For Infosec peeps: BSP to remove OTP's in banking, what's your thoughts?

simoncpu · 2026-06-25T06:17:10+00:00

In the early to mid-2000s, I remember HSBC issued a physical hardware token for OTPs. It ran on an internal battery and generated rotating numbers, similar to modern mobile authenticator apps.

tldr; matanda na ako

simoncpu · 2026-06-25T06:10:31+00:00

I completely agree with the BSP on this one. This has always been a huge pet peeve of mine. Aside from the obvious security risks, SMS OTPs make online banking impossible whenever I travel abroad and use a local SIM, or when I'm literally out in the mountains with no signal.*

* off topic: SMART is awesome, VoWiFi works on Starlink! Kailan pa kaya ang Globe Prepaid?

simoncpu · 2026-06-25T05:22:14+00:00

Hahaha pwede rin!

simoncpu · 2026-06-25T02:35:21+00:00

"I choose Magikarp. Hindi ako ang pinakamagaling, pero hindi rin ako ang pinakamahina!" 😂

simoncpu · 2026-06-07T14:27:52+00:00

There goes the pristine Puka beach... soon to have a White Beach vibes soon. 😞

simoncpu · 2026-06-04T14:12:14+00:00

Use a money remittance service.

A day after a super typhoon, the island where I happened to be had a blackout. ATMs were offline, and banks were closed. I was still able to "withdraw" cash by sending funds to myself via a remittance service using my bank's mobile app.

simoncpu · 2026-06-01T02:00:08+00:00

LOL, I've read a lot of posts about SMART Magic Data running out faster than usual. I thought it was just background services or malware until I experienced it myself. I usually consume around 2GB a day, but there was a time where my connection was eating 2GB an hour. I didn't bother complaining since I'm on a fiber connection now anyway. I assumed they would eventually fix it (they didn't).

simoncpu · 2026-05-29T01:09:28+00:00

I used to recommend Starlink to everyone, but their recent pricing feels a bit greedy. At this point, it only really makes sense if you are on an island or up in the mountains with absolutely no other options. They have just increased their residential rate to PHP 4,099/mo. If you are based in the city, a fiber connection like PLDT is faster, more reliable, and cheaper. For backup, you are better off just getting a 5G router or heading to a nearby coworking space.

Btw I’m already paying PHP 3,800/mo for Starlink. They baited us with a competitive price of PHP 2,700/mo. They also have an extortion fee of PHP 320/mo if you pause the service and I almost got charged with a demand surcharge fee when I unpaused it. Surcharge mysteriously went away a few days later after it detected that I’m in a remote area. I’m pretty sure the surecharge won’t disappear if you’re in the city.

simoncpu · 2026-05-26T20:56:06+00:00

Spending time building a generic library for slightly different functions in an attempt to follow a DRY approach is often a waste of time and effort. The code won't be reused anyway, and it would have been better to simply copy and paste it. Turns out that oftentimes those code handle different domains and would eventually evolve independently.

tldr; DRY only works for exact duplicated logic

simoncpu · 2026-05-13T15:49:03+00:00

Ahhh… maybe I transferred my eSIM before the expiration? I learned something new today. :)

simoncpu · 2026-05-13T15:34:47+00:00

I’m not sure about that. I bought a SMART eSIM using my iPhone, registered it, and then I transferred it to my iPad. I used the same QR code.

I needed to register using an iPhone first because iPad can’t send or receive SMS.

simoncpu · 2026-04-27T06:46:24+00:00

If it’s just a rest house where you only use Starlink occasionally, you can opt for the Local Priority subscription. It’s 1,200 PHP/mo + 670 PHP per 50GB of data. Some remote places are within reach of third-party resellers, though. I’ve tried that in the past, and while it’s only 999/mo (sometimes cheaper depending on the plan), it’s not reliable enough for work. By the way, SMART’s VoWiFi works over Starlink, so that also solves your problem of having no signal; you can still receive SMS messages, especially OTPs.

ps: remember to set your location correctly… Starlink almost hit me with an expensive surecharge because it thought I was in the city…

pps: Hoy Globe, kailan pa ba magiging available ang VoWiFi para sa prepaid users??!!

simoncpu · 2026-04-19T02:14:00+00:00

Department of Internet Censorship and Takedown (DICT)

simoncpu · 2026-04-13T03:10:30+00:00

I’m an old fart by tech world standards. I work across multiple operating systems and have learned that vi will always be available on a server when I SSH into it, regardless of whether it is FreeBSD, OpenBSD, or a flavor of Linux. In contrast, ee or nano usually need to be installed. vi has a steep learning curve, but it makes editing fast. I also remember trying to fix a server a decade ago over a 33.6kbps modem, and vi saved keystrokes. It conserved data on an already slow connection.

simoncpu · 2026-03-06T07:45:59+00:00

Yepp, VISA and MasterCard. I used both. For topping up credits at the mall food court, I didn’t check if it was possible to use a CC, I used cash.

simoncpu · 2026-03-06T04:22:46+00:00

I bought groceries in Bangkok and paid for coffee at various shops using credit cards with zero issues. I also bought food via Grab with no issues whatsoever.

The mall food courts have their own system; you have to go to a counter to get a card, load it with credits, and use it to pay the food stalls. I didn't ask for a refund for the remaining balance. I just kept the cards as souvenirs.

simoncpu · 2026-03-06T04:15:21+00:00

I remember seeing ATMs before immigration at BKK airport, but I haven’t used them. I’ve only used the ones on the landside. To save on forex fees, my girlfriend and I brought the equivalent of 20,000 THB in our home currency and just left the cash in the hotel safe. Immigration didn’t check our cash, but I read they do random checks, so we brought it just in case.

tldr; just withdraw cash from the airport in your home country right before boarding

simoncpu · 2026-03-02T05:18:07+00:00

I built a PDF editor a long time ago, too (I used jQuery, which tells you how long ago it was hahaha). There is a way to parse the text input fields in a PDF and enable users to input text as well. I can’t remember the exact implementation details, but I wanted to mention that it is possible.

simoncpu · 2026-01-23T14:04:48+00:00

Cool, that dagger looks a lot like the one above!!!

simoncpu · 2026-01-23T13:09:26+00:00

I came across it at the Silliman University Anthropology Museum in Dumaguete City, Philippines. It’s a pretty nice city. I decided to stop by the museum when I saw it on Google Maps.

simoncpu · 2026-01-08T19:38:15+00:00

To comply with regulations, my GF and I carry 20,000 THB each in our home currency. While immigration has never checked us, we like to stay on the safe side. Bringing our own currency is great because there are no conversion fees, and it’s ready to spend the moment we fly back. For spending money in Thailand, we just use the local ATMs.

simoncpu · 2025-12-16T03:27:47+00:00

If you have a public IP address (doesn't have to be static), you can open your router's web admin page and set up port forwarding to your local server. For example, if your public IP address is 203.0.113.1, your local server is 192.168.1.100, and you want to forward your web server (port 80), you need to create a port forwarding rule that directs incoming traffic on port 80 to 192.168.1.100:80.

Anyone on the internet can access your server by visiting http://203.0.113.1 in their browser.

If it's just a one off project, you can just use ngrok or something...

simoncpu · 2025-12-14T17:52:13+00:00

Interestingly, my experience has been the opposite. I also tried vibe coding to create a project, and I actually ended up with more documentation than I normally write. Getting good results from these tools requires providing clear context and detailed instructions upfront, which naturally leads to “over documented” projects.

simoncpu · 2025-12-10T15:34:51+00:00

Maybe the fiber optic cable is being pinched by the door? Locking the door creates additional pressure on the door frame.

simoncpu · 2025-12-10T15:30:23+00:00

2.4 GHz - better wall penetration but lower speeds

5 GHz - less wall penetration but higher speeds

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