TreasuryDirect adds Virtual Keyboard |
A number of banks, including ING Direct <ingdirect.com> and ABSA <absa.co.za> have added virtual keypads to defeat keyloggers, but the U.S. Treasury Department's Treasury Direct <treasurydirect.org> website is the first time we've seen an entire virtual keyboard. The layout is scrambled after each login, an extremely non-user-friendly feature.
The Treasury may have added a bit more security than is necessary, especially in light of Aite Group's <aitegroup.com> latest research that online banking fraud in the United States was a scant $4 million last year (correct, that is no typo, it's MILLION as in 4 cents per U.S. household). The virtual keyboard itself would defeat most hacks; there's no need to scramble it every time.
Thanks to MyMoneyBlog for the tip. Interestingly, most of the 16 comments on the new security feature were negative because of the extra hassle.
v2.gif)
