Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Reviewing Mullvad Browser Apr 10, 2023

Show notes

Right after releasing my episode on web fingerprinting, highly-respected VPN provider Mullvad teamed up with Tor to release a new web browser, specifically designed to protect your privacy - including attempting to block fingerprinting! Great timing, so I thought I'd give you my review of the Mullvad Browser - the good, the bad, and (yes) the ugly. In other news: Timely tips on spotting IRS phone scams; ultrasound attacks can hijack your smart speakers; brace yourself for a wave of more sophisticated AI-based scams; alcohol recover startups shared patients' data with advertisers; Google to require app developers to let you delete your account data; FBI's Operation Cookie Monster shuts down popular cybercrime forum; Facebook will grudgingly offer users in Europe to opt out of all tracking; the FDA is requiring medical device manufacturers to improve cybersecurity and support; and I answer a Dear Carey question about how to use a Mac mini as a server to host private versions of cloud apps. Article Links [NPR] No, the IRS isn't calling you. It isn't texting or emailing you, either https://www.npr.org/2023/04/07/1168353969/irs-scam-tax-day-imposter-how-to-avoid [Gizmodo] Ultrasound Attack Can Secretly Hijack Phones and Smart Speakers, Researchers Find https://gizmodo.com/ultrasound-attack-hacks-phones-siri-alexa-usenix-1850273055 [WIRED] Brace Yourself for a Tidal Wave of ChatGPT Email Scams https://www.wired.com/story/large-language-model-phishing-scams/ [TechCrunch] Alcohol recovery startups Monument and Tempest shared patients’ private data with advertisers https://techcrunch.com/2023/04/04/monument-tempest-alcohol-data-breach/ [Engadget] Google will require that Android apps let you delete your account and data https://www.engadget.com/google-will-require-that-android-apps-let-you-delete-your-account-and-data-170618841.html [CNN] ‘Operation Cookie Monster’: FBI seizes popular cybercrime forum used for large-scale identity theft https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/04/politics/genesis-market-fbi-seizure/index.html [BGR] Facebook and Instagram users can now opt out of tracking, but only in Europe https://bgr.com/tech/facebook-and-instagrams-users-can-now-opt-out-of-tracking-but-only-in-europe/ [scmagazine.com] FDA will refuse new medical devices for cybersecurity reasons on Oct. 1 https://www.scmagazine.com/news/device-security/fda-will-refuse-new-medical-devices-for-cybersecurity-reasons-on-oct-1 Tip of the Week: Mullvad Browser https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/new-privacy-tool-mullvad-browser/ Further Info Watchman Privacy interview: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fByagxDetVI Using ultrasound to drive away teens: https://www.today.com/news/controversial-mosquito-sonic-devices-deter-young-people-high-pitched-sounds-t157801 Train Siri to recognize your voice: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204753 Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Would you like me to speak to your group about security and/or privacy? https://fdsd.me/speakerrequest Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:00:22: Important software updates 0:01:13: Watchman Privacy interview 0:01:44: News preview 0:04:38: Beware IRS phone scams 0:09:42: New ultrasound attacks against digital assistants 0:17:51: Brace yourself for AI-enhanced email scams 0:27:45: Alcohol recovery startups shared patients' private data with advertisers 0:30:28: Google will require that Android apps delete your account and data 0:35:00: FBI Operation Cookie Monster shuts down popular cybercrime forum 0:37:43: Facebook users in EU can now opt out of tracking 0:41:15: FDA to require medical devices to have better security and support 0:46:05: Dear Carey: What to do with a Mac mini home server? 0:53:49: Tip of the Week: Mullvad Browser 1:00:07: Wrap-up and preview of upcoming shows

Privacy Peeps Panel Apr 03, 2023

Show notes

On today's show, I'll take you behind the scenes of not one, not two, but three different privacy websites. I ask Nate from The New Oil and Niek from Privacy Guides how they deal with being a public figures advocating for privacy, how they set their personal standards for privacy products, and how they cope with people and product makers who complain about their recommendations (or lack thereof). I ask them about some favorite products that they've had to remove from their recommended lists and where they go to keep up to date on privacy topics and products. Finally, I ask them what gives them hope about the future of privacy and what keeps them up at night. Interview Notes The New Oil: https://thenewoil.org/ Privacy Guides: https://www.privacyguides.org/ Techlore: https://techlore.tech/ Panopticon: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Panopticon Naomi Brockwell on VPNs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MHBMdTBlok Further Info Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Support me! https://fdsd.me/support Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Would you like me to speak to your group about security and/or privacy? https://fdsd.me/speakerrequest Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:03:02: Transcriptions coming! 0:04:25: Introductions 0:05:55: As a private person, what's it like putting yourself out there? 0:09:13: How do you handle the haters? 0:12:09: How do you keep up to date on privacy and related products? 0:15:29: How often have you had to reverse product recommendations? 0:20:33: How do you set the threshold for how private a product should be? 0:26:10: Where do YOU go to learn about privacy products and topics? 0:31:19: A little humility goes a long way 0:33:25: Choosing a good VPN provider 0:37:44: Should people use antivirus software? If so, which ? 0:40:57: How do you set and enforce your product recommendation criteria? 0:47:27: Do you think your standards help to improve the market? 0:49:08: What gives you hope about the future? And what keeps you up at night? 0:55:10: What can I do to further the cause of privacy? 0:59:05: Interview wrap-up 1:00:32: Dear Carey: Top privacy guidelines and topics for discussion?

Fingerprinting Your Devices Mar 27, 2023

Show notes

Marketers are desperately trying to follow us as we traverse the web. Tracking where we go and what we do allows them to better target us with ads. Browsers have built in protections to block older tracking techniques like cookies and tracking pixels, and so ad companies have had find new methods for identifying us across websites. Unfortunately, they've settled on a technique that is extremely difficult to defeat: fingerprinting. I'll explain what is, how it works, and what you can do to mitigate it. In other news: Google is warning Android users to update their devices right away in order to fix some truly nasty bugs; hackers are using malicious Chrome extensions to read your Gmail and potentially hack your Android device; popular fertility apps are collecting ridiculous amounts of highly personal data and sharing it with partners; scammers are using AI to simulate voices of people you know to steal your money; CISA has launched a great new ransomware vulnerability pilot program; I'll tell you why you should opt out of sharing your data with your mobile service provider; America's threatening to ban TikTok but this won't fix the real problem; the IRS is supposed to be moving away from ID.me authentication. Article Links [Naked Security] Dangerous Android phone 0-day bugs revealed – patch or work around them now! https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2023/03/17/dangerous-android-phone-0-day-bugs-revealed-patch-or-work-around-them-now/ [Tom's Guide] Hackers are stealing Gmail messages — delete this extension right now https://www.tomsguide.com/news/hackers-are-stealing-gmail-messages-delete-this-extension-right-now [The Conversation] Popular fertility apps are engaging in widespread misuse of data, including on sex, periods and pregnancy https://theconversation.com/popular-fertility-apps-are-engaging-in-widespread-misuse-of-data-including-on-sex-periods-and-pregnancy-202127 [consumer.ftc.gov] Scammers use AI to enhance their family emergency schemes https://consumer.ftc.gov/consumer-alerts/2023/03/scammers-use-ai-enhance-their-family-emergency-schemes [cisa.gov] CISA Establishes Ransomware Vulnerability Warning Pilot Program https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/news/cisa-establishes-ransomware-vulnerability-warning-pilot-program [briankrebs] Why You Should Opt Out of Sharing Data With Your Mobile Provider https://krebsonsecurity.com/2023/03/why-you-should-opt-out-of-sharing-data-with-your-mobile-provider/ [The Washington Post] America’s online privacy problems are much bigger than TikTok https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/03/24/tiktok-online-privacy-laws/ Dear Carey: IRS plans to approve use of Login-dot-gov as Tax Day nears https://www.fcw.com/it-modernization/2023/03/plans-approve-use-login-dot-gov-tax-day-nears/383934/ Tip of the Week: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-block-web-fingerprinting/ Further Info Syncthing: https://syncthing.net/ KeePassXC: https://keepassxc.org/ IP address black list check: https://whatismyipaddress.com/blacklist-check EFF on TikTok: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/03/government-hasnt-justified-tiktok-ban Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Would you like me to speak to your group about security and/or privacy? https://fdsd.me/speakerrequest Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:01:49: Local password vault sync solution 0:05:07: News preview 0:06:47: Dangerous Android Baseband Bugs Patched 0:18:19: Hackers stealing Gmail messages via browser plugin 0:22:29: Popular fertility apps are engaging in widespread misuse of data 0:29:59: Scammers use voice AI to fool relatives 0:34:12: CISA establishes ransomware vulnerability program 0:37:05: Opting Out of Sharing Data With Your Mobile Provider 0:44:06: The latest on banning TikTok 0:49:05: Dear Carey: Do I have to use ID.me to log in to my IRS account? 0:52:55: Tip of the Week: Blocking Web Fingerprinting 1:04:38: Wrap-up

Solving Your Password Problems Mar 20, 2023

Show notes

If for some reason you haven't started using a password manager yet, it's time to make the move. But how can you trust all these important secrets to some unknown company? How can you be sure that your password vault will be safe in a cloud-based service? And finally, how do you figure out which service is best for you? Today I'll ask Kasey Babcock from Bitwarden all those questions. We'll also talk about two-factor authentication and newer "passkeys" technology, Argon2 vs PBKDF2, and even how you might self-host a solution like Bitwarden if you want to have full control. Kasey Babcock is a Product Marketing Manager at Bitwarden, and she has many years of experience working at software start-ups in the cybersecurity and project portfolio management industries, working with product and engineering teams to communicate meaningful cybersecurity information and product updates. Interview Notes Bitwarden Personal: https://bitwarden.com/products/personal/ Bitwarden Secrets Manager: https://bitwarden.com/products/secrets-manager/ Bitwarden blog article: https://bitwarden.com/blog/accelerating-value-for-bitwarden-users-bitwarden-raises-usd100-million/ Further Info Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Support me! https://fdsd.me/support Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Would you like me to speak to your group about security and/or privacy? https://fdsd.me/speakerrequest Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:01:02: Pre-interview notes 0:02:21: Why should people entrust their credentials to a password manager? 0:07:49: What is Argon2 and how does it compare to PBKDF2? 0:09:15: How can regular people evaluate the security of software products? 0:14:34: How important is it for security software to be open-source? 0:16:32: How do third party security audits work? 0:18:48: What is "pen testing"? 0:19:16: How much control do audited companies have over releasing audit results? 0:20:35: What are the benefits of self-hosting a solution like Bitwarden? 0:23:55: Should we trust cloud-based password vault storage? 0:25:29: What are some red flags to look for when evaluating security companies? 0:27:36: Bitwarden recently received $100M in funding - has this changed your focus? 0:30:57: What is "secrets management" for software developers? 0:33:31: What is "passwordless" and is it phishing-proof? 0:39:18: How do I set up and use passkeys? 0:44:09: How long before we can use passkeys? 0:45:42: Will passwordless systems still require two-factor auth? 0:48:22: What's next for Bitwarden? What features can we look forward to? 0:50:06: Interview wrap-up

Securing Your Home Network Mar 13, 2023

Show notes

Our devices are connected to the Internet 24/7 and the only thing separating them from the bad guys is usually your home router. In the era of smart devices and the Internet of Things (IoT), we also now have many more doohickeys connected to the Internet - most of them with crappy security. If one of those devices is compromised, the bad guys now have a beachhead from which to probe and attack all your other devices. In today's show, we'll review some important cybersecurity tips for our home network and connected devices. In other news: police raid homes of alleged ransomware gang; locally exploitable TPM 2.0 security flaws found; White House unveils comprehensive cybersecurity strategy; new LastPass breach details show specific employee was targeted at home; browser synchronization features may compromise employer systems; Catholic group buys data to target gay priests; private home webcams are a goldmine for police evidence gathering; telehealth companies leak sensitive patient data; ICE and Secret Service admit to using cell-site simulators to collect mass surveillance data. Article Links [The Verge] Police raid homes of alleged hackers who attacked hospital systems https://www.theverge.com/2023/3/6/23627238/hackers-ransomware-raid-german-ukrainian-police [TechSpot] Two security flaws in the TPM 2.0 specs put cryptographic keys at risk https://www.techspot.com/news/97824-two-security-flaws-tpm-20-specs-put-cryptographic.html [The Washington Post] Biden unveils cyber strategy that takes more aggressive regulatory approach https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/03/02/cybersecurity-biden/ [Ars Technica] LastPass says employee’s home computer was hacked and corporate vault taken https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/02/lastpass-hackers-infected-employees-home-computer-and-stole-corporate-vault/ [Kaspersky] Disable browser synchronization in the office https://www.kaspersky.com/blog/disable-browser-sync-enterprise/47460/ [The Washington Post] Catholic group spent millions on app data that tracked gay priests https://www.washingtonpost.com/dc-md-va/2023/03/09/catholics-gay-priests-grindr-data-bishops/ [Electronic Frontier Foundation] Report: ICE and the Secret Service Conducted Illegal Surveillance of Cell Phones https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/03/report-ice-and-secret-service-conducted-illegal-surveillance-cell-phones [POLITICO] The privacy loophole in your doorbell https://www.politico.com/news/2023/03/07/privacy-loophole-ring-doorbell-00084979 [TechCrunch] Telehealth startup Cerebral shared millions of patients’ data with advertisers https://techcrunch.com/2023/03/10/cerebral-shared-millions-patient-data-advertisers/ [NPR] Personal information of members of Congress exposed in health data breach https://www.npr.org/2023/03/09/1162191035/personal-information-of-u-s-house-members-exposed-in-health-data-breach Securing Your Home Network: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-secure-your-home-network/ Further Info Apple’s HomeKit Secure Video: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210538 Shodan: https://www.shodan.io/ What’s My IP? https://www.whatismyip.com/ NSA home network security (PDF): https://media.defense.gov/2023/Feb/22/2003165170/-1/-1/0/CSI_BEST_PRACTICES_FOR_SECURING_YOUR_HOME_NETWORK.PDF What a VPN Is (and Isn't): https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/what-a-vpn-is-and-isnt/ Get your Dragon Swag! https://fdsd.me/merch Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Would you like me to speak to your group about security and/or privacy? https://fdsd.me/speakerrequest Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:00:16: News preview 0:02:16: Police raid homes of alleged health system hackers 0:04:16: Two security flaws in the TPM 2.0 spec 0:08:50: White House unveils aggressive cyber strategy 0:14:41: LastPass breach details sophisticated attack 0:25:09: Bbrowser synchronization can create risk to corporate systems 0:30:49: Catholic group bought app data that tracked gay priests 0:33:53: Ring doorbell data dragnet 0:43:09: ICE Conducted Illegal Surveillance of Cell Phones 0:46:36: Cerebral shared millions of patients’ data with advertisers 0:49:59: Personal information of members of Congress exposed in health data breach 0:52:19: Dear Carey: secure, privavy home web cameras 0:59:00: Tip of the Week: Securing Your Home Network 1:05:52: Wrap-up and looking ahead

Designing Apps for Privacy Mar 06, 2023

Show notes

Privacy advocates like me implore people to use secure apps that protect their data. But how difficult is it to actually create those apps? How do you balance security and privacy against sharing features and ease of use? How do you earn the trust of your users and how do you keep that trust? When does being private begin to negatively impact your ability to participate in society? Today I'll ask Mo, the creator of the secure note-taking app Standard Notes, all of these questions and more - including his personal thoughts for how best to organize and back up your notes and other data. Interview Notes Standard Notes: https://standardnotes.com/ Write Fearlessly (blog article): https://standardnotes.com/why-encrypted Standard Notes YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@standardnotes Second Brain note taking styles: https://fortelabs.com/blog/the-4-notetaking-styles-how-to-choose-a-digital-notes-app-as-your-second-brain/ Tresosit secure cloud storage: https://tresorit.com/individuals Sync.com secure cloud storage: https://sync.com/ Further Info Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Would you like me to speak to your group about security and/or privacy? https://fdsd.me/speakerrequest Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:03:19: What is Standard Notes and how is it different? 0:06:19: What is true end-to-end encryption? 0:08:35: What does privacy mean to you? 0:14:14: What do people misunderstand most about privacy? 0:17:43: How do you secure a web app? 0:23:08: Does security preclude any popular app features? 0:27:31: Should we really encrypt everything? 0:33:30: How do you earn and keep your users' trust? 0:37:57: How important is humility and honesty in security marketing? 0:39:42: What is your note taking organizational strategy? 0:47:03: How do you figure out what organizational style works for you? 0:50:43: How do you make sure all your data is backed up and findable? 0:56:17: What does the future hold for privacy? 1:01:04: What's next for Standard Notes? 1:05:06: Interview wrap-up

Unmasking Shortened Links Feb 27, 2023

Show notes

Web links are great, when you're on the web. But if you need to read off or write down a web address, or URL, to someone else, anything beyond a simple domain name is going to be way too complicated. Ideally, you want something short and memorable. Enter link-shortening services like Bitly, Owly and others. These services convert long, ugly URLs to short, simple, memorable links. Unfortunately, this also obscures the actual link. When you click a shortened link, you have no idea where it will take you. Today, I'll give you some tools that will allow you to determine the final destination and even see an image of the site without actually going there. In other news: TikTok group teaches people how to hot-wire Kia and Hyundai cars; Twitter charges users for the least-secure two-factor authentication method; scam authenticator apps proliferation on the app store; Apple devices are being stolen after surreptitiously learning the lock codes; Google to launch Android Privacy Sandbox beta; Mozilla discovers huge discrepancies between actual privacy policies and the 'nutrition label' summaries on top Android apps; supermarkets track tons of user data via loyalty cards and apps; we need to create a much more robust and resilient internet; and the CEO of Safing answers a user question about Portmaster and SPN. Article Links [Lifehacker] TikTokers Are Hot-Wiring These Hyundai and Kia Cars https://lifehacker.com/tiktokers-are-hot-wiring-these-hyundai-and-kia-cars-1850113943 [Mashable] Twitter to charge users for SMS two-factor authentication https://mashable.com/article/twitter-removes-sms-2fa [9to5mac.com] Scam authenticator app advertising on App Store: Sends all your QR codes to the developer https://9to5mac.com/2023/02/21/scam-authenticator-app/ [MacRumors] Apple Responds to Report About Thieves Spying on iPhone Passcodes to 'Steal Your Entire Digital Life' https://www.macrumors.com/2023/02/24/iphone-stolen-passcodes-report/ [The Verge] Google launches first Android beta for ad-tracking overhaul https://www.theverge.com/2023/2/14/23599027/google-android-privacy-sandbox-beta-advertising-tracking [foundation.mozilla.org] Mozilla Study: Data Privacy Labels for Most Top Apps in Google Play Store are False or Misleading [The Markup] Forget Milk and Eggs: Supermarkets Are Having a Fire Sale on Data About You https://themarkup.org/privacy/2023/02/16/forget-milk-and-eggs-supermarkets-are-having-a-fire-sale-on-data-about-you [Schneier Blog] What Will It Take? https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/02/what-will-it-take.html How to Reveal Shortened URLs: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-reveal-shortened-urls/ Further Info 2FA apps: https://lifehacker.com/the-best-authenticator-apps-for-iphone-and-android-1850140802 Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Support me! https://fdsd.me/support Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Would you like me to speak to your group about security and/or privacy? https://fdsd.me/speakerrequest Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:00:47: Book out of stock? 0:01:45: News rundown 0:04:09: Hot-Wiring Hyundai and Kia Cars 0:09:11: Twitter to charge users for SMS 2FA 0:12:58: Scam authenticator apps 0:18:13: Thieves Spying on iPhone Passcodes to 'Steal Your Entire Digital Life' 0:24:22: Google launches first Android beta for Privacy Sandbox 0:27:52: Data Privacy Labels in Google Play Store are False or Misleading 0:34:59: Supermarkets Are Having a Fire Sale on Data About You 0:44:41: Schneier: What Will It Take? 0:52:38: Dear Carey 0:55:53: Tip of the Week 1:01:21: Wrap up: merch store, previews

Fixing Social Media Feb 20, 2023

Show notes

Social media wasn't always so bad. It didn't use to collect so much information. It didn't use to feed us content we didn't ask for in an attempt to maintain our attention. Doom scrolling, virtue signaling, algorithmic feeds and misinformation bots are not natural extensions of social media. So what went wrong? And better yet, how can we fix it? Today I'll discuss all of these topics and more with Suzie Dawson, the founder of Panquake.com. She's on a mission to solve all of these problems and restore the promise of social media to be a positive force for society and serve the users, not corporations or governments. Interview Notes Panquake: https://panquake.com/ A Personal Message from our Founder (Suzie): https://vimeo.com/770524936 What is Panquake? https://vimeo.com/503223746 The Social Dilemma (documentary): https://www.thesocialdilemma.com/ Mastodon: https://joinmastodon.org/ Fediverse: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2022/11/fediverse-could-be-awesome-if-we-dont-screw-it Microsoft’s Decentralized Identity: https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/azure/active-directory/verifiable-credentials/decentralized-identifier-overview Further Info Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Support me! https://fdsd.me/support Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Would you like me to speak to your group about security and/or privacy? https://fdsd.me/speakerrequest Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:02:18: interview preview 0:05:24: What is Panquake.com and why did you create it? 0:06:25: When and why did social media platforms go wrong? 0:07:55: Why is our relationship with Big Tech such an abusive one? 0:10:09: Are algorithmic feeds inherently bad or just exposing human nature? 0:15:25: How does Facebook learn so much about us? 0:16:24: Without algorithmic feeds, how do I discover new content? 0:17:51: How do you convince people to pay for their social media platform? 0:21:27: What other things do people hate about modern social media platforms? 0:25:53: What does it mean to be 'shadow banned'? 0:27:32: How can we stop malicious bot behavior? 0:30:39: What's the best way to implement account verification? 0:34:59: How do we spark a backwards paradigm shift? 0:36:44: What is the role of social media platforms in moderating content? 0:40:00: How does moderation vary globally? 0:41:23: Is TikTok more dangerous to society than Twitter or Facebook? 0:47:21: What is the "Fediverse" and how does it work? 0:53:40: How important is data portability or ownership? 0:58:34: What's next for Panquake? 1:03:19: Suzie asks ME a question! 1:04:56: Interview wrap-up 1:05:41: patron bonus content and benefits 1:06:43: Swag Shop is OPEN! 1:08:43: Upcoming interviews

Where & Why to Plant Your Flag Feb 13, 2023

Show notes

As a general rule, I would normally advise people to minimize the number of online accounts they have, including avoiding creating unnecessary accounts and closing accounts they no longer need. However, as a regular citizen, there are a handful of governmental accounts that exist for you already, whether you use them or not. And you should claim those accounts for yourself before bad guys do this on your behalf. Furthermore, as a home owner or modern consumer, you probably have several other accounts that you may never have claimed: utilities, financial institutions, medical portals, and more. Today I'll tell you where and why to plant your flag. In other news: Booking.com reservation data being used to scam customers; top background check service customers' data leaked; Finnish psychotherapy extortion suspect arrested; FTC takes on telehealth data sharing; the ACLU lobbies court to restrict Google geofence warrant data; Anker admits to Eufy camera security bugs; fake, malicious Bitwarden ads deliver malware; maker of stalkerware fined and forced to notify victims; NIST proposes security protocols for low-power IoT devices. I also answer a listener question about IPv4 vs IPv6. Article Links [Ars Technica] Mysterious leak of Booking.com reservation data is being used to scam customers https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/02/mysterious-leak-of-booking-com-reservation-data-is-being-used-to-scam-customers/ [TechRadar] Top background check services hit by data breach https://www.techradar.com/news/top-background-check-services-hit-by-data-breach [Naked Security] Finnish psychotherapy extortion suspect arrested in France https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2023/02/06/finnish-psychotherapy-extortion-suspect-arrested-in-france/ [The Markup] The FTC Is Taking on Telehealth’s Data Sharing Problem—Starting with GoodRx – The Markup https://themarkup.org/pixel-hunt/2023/02/01/the-ftc-is-taking-on-telehealths-data-sharing-problem-starting-with-goodrx [Computerworld] ACLU, public defenders push back against Google giving police your mobile data https://www.computerworld.com/article/3686535/aclu-public-defenders-push-back-against-google-giving-police-your-mobile-data.html [9to5mac.com] Anker admits to lying about Eufy security camera encryption; describes future plans https://9to5mac.com/2023/02/01/eufy-security-camera-encryption/ [PCWorld] Phony, malicious Bitwarden ads slip past Google’s watch https://www.pcworld.com/article/1487690/phony-bitwarden-ads-are-the-latest-to-slip-through-on-googles-watch.html [Electronic Frontier Foundation] Stalkerware Maker Fined $410k and Compelled to Notify Victims https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/02/stalkerware-maker-fined-410k-and-compelled-notify-victims [ZDNet] Tiny IoT devices are getting their own special encryption algorithms https://www.zdnet.com/article/tiny-iot-devices-are-getting-their-own-special-encryption-algorithms/ Further Info Order the new 5th edition of my book! https://fdsd.me/book OSINT Tools: https://inteltechniques.com/tools/index.html WireGuard IPv6 help: https://stanislas.blog/2019/01/how-to-setup-vpn-server-wireguard-nat-ipv6/ Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Support me! https://fdsd.me/support Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Would you like me to speak to your group about security and/or privacy? https://fdsd.me/speakerrequest Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:02:29: News preview 0:03:58: Booking.com users being targeted with convincing scams 0:09:11: Top background check services hit by data breach 0:12:16: Finnish psychotherapy extortion suspect arrested 0:18:48: FTC Is Taking on Telehealth’s Data Sharing Problem 0:23:23: ACLU pushes back against Google geofence warrants 0:31:07: Anker admits to lying about Eufy security camera encryption 0:37:38: Phony, malicious Bitwarden ads slip past Google 0:41:05: Stalkerware Maker Fined $410k and Compelled to Notify Victims 0:44:43: IoT devices are getting their own special encryption algorithms 0:47:38: Dear Carey: IPv4 vs IPv6 0:55:01: Tip of the Week: Plant Your Flag 1:00:03: Wrap up

Combatting Surveillance Capitalism Feb 06, 2023

Show notes

The business of data mining and behavioral advertising has never been stronger or more ubiquitous. And yet, cracks are beginning to appear in the foundations of surveillance capitalism. Nowhere is this more evident than in the European Union where advertising behemoths like Google and Meta (parent company of Facebook) have suffered a series of legal defeats at the hands of aggressive privacy regulators. The GDPR has provided a framework for curtailing rampant abuses of the advertising industry and its promise is finally coming to fruition. Today I'll speak with Johnny Ryan from the Irish Council for Civil Liberties, who is fighting for all of us on the front lines of the war for privacy. Johnny Ryan works at the Irish Council for Civil Liberties and he was previously Chief Policy Officer at Brave. He has testified and spoken at the US Senate, the European Commission, and the European Parliament. Interview Notes Irish Regulators Fine Facebook $414 Million https://thehackernews.com/2023/01/irish-regulators-fine-facebook-414.html Irish Council for Civil Liberties: https://www.iccl.ie/ Ep231: Selling You Out to the Highest Bidder https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2021/08/02/selling-you-out-to-the-highest-bidder/ Fair Information Practice Principles (FIPPs): https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FTC_fair_information_practice Diesel-Gate: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_emissions_scandal Further Info Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Support me! https://fdsd.me/support Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Would you like me to speak to your group about security and/or privacy? https://fdsd.me/speakerrequest Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:00:23: The 5th edition is OUT!! 0:02:50: Interview prep 0:05:02: Give us a refresher on how behavioral ads work 0:08:41: Why was Meta fined and will they be able to appeal? 0:18:40: How does tracking consent work now and how should it work? 0:26:25: How are these fines determined and why wasn't this one bigger? 0:29:52: What changes we will see as a result of this and by when? 0:32:45: Will this ruling affect other companies, as well? 0:34:11: Will this ruling affect more than just notice and consent? 0:36:19: Why can't we just go back to context-based ads? 0:41:15: Are behavior-based ads really more valuable? 0:43:52: Is there more private way to have targeted ads? 0:47:18: Will Google's new ad framework just solidify their dominance? 0:51:42: Won't intelligence agencies abuse all of the data collected about us? 0:57:41: Has surveillance capitalism peaked? What does the future look like? 1:02:02: Interview follow-up 1:03:32: Getting the book on people's radars

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Podcast

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected