ubuntu usb stick:

https://tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/t ... n-ubuntu#4

Can I follow the instructions here and create a bootable usb stick and then try it both on my Vostro and MacbookAir?
Do I need any additional information to open the computers with this OS? I ask because I already have two OS residing on both computers.

[scrumpyjack]

2 thoughts on this.

I use a VPN (Nord VPN) which I understand is meant to increase security significantly

Also I recall reading that banking apps are generally more secure on mobile phones than on PCs

[kiloran]

I just found this tutorial for creating a Ubuntu usb stick:

https://tutorials.ubuntu.com/tutorial/t ... n-ubuntu#4

Can I follow the instructions here and create a bootable usb stick and then try it both on my Vostro and MacbookAir?
Do I need any additional information to open the computers with this OS? I ask because I already have two OS residing on both computers.

You may need to check that your PC can boot from USB. Normally a Bios option, I think.

--kiloran

[alphab1]

Good point. This is a rather old computer and I have to check if it accepts USB for booting. If not I may have to use a CD/DVD for booting.

[jonesa1]

If you don't intend to use email, only visit web sites that you know, regularly apply security updates to the OS, install a reputable paid-for VPN (only really needed if you have any doubts about the network you use to access the internet, e.g. any publicly accessible wifi), ensure some sort of security software is running (for most people the default s/w in Win 10 is more than enough), avoid reusing passwords across websites, then the risk of being hacked is very small and you probably have more important things to worry about.

A chromebook would be a good option if you're happy to only use a a web browser, its OS is pretty much immune to being hacked, but the browser could still be a route in if you visit the wrong sites.

Linux should be more secure than Windows, but takes more technical knowledge to use it, especially if you want to lock it down

You should also be able to use your tablet safely, same thing as for a PC: only visit sites you know, keep the OS and apps updated, use a VPN if there are any doubts about the security of the wifi network, don't reuse passwords

If you're worried about getting too much spam which could mask important emails, set up a new email account and switch over the sites / accounts which you care about to the new id and don't use it for anything else.

[alphab1]

Thanks for your detailed suggestions jonesa1.

It seems a new email account will be useful to replace outlook.com. However, I still have to keep an eye on outlook.com emails for some length of time as there are far too many people or organizations who have my outlook.com or hotmail address. This is why I have not changed it before. Any suggestions about a reliable and free web based email client excluding yahoo and gmail?

Regarding use of paid for VPN for internet access outside one's home you seem to suggest that it may not be necessary. Should I not have doubt about all networks where no password is needed, that is, if they are unsecured? Or it is sufficient if the web url has https:/indicating that the material is encrypted?

[UncleEbenezer]

2 thoughts on this.

I use a VPN (Nord VPN) which I understand is meant to increase security significantly

How so?

A VPN addresses entirely different security issues to those the OP is concerned with.

Also I recall reading that banking apps are generally more secure on mobile phones than on PCs

That depends entirely on the underlying platform. Perhaps it's premised on the idea that people update their phones every year so are more likely to be up-to-date with security fixes? Or that many phones only ever install software from highly-curated app stores. Even so it sounds dubious to me.

[Alaric]

That depends entirely on the underlying platform. Perhaps it's premised on the idea that people update their phones every year so are more likely to be up-to-date with security fixes? Or that many phones only ever install software from highly-curated app stores. Even so it sounds dubious to me.

Like Windows 10, Android will update "apps" in the background. Something to watch out for on data usage if not connecting via unlimited wifi.

[jonesa1]

Thanks for your detailed suggestions jonesa1.

It seems a new email account will be useful to replace outlook.com. However, I still have to keep an eye on outlook.com emails for some length of time as there are far too many people or organizations who have my outlook.com or hotmail address. This is why I have not changed it before. Any suggestions about a reliable and free web based email client excluding yahoo and gmail?

Regarding use of paid for VPN for internet access outside one's home you seem to suggest that it may not be necessary. Should I not have doubt about all networks where no password is needed, that is, if they are unsecured? Or it is sufficient if the web url has https:/indicating that the material is encrypted?

You can have a second outlook.com email id, in fact you can as many as you want. I use outlook, yahoo and gmail with multiple yahoo and gmail ids - a mix of historic mess and deliberately segregating usage (one id is only used for financial matters, another is purely the master account for my Android devices and never gets used for email), all are managed through Outlook (365 on my laptop and the Android app).

If you're using the device outside your home, then it's always best to use a VPN (because wifi hotspots can be spoofed, whether or not they require passwords), unless you are very confident in the security of the wifi network you're using. Your home network should be OK so long as the router admin id is password protected (with a non-trivial password), the firmware is updated regularly and wifi is securely password protected.

https indicates that the traffic between your device and the destination server is encrypted. That stops people snooping from within the network. I doesn't protect you from malware installed on your device, such as a key logger (nor if the destination server has been compromised), then again neither would a VPN. Like all things in life, 100% security is impossible, all you can do is weight the odds in your favour and (as with everything else in life) there's a law of diminishing returns. Do the basics, such as keeping software updated, using proper passwords, avoiding dodgy websites, not clicking on links or attachments in emails (unless you are certain what they are) and you will be unlikely to have issues. Making sure you have multiple copies (e.g. on your PC, plus a cloud service, plus an offline USB disk) of important data - which could include photos - is also good practice, just in case. You can always encrypt sensitive data before copying it, e.g. using VeraCrypt on a PC.

The next step could be adding things like 3rd party firewall software, disk encryption, always using a VPN, etc - businesses typically adopt these measures (the cost of failure across a business is usually thought to justify the expense of avoiding it). Even here, the main weakness will always be user behaviour (e.g. plugging in an unverified USB storage device against corporate policy, or clicking on attachments in phishing emails). Where highly confidential data is involved there may be other measures such as avoiding removable media, only using wired networks where the wiring is in secured trunking, or even isolating devices from all networks. Just how secure do you need to be set against the time, effort, inconvenience and cost?

One thing I didn't comment on from an earlier post was that you mentioned having a dual boot machine with XP. XP has been unsupported for a long time now, it hasn't been getting security updates and using it connected to the internet should been seen as broadcasting a "please hack me" message. Windows 7 goes unsupported early next year as well.

Andrew

[jonesa1]

Like Windows 10, Android will update "apps" in the background. Something to watch out for on data usage if not connecting via unlimited wifi.

I've come across plenty of people who don't allow apps to be updated, their devices aren't set to automatically update and they usually clear the notifications telling them to update. Even more are using devices which don't get OS level updates, because the support from manufacturers and ISPs is very patchy and stops 3 years after launch for the best supported Android devices (Google's). I happily use my phone for internet banking etc, it's a Pixel 2 which still gets monthly security updates and yearly OS version updates. I wouldn't use a phone which wasn't still getting regular updates for anything financial or sensitive. In this regard iPhones are probably more secure because they are supported with updates for much longer than Android.

[AF62]

Ideally I wish to have a portable device for checking my accounts when travelling although I admit I may not find secure wifi easily - whether in hotels or on cruise ships.

So, I will appreciate any suggestions of how to use unsecured internet connection for safe access of financial or other sites, if such a combination is possible

iPhone / iPad with a VPN connection back to a Raspberry Pi attached to your home broadband.

[kiloran]

It's interesting to compare the quality of the posts on this thread with those on Motley Fool US
https://boards.fool.com/buying-a-small- ... e#34230225

--kiloran