Lobster asked,
Some one will do it
Would you run it - or create your own?
Well I'd rather not have to trust my own creation, but I'm determined to have it, even if I have to make it. (On my XP CPU *today*, 13 new security patches were applied, and the business app that keeps me on XP+ is now recommending I go to quad-core and 8GB RAM.
)
Online Banking...
All I first need is (like most of us, I'd bet)... a special boot CD/USB, used for online banking only (i.e. anytime my identity gets linked to money transactions) -- with both less and a little more than the cybercop recommended, above.
At minimum, it's only a secure core with a locked-down browser -- and as little else on the disk as possible, beside access to a printer receipt, like an ATM machine would provide -- i.e. no user data writes to disk, RAM gets overwritten on shut-down or reboot.
This Linux core could be BareBonesPup, Arch, TinyCore, etc. -- whatever can make the best case for security at the core level.
Before optional multiuser feature becomes part of the various Puppy cores, this
unprivileged setup could be used.
With total disk encryption, and (say) the PerfectPaperPassword enhancement as above, the disk or stick becomes its own token device to your account -- isn't this is 3-Factor Authentication: Name/PW, crypt disk, wallet passcard for a 1-time PIN?
Here for example, is a step-by-step for total disk encrypting
Slackware12 drive.
This "browser only" disk could also take us to an httpS, encrypted webmail site like this,
HushMail
Black Ops...
The image of some cute little puppy trained for black ops, alongside German Shepherd, Doberman Pinscher war dogs...
-- great logo and handle for promotion, cartoonists, and for a little levity -- and great goal for perfectionists to pursue -- a branch -- a different repository for all things tricky/secure.
But from TOR's privacy plan, (maybe more related to a Black Ops approach), at least I found *their* example of such a locked-down browser, reassuring for online banking. It came as part of this
XP privacy package with their special Firefox (intentionally hobbled.) So far, this 4th browser is living without conflict with my previous 3 XP browsers -- (TOR travels slow, and still needs user diligence and forethought, but seems very promising as it grows nodes.)
With the help of this thread's focus, and with the 1st 20% of our
Scroogling here -- we may have 80% of the security info most of us are after, even if it will take 80% more time and minutia to close that final 20% gap -- to the Black Ops (implied military-grade) level.