A So-So Christmas Gift

Listen to this article

Something small arrived in the mail today; reminding me about protection. When I first read about it on another blog sometime back, I never would have thought my turn would come soon:

(Source)

A little gift from DBS. But it is really not something that is on my Christmas wishlist. In fact, it would be good if I didn't have to use it, so troublesome, having to lug this DBS iB Secure device thingy around...

Taken from the DBS website...
exactly how I may have looked when I received the mail
"oh no! What do you want now?"

Have seen one of my SIA friends used it before and at that time, it looked so cool. But it is a different case having to use it when all this while I have been directly accessing my bank account online directly. Apparently, it is supposed to generate a code when you press the button on the device and you will use this code together with your existing login information to access your bank account online. Supposed to be a added layer of protection...

Anyway, I guess this is for our good, to protect us, but am just wondering why it can't be like UOB? UOB uses your handphone instead of using a separate device. When accessing your bank account online, they send the code through sms to your handphone so there is no need to meddle around with another device.

But frankly, I am amazed at how the whole technology works... the device (with a serial number) is actually tagged to your bank account so when it generates a code, I should guess that it also transmits some info to the bank so that it can be used to verify an online access to my bank account. But then, the very fact that it transmit info also raises some concern; I am just wondering how much more info does it transmit as well. Scary these days what technology can do and this device can potentially also become a tracking device :)

The registration process seems to tag
your device to your bank account