[comp.dcom.telecom] Voice Mail Passwords

dspeed@well.uucp (Dave Speed) (09/11/90)

I had the pleasure of being lectured on voice mail today by a Pac Tel
employee.

She informed our group that we would need to choose a "password" for
our mail boxes and suggested that it would be easy if you used the PIN
from your bank ATM account. Thankfully most present didn't know what a
PIN was.

I brought the issue up that this was terrible security and that Bell
was courting disaster with recommending this activity. She didn't see
the problem.

On a similar note, our local <Sacramento, CA> grocery chain has
installed pseudo ATM's for banking from the checkout line. Perhaps I'm
paranoid, but I don't see any advantage (to *me*) in giving the
merchant my bank number and PIN. Am I being silly ?

john@bovine.ati.com (John Higdon) (09/13/90)

Dave Speed <dspeed@well.uucp> writes:

> On a similar note, our local <Sacramento, CA> grocery chain has
> installed pseudo ATM's for banking from the checkout line. Perhaps I'm
> paranoid, but I don't see any advantage (to *me*) in giving the
> merchant my bank number and PIN. Am I being silly ?

I think so. ATM card-accepting merchants are quite common here. I
personally find it to be convenient and a more acceptable way to
transact business than cash, check, or credit card. Are you worried
that the merchant will drain all of your money out of your account
while you aren't looking? Do you think that he is capturing all those
PINs in the back room so that he can retire to Tahiti? I would lay
odds that the merchant does not record your PIN, which is normally
simply sent along with the rest of the encrypted transaction to the
banking center or network.

Get used to ATM-style transactions. It's a happening thing.


        John Higdon         |   P. O. Box 7648   |   +1 408 723 1395
    john@bovine.ati.com     | San Jose, CA 95150 |       M o o !

carroll@beaver.cs.washington.edu (Jeff Carroll) (09/18/90)

In article <12066@accuvax.nwu.edu> John Higdon <john@bovine.ati.com>
writes:

(Advocacy of POS terminal transactions)

>Get used to ATM-style transactions. It's a happening thing.

	Another concern about POS terminals and ATMs which is related
to security is the question of whether the ATM card constitutes the
Mark of the Beast. :^)

	Followups to talk.religion.misc (or alt.flame).

	Jeff Carroll
	carroll@atc.boeing.com