Is Verifon's Way2Ride application safe?

Home >  Is Verifon's Way2Ride application safe?
Hi there! I'm using Verifon's Way2Ride app on my Android smartphone and I'd like to know is it really safe, because I've heard that it is using NFC technology that is quite vulnerable. I'd like to be sure that my smartphone, my personal data and the money on my account will be safe from any kind of NFC bugs, exploits and possibly viruses. Many thanks in advance!



Hi there, Rick!


First of all we should remind you of the fact that you can't be sure in 100% safety here, because all of the modern smartphones are vulnerable to various hacks and exploits. There are too much factors to consider, if you want to make sure that everything is OK. But let's get back to the application itself. Way2Ride app is a rather convenient service for taxi passengers, that lets them to call a taxi, pay for the ride with your smartphone and even set a tip rate.


But we at Jammer-Store have to remind you that all the convenience must be paid for, and in many cases it is paid with security. The problem with the app is in NFC technology, which is not really reliable. We've already seen questions on NFC vulnerabilities and we will try to help you. First of all make sure that your Android Beam is disabled, because it has a bug that enables hacker to remotely access your smartphone.


Keep in mind that everything that you send with radio signals may be intercepted. That's the nature of radio waves, you can't just limit them. The only way to achieve that is to use an NFC jamming device, but the problem is that due to technical issues, there is no small, portable version of the device. So the only option in that case is to avoid NFC at all, or at least turn it on only when necessary!


Thanks for your question, I hope, I've managed to help.



Jason here from VeriFone. Just to clear things up for you guys, the app does not use NFC. It uses a technology of our called Zoosh, which works with high-frequency sound. The app doesn't actually store the payment credentials on the phone or transmit them to the taxi. The taxi transmits the ride token to the phone to let the servers know which ride the user wants to pay for. The card data is stored in, and processed from, our secure, PCI-compliant data center.

Prev : Is it true that police now can track your cell phone without ...
Next : My Philips HUE bulbs were hacked. How to protect them?