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Computer Associates Offers Warranties
Kelvin D. writes, "Computer Associates has come up with a new angle to get consumers to buy its security software — a warranty with cash benefits if you catch a virus ($1,500) or get your identity stolen ($5,000). From the article: 'Users who want the identity theft coverage need to both install and register their copies of Warranty Corporation of America's Mobile Lifeline (included). No registration, no coverage.'" Moblie Lifeline includes something that sounds like a benign Trojan: it lets you retrieve or delete files from your stolen computer if it's ever connected again to the Internet.
Stick a Linux LiveCD with AVG for Linux on it in the PC. Watch as AVG eradicates virus. Reboot.
Worked for me at i28 when I got a worm that would not die; AVG had blocked it from actually running, but something was keeping it there. Rebooted to my Linux partition, downloaded/installed AVG, worked a treat.
Goten Xiao
...it lets you retrieve or delete files from your stolen computer if it's ever connected again to the Internet.
All potential security holes aside, this presumes that the thieves didn't replace your HD after stealing it, or reformat/reinstall. What would be more useful would be a call-home email to your addy that gives you an IP address, nslookup and tracert data, as well as any other information that can be used to track it back to a physical address. Maybe a keystroke log as well, and a list of recently opened files and visited URL's?
There is no mod option "-1: Disagree" for a reason. "Overrated" is not an acceptable substitute. Post something instead.
I can't speak for every bank, but I know the one that I've worked for for 10 years finally figured out a few years ago that using a customer's SSN for anything other than necessary reporting to the Feds was a Bad Thing (tm). We've been diligently scrubbing databases every place we could ever since. We're not done, but we are getting there. Optimistic estimates put us at 85% done. Realistically, we're probably about 60% done.
Along with this thought... how long until someone steals your identity, and contacts them to collect the money (saying that YOU are the one trying to steal their identity)? Similarly, the virus angle looks more like they're offering a bounty on new viruses... much cheaper than them having to do the work themselves (but could also generate gobs of new viruses designed to cash in on the insurance).