Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast Slay Browser Ads Forever
Google’s Chrome browser is rolling out changes that will hamstring ad blockers – so there’s never been a better time to try a better browser. There are a handful of good options, but I’m going to recommend that you try Firefox with a fantastic ad blocker called uBlock Origin. If you’ve never tried this powerful combination, you won’t believe what you’ve been missing.
In other news: the UK scrubs all encryption advice from government sites; Signal’s CEO threatens to leave Sweden over backdoor demands; UK private health services hit by Medusa ransomware; Australian IVF provider has patient data stolen; Brazil gives Apple 90 days to allow side loading of apps; millions of Android TVs hijacked by a botnet; Qualcomm and Google team up to offer 8 years of Android updates; Google rolls out AI voice call scam detector; and confusion over Trump admin orders regarding Russia cyber threats.
Article Links
- [techcrunch.com] UK quietly scrubs encryption advice from government websites https://techcrunch.com/2025/03/06/uk-quietly-scrubs-encryption-advice-from-government-websites/
- [swedenherald.com] Signal’s CEO: Then We’re Leaving Sweden https://swedenherald.com/article/signals-ceo-then-were-leaving-sweden
- [theregister.com] Medusa ransomware gang demands $2M from UK private health services provider https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/20/medusa_hcrg_ransomware/
- [techcrunch.com] Hackers publish sensitive patient data allegedly stolen from Australian IVF provider Genea https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/26/hackers-publish-sensitive-patient-data-allegedly-stolen-from-australian-ivf-provider-genea/
- [9to5mac.com] Brazilian court gives Apple 90 days to allow sideloading on iOS https://9to5mac.com/2025/03/06/brazilian-court-apple-sideloading-ios/
- [tomsguide.com] Millions of Android TVs hijacked in massive botnet https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/online-security/millions-of-android-tvs-hijacked-in-massive-botnet-how-to-see-if-yours-is-at-risk
- [arstechnica.com] Qualcomm and Google team up to offer 8 years of Android updates https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2025/02/qualcomm-and-google-team-up-to-offer-8-years-of-android-updates/
- [The Hacker News] Google Rolls Out AI Scam Detection for Android to Combat Conversational Fraud https://thehackernews.com/2025/03/google-rolls-out-ai-scam-detection-for.html
- [zetter-zeroday.com] Did Trump Admin Order U.S. Cyber Command and CISA to Stand Down on Russia? https://www.zetter-zeroday.com/did-trump-admin-order-u-s-cyber-command-and-cisa-to-stand-down-on-russia/
- [theregister.com] uBlock Origin dead for many as Google purges Manifest v2 extensions https://www.theregister.com/2025/02/24/google_v2_eol_v3_rollout/
- Tip of the Week: Slay Browser Ads: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/dragon-hacks-slay-browser-ads/
Further Info
- My book: https://fdsd.me/book
- My newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter
- Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support
- Check out my dragon challenge coin: https://fdsd.me/coin2
- Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons
- Recommend news stories: send to news [at] firewallsdontstopdragons.com
- Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna
- Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch
Table of Contents
Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.
- 0:00:07: Intro
- 0:00:26: Update your Android devices
- 0:00:47: News rundown
- 0:02:50: UK quietly scrubs encryption advice from government websites
- 0:08:45: Signal’s CEO: Then We’re Leaving Sweden
- 0:11:01: Medusa ransomware gang hits UK health services provider
- 0:15:32: Hackers publish patient data allegedly from Australian IVF provider
- 0:19:13: Brazilian court gives Apple 90 days to allow sideloading on iOS
- 0:22:32: Millions of Android TVs hijacked in massive botnet
- 0:32:17: Qualcomm and Google offer 8 years of Android updates
- 0:39:18: Google Rolls Out AI Scam Detection for Android
- 0:45:09: Did Trump Admin Order U.S. to Stand Down on Russia?
- 0:54:39: uBlock Origin dead for many as Google purges Manifest v2 extensions
- 0:59:53: Tip of the Week: Slay Browser Ads
- 1:04:06: Looking ahead
- 1:04:54: Patron info