Question Best mix of Easy/Convenient Security for Online Banking?

[canadianvice]

So, I just thought I'd ask around. I don't exactly trust my main operating environment to be secure as it's a shared computer, so I have been booting into Ubuntu Linux to do it.

However, it's just a liveUSB and I doubt running an out of date firefox is great either (even though I literally only go to the bank site).

Does anyone have some suggestions that are a solid mix of security and relatively convenient, so I don't have to do that?

Preferably without having to buy anything.

 

[mdd1963]

If you can't trust the other folks with access to that shared computer, or be reasonably certain said computer is malware free, then your LiveUSB option (occasionally updated with latest 18.04, then 18.10, etc., updates) is likely best....

 

[TJ Hooker]

What OS is actually installed on the PC? How much control do you have over it?

You could create your own user account, and make sure it is the only admin account on the PC.

 

[canadianvice]

What OS is actually installed on the PC? How much control do you have over it?

You could create your own user account, and make sure it is the only admin account on the PC.

Sadly, not an option. The OS is Win10, but my family is kind of stubborn about admin access on the principle of ownership, dumb as it is.

 

[TJ Hooker]

So to clarify, I'm assuming that you're not worried about other local users doing anything nefarious (given that they're your family), but rather you don't trust that one of them won't accidentally get the PC infected with malware?

I don't know if going to these sort of lengths is necessary in that case. If you want to be cautious, double check that you have a secure (https) connection to the bank site, and that the URL is correct and that the security certificate is valid. This should protect against phishing attacks.

If you're worried about sketchy extensions people might have installed, you could install a different browser that only you use. Could also create your own Windows user account. Don't know how much it would help the main account (presumably admin) gets infected, but probably can't hurt. You could also see if your family would be OK with creating a separate admin user, and then make the main 'daily-driver' account that they use a non-admin account. I've seen this recommended a number of places as a way of potentially limiting the damage/scope of an infection. Doing so should have little to no user impact for normal day to day activities. Think you'd just get a prompt to enter the password of the admin account for doing certain tasks that require elevated permissions.

https://www.windowscentral.com/how-use-windows-10-non-admin-and-why

Enable 2FA if available. In my experience banks only offer text or email 2FA if anything, which isn't the best, but still better than nothing.

 

[Dark Lord of Tech]

I use my VPN and I use Bitdefender Safe Pay.