Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast

Web ads are the bane of our web-surfing existence, and yet people repeatedly reject the notion of paying for web content. How do we strike a balance? Today I speak at length with Ben Williams from Eyeo, the maker of one of the most popular web browser plugins of all time: AdBlock Plus. His company pioneered the notion of ‘acceptable ads’ and has returned some semblance of sanity to our web browsing experience, while preserving the revenue model that has allowed most web sites to remain free. We discuss the history and future of ads on the web, including the threat of ‘malvertising’ that can actually infect your computer. In the news, I’ll get you up to speed on the hideous KRACK WiFi bug that affects billions of devices worldwide and explain why it’s not all it’s cracked up to be. Ben Williams is from the greatest commonwealth of them all, Kentucky, and has lived in Berlin, Washington, DC and now in Bonn, Germany. Before joining eyeo, the company that makes Adblock Plus and Flattr, as communications director, he worked in non-profits mainly. He likes cooking, cassettes, records, writing and hiking. For Further Insight: Website: https://adblockplus.org/ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/B__e__n__w Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benpwilliams/ Help updating your wifi router: https://www.lifewire.com/how-to-upgrade-your-wireless-routers-firmware-2487671 Download AdBlock Plus: https://adblockplus.org/ Help me to help you! Visit: https://patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons

In the second of my two-part interview with activist and author Cory Doctorow, we discuss how copy protection schemes (called “Digital Rights Management”) is trying to control how you watch, save, and share the digital movies, books and music you thought you owned. Cory explains how the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has caved into corporate interests and set the stage for serious future security issues with all web browsers. In the news this week are some serious bugs in both Microsoft and Apple products, an update on an important court case involving the First Amendment and DreamHost, and long-overdue updates to the accepted ‘best practices’ on creating passwords (and an apology from the guy who caused us all so much grief). My tip of the week will speed up your web browsing and help protect your surfing privacy. Listen to Part 1: The Mouse That Scored, How Copyright Went Wrong Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist, journalist and blogger — the co-editor of Boing Boing (boingboing.net) and the author of WALKAWAY, a novel for adults, a YA graphic novel called IN REAL LIFE, the nonfiction business book INFORMATION DOESN’T WANT TO BE FREE, and young adult novels like HOMELAND, PIRATE CINEMA and LITTLE BROTHER and novels for adults like RAPTURE OF THE NERDS and MAKERS. He works for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is a MIT Media Lab Research Affiliate, is a Visiting Professor of Computer Science at Open University and co-founded the UK Open Rights Group. Born in Toronto, Canada, he now lives in Los Angeles. For Further Insight: Website: www.craphound.com Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/doctorow Donate to the EFF! https://supporters.eff.org/donate Help me to help you! Visit: https://patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons Book: Buy the Book: Walkaway: A Novel Additional Resources: Donate to the EFF! https://supporters.eff.org/donate Decentraleyes (privacy plugin for your browser): https://decentraleyes.org/

In the first of a two-part interview, activist and author Cory Doctorow explains how copyright law has failed to keep up with the realities of the modern digital world, potentially exposing consumers and researchers to crushing lawsuits and generally stifling innovation. Unlike physical books and LP records, every song or movie you stream, every eBook you read, every app you download is accompanied by long, arcane licensing agreements that we never read. Cory explains why this makes no sense and why we must update this body of law to protect consumers and unleash new products. In the news, I’ll tell you about some password bugs in macOS, new security measures coming in Android’s Oreo release, and update you on the Equifax debacle. My Tip of the Week will help you avoid some nasty wireless vulnerabilities affecting literally billions of device (including laptops and smartphones). Listen to Part 2: Do We Own Any Media We Buy Anymore? Cory Doctorow is a science fiction author, activist, journalist and blogger — the co-editor of Boing Boing (boingboing.net) and the author of WALKAWAY, a novel for adults, a YA graphic novel called IN REAL LIFE, the nonfiction business book INFORMATION DOESN’T WANT TO BE FREE, and young adult novels like HOMELAND, PIRATE CINEMA and LITTLE BROTHER and novels for adults like RAPTURE OF THE NERDS and MAKERS. He works for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is a MIT Media Lab Research Affiliate, is a Visiting Professor of Computer Science at Open University and co-founded the UK Open Rights Group. Born in Toronto, Canada, he now lives in Los Angeles. For Further Insight: Website: www.craphound.com Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/doctorow Donate to the EFF! https://supporters.eff.org/donate Help me to help you! Visit: https://patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons Buy the Book: Walkaway: A Novel

Just because you’re not paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not tracking you! And just because you feel that you have nothing to hide doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be worried about privacy. In today’s edition of my Castle Defense 101 series, I spell out why privacy matters and why companies and governments are hell bent on violating it. I’ll also explain the myriad ways by which your web habits are tracked and then give you several simple ways you can protect yourself. Have you ever used the CCleaner app on your computer? If so, you’ll want to hear about a recent hack of this app’s installer and how to fix it. For Further Insight:  Want to see what just one company knows about you? https://aboutthedata.com/ Why Privacy Matters: https://www.ted.com/talks/glenn_greenwald_why_privacy_matters How easy are you to track on the web? https://panopticlick.eff.org/ Help me to help you! Visit: https://patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons

Will the robots rise up and take over? Or will Artificial Intelligence usher in a Utopian future? These concepts may have seemed like science fiction just 10-20 years ago, but visionaries like Elon Musk are warning us to take the notion of true AI very seriously. Like any powerful tool, the impact of AI will depend on how we develop and use it. In this week’s episode, I discuss the good, the bad and the ugly implications of AI and machine learning with technologist Albert Stepanyan. We’ve learned more about the Equifax debacle since last week – I’ll catch you up on everything you need to know, including another important tip on how to monitor your credit and protect yourself from identity theft. Albert Stepanyan is an A.I. Evangelist and Entrepreneur who loves code. He hasan entrepreneurial mindset with a passion for coding. Currently, he acts as the CEO and lead strategist at Develandoo, a software accelerator that is changing the way companies build products. His experience includes acting as CTO of a Munich-based Startup accelerator, lead engineer at various enterprises, and lead engineer or technical co-founder on more than 50 high-profile projects.. For Further Insight: Web site: www.cyberhulk.net Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/albertcyberhulk LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cyberhulk/ Further Reading: Equifax hack and response: http://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/equifax-hack-identity-theft/ Free annual credit reports: https://www.ftc.gov/faq/consumer-protection/get-my-free-credit-report Great article on what we need to do: https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2017/09/on_the_equifax_.html Help me to help you! Visit: https://patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons

Equifax, one of the three major credit bureaus, was hacked – over 143 million U.S. accounts may have been leaked, making them much more vulnerable to identity theft and fraud. In this episode, I help you understand the potential impacts of this breach and give you several important actions you can take to protect yourself, including instituting a credit freeze on your account. Chris Romeo, CEO and Founder of Security Journey will help us understand the severity of this major news story and what we need to do to protect ourselves moving forward! Is there such a thing as a good hacker? We will tackle what it takes to be a hacker – and why you actually might want to become one! Hackers are not all bad guys in hoodies hunched over a laptop. The hacker mentality is much more about a desire to tinker and solve puzzles, just applied to computers – and we need good hackers to help us combat the bad ones. Chris Romeo is CEO and co-founder of Security Journey. His passion is to bring security belt programs to all organizations, large and small. He was the Chief Security Advocate at Cisco Systems for five years, where he guided Cisco’s Security Advocates, empowering engineers to “build security in” to all products at Cisco. He led the creation of Cisco’s internal, end-to-end security belt program launched in 2012. Chris has twenty years of experience in security, holding positions across the gamut, including application security, penetration testing, and incident response. Chris holds the CISSP and CSSLP. Help me to help you! Visit: https://patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons For Further Insight: Website, www.securityjourney.com Follow on Twitter, @SecurityJourney Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/SecJourney/ Additional Resources: Freeze your credit at all three credit bureaus: Equifax, Experian and TransUnion. Get your free annual credit reports: https://www.ftc.gov/faq/consumer-protection/get-my-free-credit-report

Do you have backup copies of all your family photos and home videos? What about your tax documents and other financial data? Maybe you have a collection of priceless family history information that you’ve painstakingly compiled over many years. Unless you’re keeping copies of those files in multiple places (including at least one place outside your home!), you’re flying without a net. You’re one minor or major disaster away from losing them forever. Luckily, there are several simple and cost-effective solutions for automatically backing up all your files, photos, music and movies. In today’s show, part two of the Castle Defense 101 series, I’ll lay out a foolproof strategy for protecting your most precious digital data! For Further Insight: Help me to help you! Visit: https://patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons Backblaze offers an affordable, easy-to-use cloud backup solution – try it for free! For complete step-by-step help with backups and over 100 other tips, check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons.

There are bills before Congress to use drones along our border for mass surveillance and provisions to capturing all manner of biometric data when you travel. How will that data be used and who will have access? We break it all down for you and tell you how to voice your opinions. India McKinney and Adam Schwartz from the EFF are with me this week to explain several ways that your privacy rights are under serious attack at the U.S. border. Your favorite PDF viewer is probably riddled with security vulnerabilities. I cover some recent news about Foxit PDF Reader and help you find safer alternatives with my Tip of the Week. India McKinney is a Legislative Analyst with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, primarily focusing on privacy and surveillance issues in upcoming legislation. Prior to joining EFF, India spent over 10 years in Washington, DC as a legislative staffer to three members of Congress from California. Her work there largely focused on the appropriations process, specifically analyzing and funding programs in the Departments of Veterans Affairs, Homeland Security, and Justice. Her biggest legislative accomplishment was authorizing, funding and then naming a new outpatient VA/DoD clinic that will serve over 80,000 people. Adam Schwartz is a Senior Staff Attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Adam works to ensure that new technologies expand instead of shrink our privacy, freedom of speech, and other civil liberties. Before joining EFF, Adam worked as a Senior Staff Attorney at the American Civil Liberties Union of Illinois. Adam graduated in 1995 from the Howard University School of Law. For Further Insight: Website: https://eff.org/ Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/EFF Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eff/ Additional Resources For You: Help me to help you! Visit: https://patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons EFF’s Defending Privacy at the U.S. Border: A Guide for Travelers Carrying Digital Devices Sumatra PDF Reader: https://www.sumatrapdfreader.org/download-free-pdf-viewer.html

Jeffrey Ritter, author of “Achieving Digital Trust”, is back to help us understand the phenomenon of “fake news” and to explain why it’s not a new thing. We talk about how deception and misdirection have been around since the dawn of marketing and how we can train ourselves to navigate these treacherous waters in the Information Age. Google is claiming they can match your offline, real-world purchases with their online ad tracking and the US government is proposing legislation that might finally being some much-needed security standards to the burgeoning “Internet of Things” marketplace. Jeffrey Ritter currently serves as an External Lecturer at two of the world’s great universities for computer science, Johns Hopkins University and the University of Oxford, where he teaches graduate level courses in privacy engineering, information governance, and information security policy design. His career includes legal services to global corporations, leadership in the work of the United Nations and the American Bar Association, and ongoing academic research and writing on digital trust. For Further Insight: Website: www.jeffreyritter.com Follow on Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jeffrey_Ritter LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeffreyritter/ Further Reading: Can you trust what you hear? https://www.theverge.com/2017/4/24/15406882/ai-voice-synthesis-copy-human-speech-lyrebird Can you trust what you see? https://boingboing.net/2017/07/17/fake-obama-speech-is-the-begin.html Opt out of Google tracking: https://myaccount.google.com/privacy#activity Achieving Digital Trust: The New Rules for Business at the Speed of Light, is available on Amazon.com

Chris Romeo regales us with tales of safe-cracking robots, demonic car washes, possessed Teslas, and hacking of voting machines! Where did this all happen? At the hacker conferences, of course! We’ll help you understand how hackers really think and what they really do every year in Las Vegas at the DEFCON and BlackHat conferences. Chris Romeo is CEO and co-founder of Security Journey. His passion is to bring security belt programs to all organizations, large and small. He was the Chief Security Advocate at Cisco Systems for five years, where he guided Cisco’s Security Advocates, empowering engineers to “build security in” to all products at Cisco. He led the creation of Cisco’s internal, end-to-end security belt program launched in 2012. Chris has twenty years of experience in security, holding positions across the gamut, including application security, penetration testing, and incident response. Chris holds the CISSP and CSSLP. For Further Insight: Website, www.securityjourney.com Follow on Twitter, @SecurityJourney Facebook, https://www.facebook.com/SecJourney/ Additional Resources: Hackers: Heroes of the Computer Revolution by Steven Levy WITH HOVER… YOUR PRIVACY IS INCLUDED Get 10% off your first domain name order!