Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Tech Learning Collective (Part 2) Mar 01, 2021

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In the second half of my interview with the Tech Learning Collective, we delve into their course curriculum a bit, and then discuss why they teach what they teach and how they approach these topics in a unique and meaningful way. We also examine the notion of "ethical hacking" and how this term can be used to whitewash some truly unethical and immoral products and services. Finally, we discuss why it's important to know how to perform cyber attacks in order to properly defend against them. These classes are truly like nothing else you'll find online. Check out one of their workshops for yourself (and support their important work in the process)! Technology, taught collectively. Looking to get certified? Look elsewhere. Looking to spark a revolution? We’ll show you how to become more powerful than the most well-funded adversaries, including corporate- and government-backed opponents. Further Info Tech Learning Collective: https://techlearningcollective.com/ Support me on Patreon! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons The Privacy Issue’s Essential Privacy Podcasts: https://theprivacyissue.com/privacy-and-society/download-privacy-security-podcastsTranscript: https://techlearningcollective.com/2021/04/06/firewalls-dont-stop-dragons-interviews-tech-learning-collective-part-2.html

Tech Learning Collective (Part 1) Feb 22, 2021

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I first learned of the Tech Learning Collective at a privacy conference in late 2020. I struck up a conversation with one of its representatives and ended up taking one of their wonderful workshops in January. The TLC offers some top-notch courses on computers with a focus on cybersecurity. Unlike college courses or cybersecurity certification courses, TLC offers eminently practical and affordable content, focused squarely on doing. It's like the difference between taking a karate class to earn colored belts and taking a personal self defense class to actually protect yourself. But it's also much more than that, and hard to describe. You'll have to listen to this interview to truly understand! From their website... Technology, taught collectively. Looking to get certified? Look elsewhere. Looking to spark a revolution? We’ll show you how to become more powerful than the most well-funded adversaries, including corporate- and government-backed opponents. Further Info Tech Learning Collective: https://techlearningcollective.com/ The Privacy Issue's Essential Privacy Podcasts: https://theprivacyissue.com/privacy-and-society/download-privacy-security-podcastsTranscript: https://techlearningcollective.com/2021/04/06/firewalls-dont-stop-dragons-interviews-tech-learning-collective-part-1.html

Not Just a Face in the Crowd Feb 15, 2021

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Ep207. Clearview AI - the company that has hoovered up every face it can find on the internet to create a creepy person identifying app - is back in the news. Canada and the EU have decided that Clearview has gone too far and needs to allow its users to opt out and even delete all the data they have, upon request. It's a welcome development, but unfortunately only available to California residents in the US (plus Canada and the EU). I'll tell you how to delete your data. In other news: Google uncovers a killer security feature in iOS 14 called BlastDoor; Amazon is expanding its "surveillance empire" in a massive and creepy way; someone "hacked" a water treatment plant in Florida trying (and failing) to poison its citizens; a bad bug has been found in a popular Wi-Fi iOT chip; a new phishing attack uses Morse code to hide its malicious web links; Facebook's "Supreme Court" has rendered its first set of rulings; and Clubhouse, the latest social media craze, is using some intrusive techniques to find more members. Also, I've got several tips for tax time in the US, including avoiding scams and safely transferring your financial data. Further Info Opt out of Clearview AI and delete your data: https://clearview.ai/privacy/requests Avoid tax scams: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/its-tax-scam-time-again/ Send files securely: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-send-files-securely-like-tax-info/ Get your IRS IP PIN: https://www.irs.gov/identity-theft-fraud-scams/get-an-identity-protection-pin

Free Speech & Deplatforming Feb 08, 2021

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Episode 206. The social media events around the January 6th storming of the US Capitol have sparked raging, divisive debates in the US. But the banning of individuals and the deplatforming of apps and groups are not new phenomenons. The Right of Free Speech that is enshrined in the First Amendment to the US Constitution is not limitless. It does have legal boundaries. And private companies, even monopolies, have the legal right to control access to their platforms. But does that make it right? Today, I will wade into this decidedly thorny issue with Troy Hunt, who brings a plethora of global technology and security experience to the debate. Troy Hunt is an Australian Microsoft Regional Director and a Most Valuable Professional awardee for Developer Security. He’s a blogger, international speaker and author of several online courses, and he runs the very valuable internet security service HaveIBeenPwned. Further Info Troy Hunt’s blog on deplatforming: https://www.troyhunt.com/weekly-update-226/ EFF's take: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2019/05/censorship-cant-be-only-answer-disinformation-online Legal limits of free speech: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_free_speech_exceptions Listener survey: https://bit.ly/Firewalls-survey-2021 Patron survey: http://bit.ly/Firewalls-patron-survey-2021

Stop Watching Me! Feb 01, 2021

Show notes

Tracking and data mining has gotten way out of hand. We're not only being tracked online, we're now being tracked around the real world, too. We're truly living in a panopticon - and it's not good for us as individuals or as a democratic society. Today I'll cover several stories that make it clear that we've hit a tipping point. It has to stop. And it's going to require all of us putting pressure on our representatives to lay down some common sense rules to curb surveillance capitalism. In today’s news: One week left to send in your podcast listener survey; update all your iOS devices ASAP; Apple walks back a controversial OS change that would have allowed some Apple apps to bypass firewalls and VPNs; Microsoft is touting a new Edge browser feature that notifies you when your passwords have been breached; an innocuous-looking police robot is actually paving the way towards chilling mass surveillance; another US intelligence agency has been caught buying the location data of US citizens from data brokers; Apple’s efforts at improving user privacy are ruffling more feathers at Google and Facebook. Further Info New Years Resolution ideas for 2021: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/new-years-resolutions-2021/Data Privacy Day checklist: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/data-privacy-day-checklist/ Listener survey: https://bit.ly/Firewalls-survey-2021 Patron survey: http://bit.ly/Firewalls-patron-survey-2021

De-Googling Your Life Jan 25, 2021

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We all love to beat up on Facebook over user privacy, but the real granddaddy of them all is Google. Google is everywhere. And they almost surely know way more about you than any other company on the planet. In addition to all the "G" apps and services that you know about, Google also owns Android, Chrome browser, Waze, Nest and YouTube. It's extremely hard to avoid using Google. But there are alternatives that will respect your privacy - and today I'll give you a long list of viable options. And with international Data Privacy Day happening this week (Jan 28th), it's a great time to take back control of your data. In other news: Some malicious Chrome extensions have been scraping Facebook data, a man working for ADT has been caught spying on women using the security cameras he helped to install, Google seems to be dragging their heels on updating their iOS app privacy labels, Malwarebytes says they've been hacked by the same group behind the SolarWinds hacks, WhatsApp has upset many of their users with a new privacy ultimatum, and I'll delve into the national security implications of the recent US Capitol breach. Further Info Listener survey: https://bit.ly/Firewalls-survey-2021 Patron survey: http://bit.ly/Firewalls-patron-survey-2021 My Data Privacy Day Checklist: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/data-privacy-day-checklist/ Google Alternatives: https://restoreprivacy.com/google-alternatives/Restore Privacy tools: https://restoreprivacy.com/privacy-tools/ No More Google: https://nomoregoogle.com/ Just Get My Data: https://justgetmydata.com/Just Delete Me: https://justdeleteme.xyz/

Choosing a Private Email Service (Part 2) Jan 18, 2021

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So I want to switch to a new, privacy-respecting email service. How do I even do that? What happens to all the email I have now? What about my calendar and contacts? Am I going to have to change my email address every time I change email providers? In part 2 of my interview with Fastmail's COO Helen Horstmann-Allen, we'll answer these questions and also address the thorny issue of privileged access by law enforcement. Helen Horstmann-Allen is the Chief Operating Officer at Fastmail where she provides overall business strategy and product direction for Fastmail and its suite of products. Before Fastmail, she ran her company, Pobox, an email forwarding service, for 20 years before Fastmail acquired it in 2015. Helen graduated from the Wharton School of Business and currently serves on several nonprofit boards in the Philadelphia area. Further Info 2021 Listener Survey: http://bit.ly/Firewalls-survey-2021 New Year’s Resolutions 2021: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/new-years-resolutions-2021/ No More Google: https://nomoregoogle.com/ Sign up for Fastmail (referral link): https://ref.fm/u18721448

Choosing a Private Email Service (Part 1) Jan 11, 2021

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What could I learn about you if I read all your emails? Like, all of them. Since you started sending email. Beyond private conversations, I would also likely know every web site you have a relationship or account with, every online purchase you've made, every club or organization you've been a part of, and all the appointments you've made. I can also make a pretty comprehensive list of everyone you know. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. If I analyze the content of your emails, I could almost certainly determine your political leanings, sexual preferences, religion, income, location(s), and more. So why don't we put more thought into choosing our email provider? In part one of my interview with Fastmail's COO, Helen Horstmann-Allen, we'll discuss how email privacy really works and why it's so crucially important. Helen Horstmann-Allen is the Chief Operating Officer at FastMail where she provides overall business strategy and product direction for Fastmail and its suite of products. Before Fastmail, she ran her company, Pobox, an email forwarding service, for 20 years before Fastmail acquired it in 2015. Helen graduated from the Wharton School of Business and currently serves on several nonprofit boards in the Philadelphia area. Further Info CONTEST LINK!! http://bit.ly/Firewalls-200 New Year's Resolutions 2021: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/new-years-resolutions-2021/ No More Google: https://nomoregoogle.com/Sign up for Fastmail (referral link): https://ref.fm/u18721448 Arnold’s take: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mz3zFsTp2Pk

The Great SolarWinds Hack Jan 04, 2021

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The Russian SVR has had backdoor access to hundreds if not thousands of government and corporate networks for nearly nine months. And if not for private security firm FireEye, we might never have known. The SolarWinds supply chain hack may be the biggest, most consequential cybersecurity event ever. And it will literally be years before we understand the full impacts. However, from what we know so far, this was not an "attack" or "act of war" ... it was straight-up espionage, which is widely accepted as normal during peacetime. The US does this all the time, as do all modern nations. And yet, espionage and infiltration are the first steps in any actual attack. It's a fine line. We'll discuss it today. In other news: Adobe Flash is finally dead - it's time to remove it; Facebook is being sued by almost all 50 states and the Federal Trade Commission; butt-flap pajamas flooded internet ads; GoDaddy plays a cruel Christmas prank on its employees; Microsoft, McAfee and many others have joined forces to fight ransomware; and Signal messenger was NOT hacked by Cellebrite. Further Info CONTEST LINK!! http://bit.ly/Firewalls-200 Follow me on Facebook!! https://bit.ly/Firewalls-FacebookFollow me on YouTube!! https://bit.ly/Firewalls-YouTubeNew Year's Resolutions 2021: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/new-years-resolutions-2021/ Uninstall Adobe Flash:Windows: https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-windows.htmlMac: https://helpx.adobe.com/flash-player/kb/uninstall-flash-player-mac-os.html

200th Podcast & New Year’s 2021! Dec 28, 2020

Show notes

The dumpster fire that was 2020 is almost behind us, and it's time to look forward to a brighter future in 2021! By a stroke of fortuitous coincidence, this is also my 200th podcast! To celebrate these two important milestones, we have a world-renowned security guru for our guest, Bruce Schneier, and I'll be giving away over $1800 worth of great stuff to help you improve your privacy and security in 2021! And if all of that weren't enough, I'll also be sharing with you several top-notch to-do list ideas for your 2021 New Year's resolutions - not just from myself, but from several top industry experts! It's an amazing star-studded, prize-riddled, info-packed podcast! Special Guest Appearances By: Bruce Schneier (Chief of Security Architecture at Inrupt)Dr Ann Cavoukian (Executive Director at Global Privacy & Security by Design Centre)Dr Andy Yen (CEO/Co-Founder ProtonMail)Cory Doctorow (author & activist)David Ruiz (Malwarebytes)Helen Horstmann-Allen (COO Fastmail)Beah Burger-Lenehan (Director, Product at DuckDuckGo)Marshall Erwin (Chief Security Officer, Mozilla)Todd Weaver (Founder/CEO Purism)Rich Stokes (Founder/CEO Winston Privacy) Further Info: CONTEST LINK!! http://bit.ly/Firewalls-200Contest info: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/new-years-2021-giveaway/New Year's Resolutions 2021: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/new-years-resolutions-2021/Inrupt: https://inrupt.com/solidSolid Project: https://solidproject.org/Follow me on Facebook!! https://bit.ly/Firewalls-FacebookFollow me on YouTube!! https://bit.ly/Firewalls-YouTube

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