The Rest Is Classified 113. How To Protect Your Secrets: Is The Toaster Spying On You? (Ep 2)
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Dec 31, 2025 
In this enlightening discussion, Glenn Chafetz, a former CIA officer and pioneer in tradecraft, shares his expertise on modern surveillance. He highlights the vulnerabilities of everyday devices, from washing machines to drones, that may be spying on us. Glenn dives deep into metadata risks, the implications of AI on identity security, and the challenges of encrypted communication against malware like Pegasus. He also critiques loyalty programs and cash decline as threats to privacy, urging listeners to consider how data collection impacts their lives.
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Metadata Can Betray You
- Digital communication hides content but reveals the fact and signature of contact which can be just as dangerous for clandestine relationships.
- Glenn Chafetz warns operators must hide content, timing, and device signatures to maintain secrecy.
Protect The Device, Not Just The App
- Recognize malware like Pegasus reads messages on the device after decryption, so device compromise defeats end-to-end encryption.
- Protect devices from intrusion rather than relying solely on messaging app encryption.
State-Backed Industrial Espionage
- China has integrated companies and citizens into a national intelligence model that weaponizes commercial data for economic and strategic gain.
- Glenn Chafetz calls this neo-mercantilism and a mass intelligence activity targeting private sector IP.