Re: Online banking support for Linux?

[Dmitry Alexandrov]

Greg Knittl <gknittl@sympatico.ca> wrote:
> My credit union, Meridian, only supports Microsoft Windows and Max OS X for 
> online banking. 
> https://www.meridiancu.ca/About-Meridian/Privacy-and-Security.aspx under 
> browser requirements.

I suppose, that what they _support_ is orthogonal to what you can use.

I can hardly realise, how it can be possible to write a modern webapp, that 
would be nailed to something lower than javascript VM.

> From the https://www.meridiancu.ca/About-Meridian/Privacy-and-Security.aspx 
> especially the section titled Your Online Privacy they describe fairly vague 
> security procedures that would be difficult to completely follow even if I 
> installed Windows or MAC OS X.

Letʼs see:

| Protecting your computer
|
|    Never leave your computer unattended while using banking services.
|    Always exit the Meridian Online Banking using the logout button and close 
your browser if you step away from your computer. Your browser may retain 
information you entered in the login screen and elsewhere until you exit the 
browser.

Looks pretty sensible, is not it?

|    Prevention of Browser Caching (storing of pages) is enabled by default 
when using Meridian Online Banking. This prevents secure pages and page 
information from being stored on your personal computer. It is also a 
beneficial security feature if you are accessing the site from a shared 
computer, such as at a friend's house or through a publicly-accessible 
computer, such as at a library or airport.

There is nothing to follow here.

|     Secure or erase files stored on your computer by your browser so others 
cannot read them. Most browsers store information in non-protected 
(unencrypted) files in the browser's cache to improve performance. These files 
remain there until erased. They can be erased using standard computer utilities 
or by using your browser feature to "empty" the cache.

This is somewhat contradictory to the previous point, yet not difficult to 
follow, if you really want to.  In Chromium: Ctrl-Shift-Del.

|     Disable automatic password-save features in the browsers and software you 
use to access the Internet.

Given that webbrowsers tends to store passwords in cleartext by default, looks 
more that reasonable.

Use encrypted storage, such as gpg(1) + pass(1) + browserpass-ce, for instance, 
instead.

|     Install and use a quality anti-virus program. As new viruses are created 
each and every day, be sure to update your anti-virus program often. It is 
recommended you update anti-virus definitions automatically. Scan all download 
files, programs, disks and attachments

I am not sure, how relevant it is for GNU, but I believe itʼs not hard to do 
that when using MS Windows.

|     and only accept files and programs from a trusted source.

That is the only point, which would be indeed extremely hard to follow if read 
as written, since the half of web is now completely broken without nonfree 
programs, that websites thrust into your browser to run, without asking or even 
notifying you.

That is not the type of programs they really meant, though.

|     Install and configure a personal firewall on your computer to ensure 
others cannot access your computer through the Internet.

Sometimes itʼs indeed needed, most of the time it would not harm; and there is 
nothing particular hard in doing it.

|     Install new security patches as soon as your operating system and 
Internet browser manufacturers make them available.

This is must, do not you think so?


> Any thoughts on technical issues?

What technical issues?  You have not described any technical issues.  Do you 
have any?

> How would a financial institution write platform independent online banking 
> terms and conditions?

By targeting a webbrowser as a platform.

> Has anyone found an institution that officially supports Linux

No.  There is really nothing for them to support at that low level.

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