Twin Wolf Technology Group

When an email is sent using SSL, it get encrypted on your computer and goes to your ISP, in the encrypted form. It becomes unencrypted entering the ISPs mail server. At that time it is copied to the user's sent file in the clear and then sent on to its ultimate destination in the clear. In other words email traffic from ISP's email server to the destination email server is done in the clear even if it was encrypted coming in from the original point. Email servers do not use encryption when exchanging mail between each other. As an email provider, I can set my system to see all traffic entering and leaving the mail server which means I can see all traffic that came into the server in an encrypted form because it was unencrypted to be handled and sent on to the destination. Since the ISP can see all traffic leaving their mail server, they can see what entered their system encrypted but is now being sent on in an unencrypted form. The same is true of anyone wanting to snoop along the path between the two mail servers exchanging mail.

I guess I should comment as I was part of the original post... As a business in providing Internet Services in the US, I can assure you that no VPN or email service provider can guarantee end-to-end encryption unless they are controlling the both end points. The original post was not limited to email services but was discussing all Internet traffic between the home computer and various websites/email services. A VPN is effective from the source point, such as the home computer, to the end point of the VPN provider. Once your traffic leaves the VPN end point, they have no control over whether your traffic is encrypted or not. Now, if you are visiting a site via secure protocol, such as https or if you are using an email client that uses SSL, then you are still encrypted but that is not universal. Many websites still use non-secure protocols (http alone, not https) or do not use SSL within the email client. That traffic is in the clear at the point it leaves the VPN end point. Yes, it is true that more and more sites are now using secure protocols as security concerns increase. But the point that was being made in the original post is that just because you have a VPN does not mean you are encrypted end-to end. This is a common misunderstanding. The VPN provider can see any traffic that is destined to travel in the clear once it leaves the VPN end point unless it was further encrypted by an additional process before it entered the VPN. The concern here was that VPN providers can collect data that ends up in the clear and sell it or use it. Add to the mix that digital certificates that are used to encrypt the data stream are now being provided free without responsibility. At one time, to obtain one these certificates for a website, the website owner needed to go thru a verification process. That is no longer the case. That means that now, just because you are visiting a site that says is encrypted, it does not mean that the site is legitimate like it used be when they encryption certificates were verified. This has become a large issue for free digital certificate providers such as "Let's Encrypt". One last worry for email users is that even if your data was encrypted from your computer to receiving end point, it is rare for the email or other data to be then stored in an encrypted form on the email server equipment. Email service providers, their staff and anyone having access to the server can see your data in the clear. Some email service providers store your data in an encrypted form but that is the exception rather than the rule. For the layman concerned about what can and cannot be seen, the original post still stands. Be aware that despite your best efforts their are likely points where your data is visible. The best you can do is reduce this risk but you can not eliminate it. Do not fall for claims that a company can guarantee end-to-end encryption unless they are controlling both end points. Even then ask how the data is stored at the far end point. Data breaches happen, not from hackers guessing passwords but from access to points where data is non-encrypted.

modista ?

Thank you Penny. They are coming in late September. If anyone is coming sooner, please let me know otherwise perhaps Steve can bring it.

I have a small package in Boquete that arrived after I moved to Colombia. I am looking for a person that might be coming to Medellin in the near future and would be willing to bring it. I am willing to meet at the airport and pay $50 for someone who could bring it. The package contains two or three small routers and should fit in a carry-on. Please contact me here or by email dan@twinwolf.net Thanks - Dan Porter

I am seeing the same thing here in Colombia. Many large supermarkets charge a small fee for each plastic bag. Right away that cuts down on the number of plastic bags a customer uses. They also sell the reusable cloth bags which many use rather than paying for plastic bags each visit. I did see that the Rey in David was trying to push the idea of reusable cloth bags by having a single checkout isle that only served clients with either the reusable bags or for customers not using any bags. Unfortunately, after a short time, it appeared that checkout lane was always closed. I suspect that having a dedicated cashier for a checkout that got very little use did not make much sense. Personally, I like the consumer having the choice with incentives for preferred behavior.

The global scourge is what the consumer does with the plastic bag and how it is disposed of and what is done with it after use. I have a hard time laying the blame of plastic bags everywhere at the hands of the companies making them. The user is responsible for its use and what is done with it after that point. The consumer does have choices and responsibility. The problem in Panama is much larger than just plastic bags. The problem is within the culture itself and both laws and education need to address it. Plastic bags are not outlawed in neighboring countries, yet you do not see them blowing in the wind and being tossed out car windows. In my opinion it is too easy to point the finger at oil companies or manufactures and declare they are responsible. Educate your population, put incentives in place for collection and recycling. Change the throw-away culture and create responsible consumers. Other countries have done it successfully, Panama could do it too.

In Colombia, I have found that the registered white "tourist" taxis also operate as Uber drivers at times. In other words, they get the benefits of being an Uber driver when they are not busy and thereby service more people than just a regular Uber driver. It would seem to me that if taxi drivers were allowed or would embrace doing both services they could come out a winner rather than trying to squash competition. Of course you need to meet the requirements of both Uber and the local taxi laws. Those beat-up, barely running taxis are out of luck. My experience has been that the white "tourist" taxis know the city better and have more experience, so I am happy when my Uber driver turns out to be one of these drivers. Maybe Panama could encourage this while reducing some of the burdensome regulations.

Everyone has lost a little something or other going thru the security check at the airport. I have had numerous items confiscated such as tweezers, fingernail clippers, etc. Today topped that list of items. It seems that you are not allowed to carry a partially used roll of 1/4 inch double sided Scotch Tape in your carry-on. As the security gal flagged her supervisor over, he agreed that Scotch Tape was not allowed in your carry-on bag. Stunned, I asked why. I was told that it could be used to tie or bind a person. I considered his answer as I put my belt on, slid my 12 foot power cord for my laptop into my backpack ad picked up my 10 foot USB cords. Yes, we can't have people carrying on something they could use to tie or bind. Its a good thing security is keeping us safe from the terrorist flying out of Albrook Airport with Scotch Tape in their bag. Rest easy... they are on watch... just drop the tape and walk away

Yes is it legal in Colombia as follows: Since 1994, cannabis has been legalized for possession of small amounts up to 22 grams for personal consumption. In 2016, The Supreme Court of Justice stated that someone who is caught with a greater amount than the statutory limit cannot be criminally prosecuted if it is found that the person carries the substance to satisfy their own consumption needs.[53] It is legal to possess up to twenty plants for personal consumption. While I have more than enough vices of my own, this is not one of them. For my friends who count this among their pleasures/vices, there is a list by country as to what is legal and what is illegal for for pot. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legality_of_cannabis_by_country

Hi Julia & Sam Everyone has different experiences which is why it is often times hard to get solid answers. It always ends up being "it depends" or "my experience was". I lived in Panama for 8 and half years. It took my 5 years to get my resident visa and at the end of that process I was promised a cedula. The lawyer conveniently lost my paperwork and failed to respond to my requests to get the cedula, so I lived with just the carnet (the resident visa). I never ran into difficulties with it, tho I already owned a car and had a bank account open. I did both of those without a cedula. I had expected some issues since my passport was renewed after I got my carnet. My passport number changed and does not match the number on my carnet. I simply held on to my old cancelled passport in case there were any questions about the numbers being different from my passport to my carnet. To date, there have been no issues, I have never been questioned and showing my carnet has always sufficient even for jubliado discounts. So, my experience has been there were no difficulties living with just the carnet (resident visa) and not having the cedula. That was my experience for what it is worth.

This is kind of a silly topic but one that everyone deals with. Coins In my move to Colombia, I needed to rid myself of all those US Coins, not to mention that wonderful dollar coin the "Martinelli". So what do you do with your all your coins? Put them in a piggy bank or blg jar? Unless you are diligent of using them as fast as they accumulate, you end up with a large amount. The banks always want me to roll all the coins and deny they have a coin counter. I suspect that is false but when the answer is no, you go looking elsewhere. The Rey in David has a coin counter for the public but there are a few gotchas. First is you have to dig out all of your Martineli's as it only counts US coins. Not hard to do. The next one is a hurdle I have cleared only once. The only person that will run the coin counter machine for you is the head cashier/manager. On my first visit I was told that she only does it in the mornings when they are setting things up. On my next visit (in the morning) I was told the machine was broken (Hmmmm...) That was also the excuse on several subsequent visit, yet it appeared the machine had been used. I did finally get my jar of coins counted and converted to paper bills but decided it was a losing proposition. The head cashier/manager was never eager to do it and it seemed like an awful lot of trouble for such a simple thing as turning on the machine. That made me wonder... what does everyone else do? Just hang on to the coins - which is what I would have done if I was not moving to a country they would be useless. To "coin" a phrase I decided to "buck" up because it makes no "cents", they are just going to "nickle and dime" you to death. Penny for your thoughts or give me your two cents worth!

I find this topic of particular interest. I have used AirBnB for a few years with various experiences (both good and bad). We are also planning to host for AirBnB in the near future. I was in Panama when hotel occupancy rates were at record highs and had prices to match. What is not pointed out in the above articles is the explosive rate at which large hotels were being built in 2010, 2011 without any thought as to how they would be filled. The hotel industry and Panama brought much of this on themselves with greed and poor planning. Panama approved new construction of hotel after hotel thinking they would all be rich with hotel rates sky high. At the time, many of us were asking where all the people would come from to fill them as many of them had plans to add casinos as part of their operations. In my opinion, while AirBnB certainly takes a piece of the hotel pie, you have to expect the consumer to start looking for other alternatives when rates are outrageously high. Why pay $100, $200, or $300 a night in a hotel when you can get an AirBnB with all the amenities of home for a quarter of that price? I know clients that booked into the Marriott Hotel in 2009 for almost $400 a night. Now you can get that same room for $100 or less. I am happy to read that AirBnB is taking a proactive approach and making deals and collect taxes. That seems fair all the way around. As for the tears from the hotel industry, greed got you. Don't blame AirBnB. In many ways it is no different that the taxis and Uber. Better service for less money. Step up your game and quit crying about the competition. I just wish Uber was as proactive and honest as AirBnB appears to be. Thanks for the articles Bud.

The part that is head shaking to me is that at the very end of the multi-step process, they ask you to sign the receipt... ...yet they give the entire receipt to you, so you are signing something you are keeping and they have no record of you signing anything! I am unclear as to why I need my own signature and they can not explain it either.

I think it is just human nature for one to find ways to justify difficult decisions and then vent to relieve the stress and frustration. I am one that is leaving Panama and while I could easily list a number of things I dislike or seemed senseless here in Panama, I am sure I could just as easily find faults in my new destination once I have lived there for an equal amount of time. All my life I have made a major move about once every 10 years and I could easily list faults and express frustration with each location. My personal decision to move on is based on what appears a better option both personally and financially. While Panama finally tipped the scale for me in a different direction and while some past experiences here in Panama played a part in predicting the future, I can't say I have any great displeasure with Panama as a whole. I could probably list just as many pros as cons. There are certainly things I will miss here and will likely be back to visit clients and friends. It does feels like there are a larger number of expats leaving at this time or at least a bit more than the normal turnover we have seen each year. I am very skeptical about how concerned Panama is about the number leaving the country. I am sure they are more concerned with other issues and the expats leaving is probably just a side effect of other policy decisions. If Panama teaches you anything, it is that everything changes constantly (both good & bad). It can change at a moments notice... or even with no notice at all. Rules and laws here seem to be only enforced when a situation becomes untenable. Typically enforcement is done for a short time and then, as with everything here, it changes again. Seemingly random and sometimes without good reason to those of us that are used to laws and regulations being hard and fast.

Very long read. As expected, there is an anti-Trump and guilt-by-association theme put forward by the writer but it is not over the top like many news articles. It is nice to get a full history of events to put things in perspective. I remember much of it as our business group was in discussions to assist with the casino operation. Thanks for sharing Keith, I enjoyed it.

This is true in all locations where there are arrows painted on the pavement, tho most people either do not notice or understand their significance. If there are arrows painted on the pavement, those are the ONLY permitted directions. If there is not an arrow painted in the direction you want to turn but there are others painted arrows, then the turn you want to make is not permitted. A common and semi-humorous story is that when a gringo is pulled over for making such a turn, the gringo says there was no sign saying the turn WAS NOT permitted, to which the officer replies, there was no sign (painted on the street) saying it WAS permitted. A subtle but important difference. All permitted directions are shown whereas any other directions are not permitted.

As I write this, I am shaking my head. Another site hacked, this time one that hold passwords for thousands of people. What I am commenting on is a service called One Login. It is a password manager service. The idea is to keep all of your passwords in one place and have a program or app on your phone keep track of them so they can all be very long and different. You only need to remember the one password for the service and the rest is done for you. Well, OneLogin was broken into by hackers and all of the passwords, including the keys to unencrypt them, were exposed. If you have this service, you have already received an email about it. For the people that do not have that particular password manager but do use a similar service I would like to caution you with a bit of reasoning. The old saying is "Don't put all your eggs in one basket". A password manager does exactly that. It puts everything valuable in one place. You are then trusting some company to keep the passwords to all your valuable information safe. Consider this... if you are a hacker, it would make sense to attack the place where there are hundreds if not thousands of passwords rather than trying to get just one password of yours. Personally, I solve the problem of having different passwords on different sites by making a formula out of them. It is a rule that I apply to each website when they want me to create a password. If follow the rule, then each site then gets a unique password. I do not need to remember the password, instead I can recreate in my mind by remembering the simple rule. Here are a few examples: Let's say this is my formula to make a password for any web site I visit: First two letters of each word of the website name, followed by the year I was born, followed by a $ and then my initials in lower case Wells Fargo = WeFa56$DP Ebay = Eb56$DP Chiriqui Life = ChLi56$DP As you can see you end up with both upper and lower case letters, numbers, and a special character ($). That meets all the recommendations and it is unique for each website. Now when I visit in the future, I just think the rule out and I can figure out my password without having it written down or stored in a password manager. You can add other things and mix it with your own variations to make your formula unique. Perhaps you want to use the first initial of all your kids names or maybe the last two letters of the website name. The idea is to create a simple rule that lets you create a password for each site and makes it unique. Keep the rule the same for every site and it will have enough variations to make a different password each time. By doing this, you no longer need the password manager service and all of your accounts will not suddenly be exposed with a single failure should it get hacked. It is something to consider. I have always said a password manager works right up until the company disappears or gets hacked. When that happens, you do not have to deal with a single exposure, you have to deal with EVERY site. In today's world, that can easily be 100s. Now... about saving the passwords in your web browser so you do not have to enter them each time - I will let you consider the risks when your computer goes into the shop for repair ! Stay safe and enjoy the day

I was for many years as I have discussed on this forum before. Bad lawyers and corrupt system forced some of us. To be honest, after fighting the system for more than a year, it simply becomes easier just to make the border run. After all, who doesn't enjoy a little 3 day vacation in Costa Rica at a nicer beach than those in Panama? I began making my border runs from Panama City because I had no choice. It was a long haul at times... trying to get thru the system to become legal was more of a challenge than a long bus ride. Also, even for those people that saw it coming, there was little they could do to quickly to comply with new rules and regulations. The process quoted by most lawyers is 6 months to a year to get processed and a bunch of money upfront with no guarantees. Your mileage may vary (lol) I did eventually get thru the system and get a Friendly Nations Visa but I can understand those that either can't or won't. I won't put my wife thru it as she is still considered to be a tourist. Immigration laws change, as does the government and its decrees. Regardless of whether you think border hopping was legit and legal or if you think it was a loophole, the fact remains that it had been used by a very large number of people for many, many years. The government of Martinelli was border hoping friendly and not interested in changing the law. Varela's government is not boarder hoping friendly. This government is looking for money and it appears that this is one way to generate some. (just my personal view on it all). I suspect that Matinelli's approach brought more business and money into Panama than Varela's solution will but only time will tell. Either way, it is absolutely Panama's right to change and enforce immigration as it sees fit. Consistency does not exist in Panama nor does equal enforcement of the laws. Walkers got unlucky and got a longer penalty. As many can attest, your experience at the border depends on the agent at the time - it was rarely the same from day to day. I was never forced to stay out the full three days and was always permitted to return the same day. That is inconsistent with what others were experienced and I was always prepared to stay longer if the agent made that requirement. For some of us - it is merely the nudge we need to move on.

While the country sorts this out, I have often wondered about the claim that a taxi driver is a "professional driver" and therefore somehow better than the average driver (such as an Uber). The humorous, yet somewhat true saying that "Every car accident involves at least one yellow car" makes me wonder what the real statistics are on auto accidents and taxi safety. I doubt that statistic is available on taxi drivers vs the average public but it would be interesting to know given the position that some take saying Uber drivers are not professionals. From my experience, there is a marked difference in the white tourist hotel taxis vs the average yellow street taxis. They do cost more but provide air conditioning and are more likely to speak some English. Hopefully, the country will find a way for all options to exist and give each of us the choice of service that fits our needs best.

Uber is just one of these "resource sharing" businesses that have come about with the wonders of technology. Uber is ride sharing. Another one is Airbnb, accommodation sharing. In the same vein, they are a business model that uses the resources of the general public to provide service and they get around the employee-employer relationship thereby effectively being able to do business at a lower cost. There are pros and cons to both sides of that equation. I expect in the future you will see some of the same protest and anger as more and more people decide to make a few dollars sharing their home as an Airbnb host. Hotel and Hostels will feel the effect and will scream for regulation and enforcement. Unfortunately, enforcement of either ride sharing or accommodation sharing becomes an insurmountable task in countries where the culture finds it acceptable to be a rule breaker. Those providing the service are not employees of the company. Attempting any rule or law enforcement then becomes the task of stopping every citizen who sees Uber or Airbnb as a way to supplement their income. One place where both of these companies have had great difficulty is in Japan. Many have speculated on why Japan would be different than other countries when they put the same rules in place regarding those types of services. Ultimately, it comes down to the fact that as a culture, in Japan it brings shame to be a rule breaker. Both users of the service and those providing the service are seen as rule breakers and there for shameful. I find that an interesting note just in terms of cultural differences, tho it does not provide any answers for countries like Panama. In countries where rule breakers are seen as leaders, services such as Uber and Airbnb thrive. I personally now use both extensively when travelling and enjoy both the independence and choice it allows me. To those who see these services as hurting the people who have been entrenched in providing these services - it is time to up your game. Give me a taxi that is always comfortable, clean, fair priced, air conditioned, etc, etc. I will be glad to use it rather than waiting 5-10 minutes for my Uber to show up. To the hotels, motels and the like, it is time to up your game too. Give me many of the comforts I get from an Airbnb and I will be glad to use your service. Getting charged for a minibar service, having towels that are so thin I can see through them, a bed that is... well you get the picture. I like the comfort of a home or a place that is kept as nice as a home without paying like I have money to burn. Service. Figure out what the customer wants and needs or else join the protest line to say life is not fair. I find all sides of the latest "resource sharing" businesses to be interesting as societies evolve in how they provide service. By the way Bud - nice job on this free "information sharing" ̶ ̶b̶u̶s̶i̶n̶e̶s̶s̶ ̶ ̶ site. As they say, sharing is caring!

As predicted more than a year ago, we are seeing another expanded attack of "Ransomware" (the encryption of your data and holding it for ransom). The news reports are full of this, so I will not go over every detail yet again. The basic questions everyone has are: 1. Does it or will it affect me? Probably not but lets layout the details. This particular malware/virus attacks older Windows XP, Windows Vista and some unpatched Windows 7 installations. It does not appear to attack Windows 8 and Windows 10 systems. So right away, those with newer operating systems can just relax. 2. What do I need to do? If you are running an older version of Windows, including Windows 7, you need to make sure your computer is fully patched. That means that you need to run and re-run Windows Update until it tells you there are no more updates available. Often times, some updates will not be available for your system until a first or second set of updates has been installed. So, be sure to run Windows Update several times. The Windows update function can be found in the Control Panel. Do not just rely on the fact that Windows is "supposed" to update itself on its own. If it has errors, it will not inform you unless you are running it manually. Back in February 2016, I wrote an article about Ransomware and Backups. (see the link below) At the end of that is an important list of what you should be doing so that if your system ever faces one of these attacks, there is a way to recover your data. Yes, doing backups is a pain in the butt - on the other hand losing all your photos, documents and financial info is much worse. Take the time do to it and if you need help let me know. I can help most clients without an in-home visit. Do not fall victim to all the tech guys running around trying to make money off of this news. The huge number of systems being attacked are systems in hospitals and manufacturing where they are forced to run older Windows XP systems due to software limitations. You do not need to go out and buy more security software or pay a big fee to have a computer guy fix what is not broken. Advice: Run Windows Update manually... Do a backup and disconnect the backup from your computer,.. Go enjoy the day and don't fall victim to all over-hyped tech disaster news.

Agreed, plastic bags and bottles are a visible reminder of a much bigger problem. Steps to curb their use may provide some small relief but until the overall problem is addressed, these are a kin to nothing more than putting band-aids on a broken leg. Too soon you realize you are lame because you did not address the overall issue. In my opinion, while the US managed to clean itself up to a great degree, thru heavy fines and public programs, I would tend to look at other Latin countries first. In my visits to Medellin, Colombia I have been amazed at the cleanliness. This is not due to heavy fines or aggressive enforcement. Instead they have given their people an incentive. There are recycling centers that pay good money to those bringing in cans, bottles, cardboard and other material. It is common to see large carts on the street bringing things to the recycle centers. Trash collection in the city parks is manually separated into various types of recyclables before being picked up. The program works a bit too well at times as now some of the very poor search out trash receptacles for the value of the recyclables. Changing a negative into a positive and effecting the desired change is just plain smart. It is difficult to change a behavior that has been set over time. In my opinion, trying to do it with laws and enforcement is very difficult if not near impossible task. Give the people a reason not to throw that trash out the window, give it value on a large scale and watch the behavior change. Combine that with education in the schools so the young do not follow the cultural path of the past and you have a winning combination that actually fixes that broken leg before becoming lame.

I will share one of my experiences with "shared tips" here in Panama. In 2009, I owned and operated a poker room in Panama City within the Royal Casino. Typically, poker dealers keep their own tips but I was quickly informed that in Panama they shared their tips. In my opinion that takes away from the incentive to give good service. I further learned that they collected the tips and then split them up every two weeks. Everyone got an equal share regardless of the number of hours worked. That meant that if an employee only worked part time or if they called in sick, they still received the same amount of the tip pool as those that had worked full shifts or even overtime! Unbelievable to my way of thinking. In my effort to balance out this practice, I implemented a system that percentaged out tips based on hours actually worked, thinking this would give incentive to show up for work and volunteer for extra hours. I was quickly proven wrong as the employees acted as a group. Upon receiving their tip envelopes with varying amounts, the group collected them all up and redistributed the tips back out evenly. Dealers that had worked twice as much, receiving double the amount of tips, put their money in the center and drew out the lesser yet equal share. I watched it happen. There appears to be a belief that tips are a group effort rather than an individual effort. Based on this and several other experiences, I came to the conclusion that it is a cultural difference. If you wonder why a nice big tip does not get that extra smile or appreciation, you need to realize that the person receiving the tip does not necessarily see that as personal reward. There is comfort in being just a member of the group without the desire to be better or advance.

Keith is correct. In the places where I have friends that work as waiters and waitresses, they do not get any of the tips that go on a credit card. Management simply does not take the time and effort to tabulate and pull out the tip amounts, then distribute them. Give them your credit card and tell the waiter/waitress you will be leaving your tip in cash... and you will see a big smile. The other thing you are likely seeing is the common misunderstanding of the law. The education and explanation of laws to restaurant employees is somewhat poor. Compound the problem with the English / Spanish barrier and it is easy to see how this happens. Management tells the staff that they cannot include tips on the bill (because that would make it appear mandatory), and that gets understood as you can't put tips on the credit card slip. The employees then hate credit card users as they are unlikely to get a tip that goes in their pocket. Another little known fact is that waiter/waitresses work a 48 hour week (6 days) as that is considered full time in Panama. They do not receive overtime or extra pay for working that 6th day, so you may understand when they look a bit tired.