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Cash is king on the caminho .Fascinating - am looking forward to the replies - I haven't heard of this happening ... though, one of my credit cards was cloned two years ago - Barclays were on to it and refunded the money stolen and issued me a new card - they said that it most likely happened on Camino .. paying for a meal, where the card is taken away rather than paying at table or going to the desk to personally use the machine.
Cash is king on the caminho .
Small amounts of cash money. In bigger villages and towns are cashing machines. Much safer.
Just a reminder to others, the server is meant to bring the swiper to the table. The easiest way to make sure that they do so is simply to not hand over the card until they bring the machine... paying for a meal, where the card is taken away rather than paying at table or going to the desk to personally use the machine.
... never give away your card. Most vendors who take your card with them to their office do not mean any harm, but it is always a risk. Good to always have some cash with you to avoid such situations.Fascinating - am looking forward to the replies - I haven't heard of this happening ... though, one of my credit cards was cloned two years ago - Barclays were on to it and refunded the money stolen and issued me a new card - they said that it most likely happened on Camino .. paying for a meal, where the card is taken away rather than paying at table or going to the desk to personally use the machine.
Most people will never know WHERE the WiFi was compromised as often you will realise the consequences much later. Hence there might not be many Camino stories about being hacked.Hola peregrinos!
Has anybody been attacked by a hacker while using WiFi along the Camino? Just considering the extra expense of a VPN.
Cheers
(...)
NOTE: Some websites DO NOT like it when you use a VPN and will not work. The most notable in my experience is Amazon.com. So, only when using that website, do I turn the VPN off temporarily. However, Amazon works fine, even with a VPN on my iPhone, if I use the Amazon app, instead of the web browser.
So, keeping your card in a “swipe-proof” protector might be a good idea?Just a reminder to others, the server is meant to bring the swiper to the table. The easiest way to make sure that they do so is simply to not hand over the card until they bring the machine.
I honestly don't think I have ever seen this happen at a restaurant, the cloning of a card I mean. The type of operations that are sophisticated enough to have the technology to clone don't need a storefront as cover... they just grab your data while you walk through the streets.
So, if this is happening on the Camino I can only imagine that it happens in the bigger capital cities.
at the risk of getting a lesson I will not understand, please tell me more about vpn. I know it exists. What is it? What service can it offer me? Thank you in advance, as I know you will set to with gusto to illuminate my ignorance! you are one of the mines of information on the forum, t2andreao...I use NordVPN on BOTH my Macbook and iPhone. They offer a special package deal for up to 5 or 6 devices for multiple years. I think my per month cost is about USD 3 dollars. I have a total of five devices covered.
Since using it, I noticed that the amount of spam mail I received is WAY down. It took a while, but the volume of junk decreased monthly. Now I am down to a handful of stupid emails monthly.
NOTE: Some websites DO NOT like it when you use a VPN and will not work. The most notable in my experience is Amazon.com. So, only when using that website, do I turn the VPN off temporarily. However, Amazon works fine, even with a VPN on my iPhone, if I use the Amazon app, instead of the web browser.
Hope this helps.
Thanks, falcon269. I will check that out. I am just lazy. I work on a need to know basis, and am an intuitive learner. So, if I discover I need to know about vpn, you bet I will learn!Virtual private network - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Lots of software includes it, such as Norton. Check your computer protection software and see if VPN is a feature for your mobile.
Sounds like that should be all credit cards, and debit cards too.So, keeping your card in a “swipe-proof” protector might be a good idea?
Same here. My US carrier, T-mobile, gives me unlimited data while I'm traveling abroad. And last year I discovered that I could pay a small amount more for the months that I'm in Spain to boost my data speeds and also have the ability to make my phone into a hot spot.I have given up using WiFi on the Camino. There are so many people trying to upload images etc during breakfast in albergues that the connection slows to a crawl. I have sufficient mobile data on my phone to make connections without bothering with WiFi and if I have to download anything to my tablet (daily newspaper etc) I generate a hotspot on my phone and connect the tablet to my own private network.
I've read a bunch of articles on this topic - Google "Is RFID protection necessary", and the answer is no. Apparently, while it is feasible that thiefs on street corners can skim your card as you walk by, in reality it just doesn't happen. And modern credit cards use encryption techniques that can foil a wouldbbe thief. Here's one of many articles I found explaining this.So, keeping your card in a “swipe-proof” protector might be a good idea?
Honestly the best option is to have the 'tap to pay' feature disabled by your bank.So, keeping your card in a “swipe-proof” protector might be a good idea?
Life is an open book test.I work on a need to know basis,
a good few years ago my niece's husband told me I did not need protection for my Mac. I believed him. I still do! That has saved me enough to gofundme for the ingles this summer, now that I think of it...I will follow up, though, seriously, and thank you for your kindness in replying.Virtual private network - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Lots of software includes it, such as Norton. Check your computer protection software and see if VPN is a feature for your mobile.
at the risk of getting a lesson I will not understand, please tell me more about vpn. I know it exists. What is it? What service can it offer me? Thank you in advance, as I know you will set to with gusto to illuminate my ignorance! you are one of the mines of information on the forum, t2andreao...
Thank you. I knew you would have a useful answer! I will check out the link when I have some peaceful time to be able to pay proper attention. ¡Muchísimas gracias!Simply put, a Virtual Private Network or VPN is a piece of software or an app on a smartphone that encrypts and reroutes all your internet traffic including e-mail, so it appears to be coming from somewhere else. For example, I can tell my computer or iPhone is the US to log onto a VPN server in the UK, or France. This will make the target I am trying to connect to think my request is coming from France or the UK, and not where I am actually sitting, in the US.
My NordVPN app works great when I am in Spain too. It randomly selects an effective and anonymous internet server to reroute my connection through. The result is increased security to me.
Practically speaking, this sometimes enables you to obtain media and video streaming you might not otherwise be able to access. Also, and most importantly, it makes it infinitely more difficult for a hacker to backtrace your connection and try to install malware on your home system.
Here is the basic Wikipedia article on Virtual Private Networks:
Virtual private network - Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org
Hope this helps.
Again, this is yet a different risk than the other ones in this thread.So, keeping your card in a “swipe-proof” protector might be a good idea?
Thank you. I knew you would have a useful answer! I will check out the link when I have some peaceful time to be able to pay proper attention. ¡Muchísimas gracias!
I just found out about this a few days ago. Go to the FI app, then Fi Network Tools under Phone Settings.If you happen to have a ProjectFi phone, as my wife and I do, you are protected with Google's VPN.
Having previously been paid to test network vulnerabilities I would advise the use of VPNs on any wireless or broadcast network. The nasty people of this world do public monitor networks and do log data. Sometimes this data can be mined and sensitive information used to defraud people. The thing that sometimes protects people using public access points is that the sheer volume of data to process makes it difficult or too time consuming for most hackers. I have used a number of free VPN products over the years. However since my retirement I now use paid for applications that are kept up to date by the manufacture and more importantly have multiple servers worldwide to spread the load. My current favorite is NordVPN, but Tunnel Bear is good. If you are using Bitdefender on your Windows PC/Android/IOS Phone/Tablet then its VPN add on makes sense. Some sites block VPNs but a well set up VPN client can get round this and is useful fro accessing WWW content if you are out of your normal geographic area.Hola peregrinos!
Has anybody been attacked by a hacker while using WiFi along the Camino? Just considering the extra expense of a VPN.
Cheers
This happened to us in Finisterre. Card machine "was giving trouble" in a seafood restaurant and card was taken away while we were being distracted by one of the owners. Upon our return to our home country we were informed that our card had been cloned and that extensive amounts of money had been withdrawn in Brazil!Fascinating - am looking forward to the replies - I haven't heard of this happening ... though, one of my credit cards was cloned two years ago - Barclays were on to it and refunded the money stolen and issued me a new card - they said that it most likely happened on Camino .. paying for a meal, where the card is taken away rather than paying at table or going to the desk to personally use the machine.
You just can't win. We had to go through getting a new card after the card company informed us that one of their employees was using our number in Texas.Upon our return to our home country we were informed that our card had been cloned and that extensive amounts of money had been withdrawn in Brazil!
I honestly don't think I have ever seen this happen at a restaurant, the cloning of a card I mean.....
....So, if this is happening on the Camino I can only imagine that it happens in the bigger capital cities.
“Just a reminder to others, the server is meant to bring the swiper to the table. The easiest way to make sure that they do so is simply to not hand over the card until they bring the machine.”
Only contactless cards are at risk for wireless theft. Regular chipped cards aren’t the same technology. So if you have one of those RFID sleeves they’re a waste of money.I keep my card in a special card holder that no machine can read through. But I do agree that you should never let your card out of your sight. My husband bought something small from a computer shop once (not on the camino at the time) and the next thing we knew was receiving a letter through the post asking if he was happy with the purchase of a very expensive computer (which he hadn't bought of course). The police did a follow-up immediately as it had even been delivered to another address but of course there was no sign of it. We were reimbursed by the bank but we learned a very valuable lesson.
Exactly correct. Huge marketing scam to sell RFID purses and sleeves.Again, this is yet a different risk than the other ones in this thread.
What you’re talking about is RFID, the technology in cards that can just be tapped or waved instead of swiped through a machine.
Theoretically, bad guys could carry around an RFID reader and read every card in your pocket or purse unless you store them in an RFID-proof wallet.
In practice I don’t know anyone this has happened to, although how would one know?
And as with other risks, this is more likely to happen in your home town than on the Camino.
No real need for VPN, just don’t use your phone for anything other than surfing. Better to just get a SIM card and not rely on the security of a public WiFi.Hola peregrinos!
Has anybody been attacked by a hacker while using WiFi along the Camino? Just considering the extra expense of a VPN.
Cheers
at the risk of getting a lesson I will not understand, please tell me more about vpn. I know it exists. What is it? What service can it offer me? Thank you in advance, as I know you will set to with gusto to illuminate my ignorance! you are one of the mines of information on the forum, t2andreao...
Just use Google and Facebook. They track it all with your permission, then sell the data almost without limit. If you are worried about security, VPN is a waste of time and money if you also use social media. They collect far more than any evil government (or hacker) ever will.Some people do because they don't want their ISP (or govt.) logging which sites they browse.
Thank you very much for your response, joe camino. I am fairly cautious when using open WiFi. When it tells me it is not safe, I say: do I need to do this now? No. I think that is my best defence. I will still be open though to getting some more information to try to educate myself a bit better. On a much simpler level, even if I get a dodgy looking email from my nearest and dearest, I take a screenshot and send it to the person on a new email message, asking: is this really from you? Upon reply, always 100% ‘Certainly not!’ I delete original purported message.Hiya Kirkie-- I'll take a shot at answering. If you use VPN software on your computer, it will connect to a VPN server and create an encrypted connection. Think of this as an opaque "pipe" between the computers. All your internet activity will pass through this pipe, and anyone snooping won't be able to see it.
Why do this? Some people do because they don't want their ISP (or govt.) logging which sites they browse. (Your ISP can see all of this normally) Or they don't want someone in a coffee shop snooping on their wi-fi session, and grabbing passwords and other sensitive info. Or they want to mask what country or region they are connecting from.
It may sound complicated, but VPN software that's well-designed should make this pretty easy. There are some good choices recommended in this thread. Hope this helps!
I closed off facebook, and perhaps very very soon will move to DuckDuckGo, deleting google as an option. I am lazy about that though as DuckDuckGo doesn’t intuit my needs - but therein lies the problem! Google knows me better than I know myself!Just use Google and Facebook. They track it all with your permission, then sell the data almost without limit. If you are worried about security, VPN is a waste of time and money if you also use social media. They collect far more than any evil government (or hacker) ever will.
I always use a VPN when connecting to a public system, it needn't be expensive.Hola peregrinos!
Has anybody been attacked by a hacker while using WiFi along the Camino? Just considering the extra expense of a VPN.
Cheers
Tracking and collecting social media data is one thing.Just use Google and Facebook. They track it all with your permission, then sell the data almost without limit. If you are worried about security, VPN is a waste of time and money if you also use social media. They collect far more than any evil government (or hacker) ever will.
They could use it. They simply say they won’t. They have the information. Trust them. If it weren’t there, the hackers at Starbucks would not be trying to get it. But go ahead and trust them. Plenty of junior starlets have.Tracking and collecting social media data is one thing.
But compromising my online banking, email accounts, my companies online bookkeeping and much more by intercepting data packages NOT sent via social media is a whole different and much worse threat. The latter has nothing to do with what I allow on social media, but with the data I sent over a half way secured or totally unsecured connection.
I do have a contactless card, which is why I use the sleeve. Yes, if I recall, it is an RFID sleeve. I've tested the card while it was in the sleeve and it could not be read so I am assuming then that this makes me safe from predators trying to skim money off it.Only contactless cards are at risk for wireless theft. Regular chipped cards aren’t the same technology. So if you have one of those RFID sleeves they’re a waste of money.
I never said I trusted social media corporations. All I said was that the hacker at Starbuck poses a direct threat to my money and my company that facebook does not. Facebook and the like sinply do not have acess to the data I am talking about.They could use it. They simply say they won’t. They have the information. Trust them. If it weren’t there, the hackers at Starbucks would not be trying to get it. But go ahead and trust them. Plenty of junior starlets have.
Warehouses full of hacker qualified employees, but if the CEO is not a hacker, we are safe? I pay a $.99 bill with Apple each month. They have my credit card number and I trust them to keep it safe, but I wonder how naive that is? I zip my wallet inside a hidden pocket in my sleeping bag on the camino, but Apple can charge me anything they want anytime they want (they just always do it for $.99).Facebook and the like simply do not have access to the data I am talking about.
I closed off facebook, and perhaps very very soon will move to DuckDuckGo, deleting google as an option. I am lazy about that though as DuckDuckGo doesn’t intuit my needs - but therein lies the problem! Google knows me better than I know myself!
Soon I am starting my journey, and I am thinking do I need a VPN or not. Which provider do you use? Because I don't want to pay more than a $3 a month. I found that NordVPN, CyberGhost, and Surfshark offers nice prices, but I still can't decide.I always use a VPN when connecting to a public system, it needn't be expensive.
I currently use Tunnel Bear, but both NordVPN and CyberGhost have good reputations. I don'tknow Surf Shark. Many will give you limited free access so you can try them out and see if you like the interface before you commit to paying.Soon I am starting my journey, and I am thinking do I need a VPN or not. Which provider do you use? Because I don't want to pay more than a $3 a month. I found that NordVPN, CyberGhost, and Surfshark offers nice prices, but I still can't decide.
Oh, I didn't think about a free trial! Thanks for reminding me. As I see you can test Surfshark for 30 days, and get a full refund after. So I will try to do that.I currently use Tunnel Bear, but both NordVPN and CyberGhost have good reputations. I don'tknow Surf Shark. Many will give you limited free access so you can try them out and see if you like the interface before you commit to paying.