This infuriated me! What sort of security practice is it for a Bank to anonymously call a client and ask them to reveal private information?

At the very least, the Bank could map all outbound calls to a Caller ID that is the Bank’s Primary Help Line. Easy to do with modern phone systems.

Alternatively, the nature of the call shouldn’t be to attempt to pass secure information in either direction. It should simply go like this:

“Hello, this is the ANZ Bank. We need to speak with you urgently. Could you please call us on our usual Helpline Number so that we can sort out an outstanding matter. Thank you”.

In this way, no personal information of any kind is released. No treachery can be involved as you need to source the Helpline Number yourself.

It’s up to the Banks (and other Financial Institutions) to lead the way in making sure all interactions are secure.

And Bankwest, I’m looking at you. You’ve done the same thing to me in the past as well.

What a clever PR exercise by the Canadian Space Agency. And what a great sport Chris Hadfield is.