August 21, 2008
Jibba-jabba: SMS Phishing
So, I maxed out one of my credit cards the other day, and to my surprise I received a text from the card company saying that my account was over its limit and that I should ring this number to sort it out. Well, I say it was from them, but there was no indication beyond the name of the card being mentioned in the text that it was from the card issuing company. Also, the phone number supplied wasn't the one I had in my phone for that company's customer service line. Anybody could have sent it. Suspicious.
So instead of calling the number in the text, I rang my known-good number for the company and asked about the message. Turns out that the credit card company did send it and that the number given was for an automated payment system rather than customer service but still: training your customers to phone up numbers received via a random text message and give out their card details? What a dangerously insecure precedent to set! Banks and credit card companies don't do that sort of thing via email because of phishing and SMS has even fewer safeguards.
It's worth noting that the automated payment system was a voice recognition system so you wouldn't even need touchtone capability to create a fake version. If that's how credit card companies are operating these days then I reckon we can expect to see SMS phishing for credit card details taking off in a big way.
Posted by Jonah at 12:28 PM | Comments (1)
August 1, 2008
Jibba-jabba: Happy Yorkshire Day
'appen.
Posted by Jonah at 9:18 AM | Comments (0)
July 23, 2008
Linkage: As they burned it hurt because I was so happy for you
The last couple of paragraphs in this Times Ed. article about engaging working class lads at school caught my eye:
Another school had success with boys after asking a group that was being rewarded with cakes for doing well why it was predominantly made up of girls.One girl said: “It's not that boys are not clever. They mostly are, but they need quick results. You just have to be showing them the cakes.”
I wonder at which point the Ofsted folks wandered into the Aperture Science laboratory?
Posted by Jonah at 10:17 AM
July 18, 2008
Linkage: Their ballots will block out the sun, then we will vote in the shade.
If I was eligible to donate to this campaign, I would.
Posted by Jonah at 10:06 AM | Comments (0)
July 11, 2008
Linkage: Ask away
It's the random flickr comment thread difficult question game: pile on!
Posted by Jonah at 8:03 AM | Comments (0)
July 10, 2008
Opinion: Effectual opposition FAIL
What is the matter with the Democratic party in the USA? First they have this terrible internecine slaughter of a primary that divides the base so much that many erstwhile Clinton supporters now say that they're going to vote for McCain(!), and now this.
In an aside to another guest after a Fox News Channel interview on Sunday, Jackson had said Obama had been talking down to black people and added: "I want to cut his nuts out." Initially, news organisations had hesitated to broadcast the off-air derogatory remarks. CNN's Wolf Blitzer said: "It's so crude we can't repeat it on the air." ... Jackson, who has known Obama's wife, Michelle, for years, made his remarks in what he thought was an off-air moment during an interview with Fox television.
WTF? He had a Fox News mic on him and he blithely assumed it would be off and made a remark like that? Don't Democratic politicians realise that for them the hyper-partisan Fox News is distinctly enemy territory? How careless can you get FFS? Democrats, the only safe assumption to make while you are on the premises of Fox News is that everything you say and do is being recorded and comport yourself accordingly. Do not say anything that you wouldn't want broadcast on national TV.
Cripes, and we wonder why the Republicans keep winning elections despite being a bunch of venal, corrupt, rapacious, elitist, hypocritical, economy-wrecking warmongers. The modern US Democratic party must be the least effective opposition party in the history of western democracy.
*fume*
Posted by Jonah at 9:24 AM | Comments (2)
July 8, 2008
Linkage: Shack Up
I'm playing around with this MyMiniCity flash trinket to see if it's any fun. So, if you fancy helping me grow Banizton then click away at the pic below to increase the population (if you can be arsed, you can do it daily):
If I dig it I'll add links to the other options when I get the population to be able to do it.
Oh, and if you decide to paly with it too I'll happily click away at yours. Fnar.
Chin chin!
Posted by Jonah at 5:05 PM | Comments (1)
June 28, 2008
Doctor Who: Jeremy Clarkson for the new Doctor Who
That is all. Thank you.
Posted by Jonah at 7:57 PM | Comments (1)
June 25, 2008
Jibba-jabba: The only thing worse than being blocked ...
My good friend Hoovard e-mails:
it might please you to know that your website gets blocked by the bloomberg proxy serveryou should be proud
Why yes, yes I am.
Posted by Jonah at 10:29 AM | Comments (0)
June 24, 2008
YouTubery: Filth
It Must Be Stopped:
Posted by Jonah at 11:45 AM | Comments (1)
