Security...

With the advent of Technology, there is an increasing threat to security – in every way… more threats by terrorists – who can much easily be connected and hence coordinate through use of the information highway.
Also, as more and more work is being carried on by electrons, it quite often results in invasion of privacy of individuals – by unknown people who can use the information for anything they like.
It can be for fun as well as for some serious damages.
One important task that has been taken on by the Internet revolution is the e-banking.
Though, I have to admit that this importance is limited to a very few set of people. More and more people are hooking on to the net but few really trust banking transactions like buying online tickets, funds transfer between accounts or paying bills online.
One is circumspect while doing this – after all it’s a matter of your hard earned money. What if the money lands in some other’s account? What of some one hacks your password and transfers all your money into his account, what if some one gets hold of your credit card number. All the fears in this regard are valid too. With increasing users, the anti-users are also increasing.
To prevent this and encourage consumers to use better and easy facilities, financial organizations continuously try to make the online transactions as safe as possible.
Ok.. enough of all this background work.. I will come to what happened with me.
I am a net savvy person. Everything from booking tickets to funds transfers or bill pay has to be through net only. It is a hassle free and quick way of doing things. (though I have faced some interesting hassles but they have not deterred me much)
So yesterday I had to transfer some money to a friend in Mysore. But he was not in my Payee List. So I had to Add him.
When I went to the “Add Payee” Section it had changed drastically. Now, you cant simply add in a Payee in 1 minute and make the transfer. Reason: What if someone else gets hold of ur password. Just logins in, adds himself as payee and yo.. ur account has been emptied in a matter of seconds. Though that would also require your Transaction Password and ATM debit card to be with the hacker.
To make matters safer, now to add a payee there is a complex procedure. You add a payee and then you have to get it authenticated by an Online Bank Officer. (there is 1 more way through mobile but it takes 5 days. So I took the former). Now I called up the bank Officer.

Me: Hi. I have registered a Payee for funds transfer. And want to authenticate it.
Bank Officer:Sure sir. I will do it. You need to answer some general questions.

VIVA time.. I had not given one since my college days.
Me: go ahead.

BO: Whats your Account number.
Me: 015XXXXXXX .

BO: ok. Your full name.
Me: (that’s an easy Viva) Sidharth Bedi

BO: Your date of birth
Me: 27 may 82.

BO: What is the complete address you mentioned while opening the account
Me(thinking):It is a Mysore account. Did I give the home address or office? Home address has less chance. It should be office.
Me: It’s Infosys Technologies Limited, Mysore.

BO: I want the complete address.
Me(thinking): what the hell !!what was it.. some 210.. manikonda village… hootagalli….was this hyd or mys..ohh 210, manikonda was hyd.. hootaglli was mys.. what was before that .. bull shit my memory.. 2 years I’ ve been there and now cant remember.. lets try.
Me: its Infosys, hootagalli, mysore.

BO: that is not the complete address. Shall I try another Question
Me(relieved): yes. PLzzzzz..

BO: What is your permanent address?
Me: (yes.. yes.. yes.. I know this one). H.no..XXXXXXXXXX, Chandigarh.

BO: ok. On which address do u receive your Account statements.
Me(thinking):when did I receive a statement. I always check it online. Ohh.. one statement comes in mail.. but that is for other account,..Me(mumbling): I don’t get a hardcopy.. I always check online..

BO: That doesn’t match with our records. I will ask another ques.
(déjà vu… I am in a college viva… I am sure about it.. Prof is staring me with a contemptuous look.. ‘if u don’t answer this then god help u’ )
BO: What are the documents you gave while opening the account.
(no.. no.. no.. I have started to believe that I am a hacker trying to hack some Sidharth bedi’s account)
Me: photo copy of I card.. and… and.. I don’t remember. It was 2 years ago…

BO: I am sorry sir. Then u have to tell the ‘Complete’ Address.
(I am in KBC… Amitabh bachchan is asking me the ques.. there is that spooky music in the background… spot light is on me.i have used my 2 lifelines..
I have to answer it correctly.. so I go for the third lifeline- SPARSH(infy intranet)… on which the address of all DC’s are written)Me: Just a moment. I will tell you.

BO: ok. I am on hold
Is show pe Samay ki koi pabandhi nahi.. aap jitna marzi samay le sakte hain…I check out the ‘complete address’ address and tell him.
Me: Infosys Technologies Limited… Plot No. 350-354, 368-372, 376… hebbal electronic city.. Hootagalli.. Mysore.. 571186..

BO: sir can you repeat the Pin code.
Me: 571186

BO: Sorry sir that doesn’t match with our records.
Me(pulling my hair apart): 570018????
(that just came out of the blue from some part of the memory where it had registered itself)

BO: OK sir. Now can you tell me the phone number?
Thankfully I remember the phone number. Because I had just updated the phone number on ICICI site and replaced mys number with chd number
Me(thinking): it must be the Mysore number…Me: 988XXXXXXX.

BO: This doesn’t match with our records. Do u remember any previous number
(I am going to kill him. Then I remember I have just changed the number).
Me: 9872XXXXXXXX

BO: OK sir. What is the account number you are adding to your payee list.
I tell him along with the name, nickname of the account holder.
BO: ok. This has been approved. You can go ahead and make transfers now.

Is it?? Is this real????
I have done it..
I have passed the VIVA!! Yahoooo……..