Security of the Kindle Store

Marc Mertens · 07-27-2010, 06:40 AM

Hello,

as the proud owner of a new Kindle DX associated with my Amazon Account, I noticed that when I use the Kindle to go to the Kindle Store, no name or password is asked when I order a book. Very convenient but what happens when someone steals my Kindle and starts ordering books using my account.
What is the procedure to avoid that someone is using this to, plunder your visa card associated with your account. In other words I'm looking either to a way that forces the Kindle to ask for a password if buy something in the Kindle or for the steps that you have to take if the kindle is stolen.

Thanks in advance

Marc Mertens

SamuraiXSendai · 07-27-2010, 07:00 AM

There is a password capability to open it - have you set that? It's on the settings page.

bear4hunter · 07-27-2010, 07:45 AM

If your Kindle gets stolen, and isn't PW-protected, the thief can only buy books, nothing else. If (s)he does so, you get almost immediately notified by amazon by mail (thanks for your purchase...)

After you informed amazon, that you didn't buy the book, and that you Kindle was stolen, you get a refund, and your account gets blocked, even more: amazon is able to do and should delete the books on your Kindle, maybe they even "brick" it, so it's of no use any more.

Marc Mertens · 07-27-2010, 10:26 AM

Thanks for the replies, I was aware of the password function but I didn't want to specify a password every time I use the device.
So I think the best thing to do is to let Amazon to brick the device.

Thanks

piltdown · 06-19-2011, 03:39 AM

This something that has concerned me. If the kindle is stolen and you don't have access to the Internet at the time to inform Amazon etc.the thief could spend a lot of money using your credit card. I expect it would be a right hassle to get the money back. Amazon could only "brick" the kindle if it was connected via wifi or 3g - but if the thief disabled connectivity this can't happen.

The security of purchasing books via the kindle seems a badly flawed system to me. Surely having to enter a usernane and password at the time of purchase is the minimum that should be required.

Personally, due to these concerns, I have disassociated my kindle with my amazon account.

TimW · 06-19-2011, 03:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by piltdown

This something that has concerned me. If the kindle is stolen and you don't have access to the Internet at the time to inform Amazon etc.the thief could spend a lot of money using your credit card. I expect it would be a right hassle to get the money back. Amazon could only "brick" the kindle if it was connected via wifi or 3g - but if the thief disabled connectivity this can't happen.

The security of purchasing books via the kindle seems a badly flawed system to me. Surely having to enter a usernane and password at the time of purchase is the minimum that should be required.

Personally, due to these concerns, I have disassociated my kindle with my amazon account.

You just have to make a phone call. Call 866-321-8851 and give them your name and address and they'll shut off access. Since all a thief can purchase are ebooks and you can be refunded immediately, there is no need to panic. A thief can't get your CC# from your Kindle.

crich70 · 06-19-2011, 04:51 AM

You can also add some personal data (name, address and email addy) to your settings page so if you lose it (as opposed to it being stolen) and someone finds it you can (in theory) get it back. I don't know of anyone who has had that happen as yet, but it is a feature.

HarryT · 06-19-2011, 05:02 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by crich70

You can also add some personal data (name, address and email addy) to your settings page so if you lose it (as opposed to it being stolen) and someone finds it you can (in theory) get it back. I don't know of anyone who has had that happen as yet, but it is a feature.

We have had several reports of lost Kindles being returned. Most people are fundamentally honest, I think.

Poppaea · 06-19-2011, 05:15 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

We have had several reports of lost Kindles being returned. Most people are fundamentally honest, I think.

Must be. Otherwise there wouldn't be a market for mystery and crime fiction where the bad get caught

TenaciousBadger · 06-19-2011, 05:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Poppaea

Must be. Otherwise there wouldn't be a market for mystery and crime fiction where the bad get caught

.. or the bad don't get caught.
Hmmm, how many of those have we read, though?

crich70 · 06-19-2011, 05:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

We have had several reports of lost Kindles being returned. Most people are fundamentally honest, I think.

If it was posted in a thread that they had had it returned I must have missed it. Something that is certainly believable with how many threads there are on this board. lol. I agree with you Harry that most people are fairly honest about things like returning lost property. Alas, it's the bad eggs that get the most publicity usually in the news. Like the guy who steals someone's cell phone or runs off with the funds that someone was raising to help someone in need of medical attention but who doesn't have the financial means to cover it. Course a lot of the dishonest ones are stupid in one way or another too which is how they get caught so I guess it balances out in most cases.

Bratzzo · 06-19-2011, 08:42 AM

Hi,

Quote:

Originally Posted by piltdown

This something that has concerned me. If the kindle is stolen and you don't have access to the Internet at the time to inform Amazon etc.the thief could spend a lot of money using your credit card. I expect it would be a right hassle to get the money back. Amazon could only "brick" the kindle if it was connected via wifi or 3g - but if the thief disabled connectivity this can't happen.

and if the thief disabled connectivity, he can't purchase anything!
So, if he wants to buy books, he has to enable the connectivity. In this case, amazon can brick the kindle.

Bratzzo

DiapDealer · 06-19-2011, 09:06 AM

Convenience almost always comes at the expense of something else... and in this case, it's balanced against the risk that the person who steals your Kindle turns out to be an avid reader who will subsequently rack up thousands of dollars of ebook purchases on your credit card before you can report it stolen.

SamTCat · 06-19-2011, 04:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by DiapDealer

Convenience almost always comes at the expense of something else... and in this case, it's balanced against the risk that the person who steals your Kindle turns out to be an avid reader who will subsequently rack up thousands of dollars of ebook purchases on your credit card before you can report it stolen.

I don't associate a credit card with my Kindle account. I just buy myself gift cards so I run a small, positive balance for impulse purchases. If my Kindle is ever stolen, I won't be out much even if Amazon can't (or won't) stop the thief.

DiapDealer · 06-19-2011, 04:57 PM

Quote:

I don't associate a credit card with my Kindle account. I just buy myself gift cards so I run a small, positive balance for impulse purchases. If my Kindle is ever stolen, I won't be out much even if Amazon can't (or won't) stop the thief.

That's a smart, reasonable solution.

I don't think a thief is even going to bother buying ebooks, anyway. They're just going to do a factory reset so they can pawn the Kindle off on some unsuspecting rube before Amazon blacklists it.

Now an "innocent, lookey what I found" kind of person might accidentally stumble their way through a book purchase while checking it out.

07-27-2010, 06:40 AM	#1
Marc Mertens Mathematician Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: IRex Digital Reader	Security of the Kindle Store Hello, as the proud owner of a new Kindle DX associated with my Amazon Account, I noticed that when I use the Kindle to go to the Kindle Store, no name or password is asked when I order a book. Very convenient but what happens when someone steals my Kindle and starts ordering books using my account. What is the procedure to avoid that someone is using this to, plunder your visa card associated with your account. In other words I'm looking either to a way that forces the Kindle to ask for a password if buy something in the Kindle or for the steps that you have to take if the kindle is stolen. Thanks in advance Marc Mertens

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07-27-2010, 07:00 AM	#2
SamuraiXSendai Addict Posts: 229 Karma: 1234 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Earth Device: Kindle 1. Kindle 2. IPAD. KDXG. Kindle 3.Fire	There is a password capability to open it - have you set that? It's on the settings page.

07-27-2010, 07:45 AM	#3
bear4hunter Addict Posts: 248 Karma: 100148 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Germany, Munich Device: Kindle 3 & DX Graphite, PocketBook 302 & Pro 603	If your Kindle gets stolen, and isn't PW-protected, the thief can only buy books, nothing else. If (s)he does so, you get almost immediately notified by amazon by mail (thanks for your purchase...) After you informed amazon, that you didn't buy the book, and that you Kindle was stolen, you get a refund, and your account gets blocked, even more: amazon is able to do and should delete the books on your Kindle, maybe they even "brick" it, so it's of no use any more.

07-27-2010, 10:26 AM	#4
Marc Mertens Mathematician Posts: 24 Karma: 10 Join Date: Oct 2008 Device: IRex Digital Reader	Thanks for the replies, I was aware of the password function but I didn't want to specify a password every time I use the device. So I think the best thing to do is to let Amazon to brick the device. Thanks

06-19-2011, 03:39 AM	#5
piltdown Junior Member Posts: 1 Karma: 10 Join Date: Jun 2011 Device: kindle	This something that has concerned me. If the kindle is stolen and you don't have access to the Internet at the time to inform Amazon etc.the thief could spend a lot of money using your credit card. I expect it would be a right hassle to get the money back. Amazon could only "brick" the kindle if it was connected via wifi or 3g - but if the thief disabled connectivity this can't happen. The security of purchasing books via the kindle seems a badly flawed system to me. Surely having to enter a usernane and password at the time of purchase is the minimum that should be required. Personally, due to these concerns, I have disassociated my kindle with my amazon account.

06-19-2011, 04:51 AM	#7
crich70 Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,310 Karma: 43993832 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Monroe Wisconsin Device: K3, Kindle Paperwhite, Calibre, and Mobipocket for Pc (netbook)	You can also add some personal data (name, address and email addy) to your settings page so if you lose it (as opposed to it being stolen) and someone finds it you can (in theory) get it back. I don't know of anyone who has had that happen as yet, but it is a feature.

06-19-2011, 09:06 AM	#13
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,892 Karma: 207182180 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	Convenience almost always comes at the expense of something else... and in this case, it's balanced against the risk that the person who steals your Kindle turns out to be an avid reader who will subsequently rack up thousands of dollars of ebook purchases on your credit card before you can report it stolen.