
Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast
A Podcast on Computer Security & Privacy for Non-Techies
Latest episodes

Aug 7, 2023 • 1h 17min
Cult of the Dead Cow
In the early 1980s, personal computers started entering our homes. Prior to the internet and services like America On Line (AOL), there were online bulletin board systems (BBS) where people could share text files via phone modem connections. Of course, if you wanted to connect to a BBS outside your home area code, you would have to dial long distance - which at the time could be prohibitively expensive. Necessity is the mother of invention and it's no coincidence that some of the earliest hacking was of the phone system to get free long distance calls. One of the first named groups of hackers was The Cult of the Dead Cow (aka, cDc). Today I'll reminisce about the old days with two prominent members of cDc: Deth Veggie and Omega. We'll talk about what it was like in the days prior to the internet, how hackers think, and how hacking has evolved over the years. We'll talk about how cDc pioneered the hactivist movement and how their group overlapped and interacted with other famous groups like L0pht Heavy Industries, Masters of Deception (MOD), Legion of Doom (LOD) and much, much more.
Interview Notes
The Cult of the Dead Cow: https://cultdeadcow.com/
"The Cult of the Dead Cow" book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/joseph-menn/cult-of-the-dead-cow/9781549169991/
cDc text files: http://textfiles.com/groups/CDC/
The Hacker’s Manifesto: http://phrack.org/issues/7/3.html
Hactivismo Declaration: https://web.archive.org/web/20090502054355/http://www.cultdeadcow.com/cDc_files/declaration.html
cDc’s unofficial suggested reading/viewing list: https://fdsd.me/cdclist
Further Info
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.
0:00:43: Interview prep
0:03:51: How did cDc start and where did it get its name?
0:08:11: How did you get involved with cDc?
0:11:15: What is a BBS? What are textfiles?
0:15:36: What sort of information did these textfiles contain?
0:23:46: What really happened in the Hacker Wars?
0:25:28: How did phone phreaking work?
0:29:43: How did you choose your handle? When did you first use it in public?
0:37:47: Two things War Games got right
0:38:38: Blue boxes and red boxes
0:40:26: What did your friends & family think? How have perceptions of hackers changed?
0:45:16: What is hacktivism? What sort of hactivist behavior is acceptable?
0:51:58: What are some examples of hactivism?
0:55:19: What are some signs that I might enjoy hacking?
1:01:49: Hacking in the real world, questioning everything.
1:04:38: Books and movies with accurate portrayals of hackers & hacking?
1:11:14: Interview wrap-up
1:12:46: Patron bonus material & promo
1:16:04: Next week's show may be delayed

Jul 31, 2023 • 0sec
Less is More
Last time, I told you how to enumerate all the devices on your home network. Before we go to the trouble of analyzing and mitigating their vulnerabilities, we should take the opportunity to cull the inventory. Do you really need all of these devices? Or could you forego the "smart" features that require them to be connected to your network? Today we'll talk about reducing your attack surface before we bother trying to secure it.
In other news: the White House announces new cybersecurity labeling program; the SEC mandates a 4-day reporting window for cyber attacks; EFF opposes a bill that threatens our privacy; stolen Microsoft signing keys behind a set of targeted US government email hacks; more details emerge about Facebook mining Onano VPN for user data; TETRA radios used for decades revealed to have deliberately weakened encryption; ALPR data now being used with AI algorithms to guess which cars might contain criminals; Apple threatens to pull Facetime, Messages from UK over proposed surveillance law changes; Google's Web Integrity API causes a stir; Apple to require justification for use of some APIs that might compromise user privacy.
Article Links
[whitehouse.gov] Biden-Harris Administration Announces Cybersecurity Labeling Program for Smart Devices to Protect American Consumers https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/07/18/biden-harris-administration-announces-cybersecurity-labeling-program-for-smart-devices-to-protect-american-consumers/
[The Hacker News] New SEC Rules Require U.S. Companies to Reveal Cyber Attacks Within 4 Days https://thehackernews.com/2023/07/new-sec-rules-require-us-companies-to.html
[Electronic Frontier Foundation] Amended Cooper Davis Act Is a Direct Threat to Encryption https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/07/amended-cooper-davis-act-direct-threat-encryption
[TechCrunch] Microsoft lost its keys, and the government got hacked https://techcrunch.com/2023/07/17/microsoft-lost-keys-government-hacked/
[Financial Review] Facebook admits it used app to ‘know nearly everything’ about users https://www.afr.com/companies/media-and-marketing/facebook-admits-it-used-app-to-know-nearly-everything-about-users-20230713-p5do2a
[WIRED] Code Kept Secret for Years Reveals Its Flaw—a Backdoor https://www.wired.com/story/tetra-radio-encryption-backdoor/
[Forbes] This AI Watches Millions Of Cars Daily And Tells Cops If You’re Driving Like A Criminal https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2023/07/17/license-plate-reader-ai-criminal/
[MacRumors] Apple Threatens to Pull FaceTime and iMessage in the UK Over Proposed Surveillance Law Changes https://www.macrumors.com/2023/07/20/apple-threatens-to-pull-facetime-and-imessage-uk/
[Ars Technica] Google’s nightmare “Web Integrity API” wants a DRM gatekeeper for the web https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2023/07/googles-web-integrity-api-sounds-like-drm-for-the-web/
[MacRumors] Apple Developers Required to Justify Use of Some APIs in Latest Move to Boost Privacy https://www.macrumors.com/2023/07/28/developers-required-to-justify-api-use/
Tip of the Week: Less is More: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/secure-your-network-2-simplify/
Further Info
Stop the bad bills: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/07/you-can-help-stop-these-bad-internet-bills
Dragon Challenge Coin Promo! https://fdsd.me/promo823
Nominate someone for a challenge coin: https://fdsd.me/quest
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
Table of Contents
Add time-based list of markers.

Jul 24, 2023 • 1h 7min
The Politics of Privacy
Despite growing demand from US citizens for privacy protections, the federal government has failed repeatedly to enact basic privacy laws. However, one US state - California - has led the charge on privacy and passed regulations that have benefited people outside the state. Today I'll speak with Ernesto Falcon who is currently running for California State Senate in District 7. He has decades of experience in public policy, particularly in the realm of privacy rights, both in politics and with the Electronic Frontier Foundation. We'll talk about how the legislative sausage is made, why we can't seem to pass privacy regulations, how lobbyists influence policy, and much more.
Disclaimer: Views, opinions, or statements expressed are solely those of the candidate and not of his employer at the Electronic Frontier Foundation.
Interview Notes
Ernesto Falcon’s campaign website: https://www.ernestofalcon.com/
California Consumer Privacy Act: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Consumer_Privacy_Act
California Privacy Rights Act: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/California_Privacy_Rights_Act
Further Info
Nominate someone for a challenge coin: https://fdsd.me/quest
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.
0:00:16: Interview prep
0:02:40: Tell us about your CA Senate campaign
0:10:56: How have CA privacy laws impacted the greater US?
0:15:45: How do we regain control over our data?
0:17:59: What is preventing a good federal privacy law?
0:24:36: What are the dangers of all this personal data being hoarded?
0:31:01: How does HIPAA actually work? What doesn't it cover?
0:33:01: What is the EARN IT Act and why does EFF oppose it?
0:37:58: How do child safety laws undermine privacy?
0:40:41: How are legal wire taps different from backdoors in encryption?
0:43:10: Won't repressive regimes abuse encryption backdoors?
0:44:45: Is on-device scanning a valid compromise solution?
0:47:07: Will we ever win the Crypto Wars?
0:48:59: How can we best support the privacy cause?
0:52:00: Would more privacy transparency be a good first step?
0:54:35: Are monopolies part of the problem here?
0:58:53: What's next for you and your senate campaign?
1:00:42: Post interview wrap-up
1:01:46: Go talk to your representative!
1:02:55: Dragon Challenge Coin Promotion!

Jul 17, 2023 • 1h 11min
IoT Inventory
The Internet of Things (IoT) has added internet connections to lots of home devices. Each and every one of those devices runs software on a computer chip. Almost all software has bugs and those bugs may be exploitable by bad guys. We're going to take another look at protecting our home networks using a simple, logical methodology. Step one: SCAN. That is, first of all, we need to understand the scope of the problem by enumerating all of the devices on your home network. I'll explain how to do that.
In other news: Apple re-releases security update after web glitch; EV chargers are vulnerable to hacking which could have significant impacts; tax prep firms shared 'extraordinarily sensitive' data with Meta; Meta's new Threads service collects tons of personal info and employs dark patterns to hook you in; France passes law giving law enforcement access to private device cameras, mics and locations; police are collecting and selling personal info, bypassing the 4th Amendment and sharing across state lines; Massachusetts weighs outright ban on selling user location data; printers and printing services may be mining your documents for data.
Article Links
[MacRumors] Apple Releases Revised iOS and macOS Security Updates to Fix Actively Exploited Vulnerability and Safari Bug https://www.macrumors.com/2023/07/12/apple-releases-revised-security-updates/
[WIRED] EV Charger Hacking Poses a ‘Catastrophic’ Risk https://www.wired.com/story/electric-vehicle-charging-station-hacks/
[The Associated Press] 3 tax prep firms shared ‘extraordinarily sensitive’ data about taxpayers with Meta, lawmakers say https://apnews.com/article/irs-taxpayer-tax-preparation-meta-congress-9315cfca7a0942ab89f765d183fbf822
[Ars Technica] How Threads’ privacy policy compares to Twitter’s (and its rivals’) https://arstechnica.com/security/2023/07/how-threads-privacy-policy-compares-to-twitters-and-its-rivals/
[Yanko Design] The ‘Threads’ App is FILLED With Deceptive Dark Design Patterns – We Spotted More Than TEN https://www.yankodesign.com/2023/07/07/the-threads-app-is-filled-with-deceptive-dark-design-patterns-we-spotted-more-than-ten/
[Gizmodo] France Passes New Bill Allowing Police to Remotely Activate Cameras on Citizens' Phones https://gizmodo.com/france-bill-allows-police-access-phones-camera-gps-1850609772
[Tampa Bay Times] Hillsborough, Clearwater police monitoring private security cameras https://www.tampabay.com/news/hillsborough/2023/07/10/hillsborough-clearwater-police-monitoring-private-security-cameras/
[New York Daily News] NYPD seeks to grab cell phone IDs from people under arrest or in custody; push for IMEI numbers raises concerns https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/nyc-crime/ny-nypd-campaign-cellphone-idenfiication-numbers-controversy-20230708-yltabdlozfbppeoodxymyub3zq-story.html
[The Sacramento Bee] California cops illegally share data with anti-abortion states https://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article275795726.html
[Engadget] Massachusetts weighs outright ban on selling user location data https://www.engadget.com/massachusetts-weighs-outright-ban-on-selling-user-location-data-191637974.html
[The Washington Post] Your printing service might read your documents. Here’s what to know. https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2023/07/10/printing-privacy-security-printed-documents/
Tip of the Week: IoT Inventory https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/secure-your-network-part-1-scan/
Further Info
Nominate someone for a challenge coin: https://fdsd.me/quest
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 sec...

Jul 10, 2023 • 1h 9min
National Cyber Strategy
After lengthy negotiations and revisions, the White House has finally released its National Cybersecurity Strategy document, outlining it's priorities and goals. It's a wide-ranging and ambitious document consisting of five major areas of focus, or "pillars". What's new here? What will it mean for businesses and critical infrastructure? And what does this mean for you and I? Today I'll cover all of that and more with Josh Corman from I Am the Cavalry and formerly with the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Interview Notes
National Security Strategy doc: https://www.whitehouse.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/National-Cybersecurity-Strategy-2023.pdf
Consequential Cybersecurity: https://claroty.com/blog/consequential-cybersecurity-brace-yourself-for-the-white-house-national-cybersecurity-strategy
PPD-21: https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2013/02/12/presidential-policy-directive-critical-infrastructure-security-and-resil
Known Exploited Vulnerabilities catalog : https://www.cisa.gov/known-exploited-vulnerabilities-catalog
Swimming with Sharks TED talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rZ6xoAtdF3o
I Am the Cavalry: https://iamthecavalry.org/
CISA Secure by Design: https://www.cisa.gov/securebydesign
Further Info
Nominate someone for a challenge coin: https://fdsd.me/quest
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.
0:01:55: Interview setup
0:04:00: What is this strategy document, at a high level?
0:14:02: What are some of the more important or novels aspects?
0:18:05: Do agencies have the budget and authority to implement these strategies?
0:22:11: Will having a gov't backstop actually encourage attacks or discourage preparation?
0:30:40: Should the gov't actively scan US firms/orgs for vulnerabilities?
0:36:56: What should we do about the marketplace for zero-day hacks?
0:39:52: How aggressive should the US be against hackers?
0:41:03: What is NOT addressed by this strategy?
0:45:55: How should be manage our dependencies on foreign software and hardware?
0:52:59: What can everyday people take away from these strategies?
0:59:50: Has this document already had impacts? How do we monitor progress?
1:03:56: Interview wrap-up
1:07:40: Looking ahead

Jul 3, 2023 • 1h 2min
Access Backup Plan
You're using a password manager. You're even using two-factor authentication. Great! When done properly, this will keep the bad guys out. Unfortunately, if you're not careful, it may also keep you out. If you forget your master password or lose access to your 2FA device, you'll be in real trouble... unless you have an access backup plan. This same plan can also help your spouse or next of kin to access your accounts should you die or become incapacitated.
In the news: CISA issues a DDoS warning after multiple attacks; LetMeSpy stalkerware maker suffers a data breach of collected data; researchers use LED power light flicker to break cryptographic keys; Australian PM recommends citizens to power cycle their phones once a day; several artists boycott venues that use facial recognition; Brave browser introduces new localhost access permission; Proton unveils new password manager; Dear Carey questioner asks about PDF readers.
Article Links
[BleepingComputer] CISA issues DDoS warning after attacks hit multiple US orgs https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/cisa-issues-ddos-warning-after-attacks-hit-multiple-us-orgs/
[TechCrunch] LetMeSpy, a phone tracking app spying on thousands, says it was hacked https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/27/letmespy-hacked-spyware-thousands/
[The Hacker News] Researchers Find Way to Recover Cryptographic Keys by Analyzing LED Flickers https://thehackernews.com/2023/06/researchers-find-way-to-recover.html
[9to5mac.com] Why tips like ‘turn off your iPhone for five minutes’ don’t actually help users https://9to5mac.com/2023/06/26/turn-off-your-iphone-for-5-minutes-advice/
[Rolling Stone] Tom Morello, Zack de la Rocha, and Boots Riley Boycotting Venues That Use Face-Scanning Technology https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/tom-morello-zack-de-la-rocha-facial-recognition-concerts-boycott-1234775909/
[BleepingComputer] Brave Browser boosts privacy with new local resources restrictions https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/brave-browser-boosts-privacy-with-new-local-resources-restrictions/
[9to5mac.com] Proton Pass end-to-end encrypted password manager is here and free for everyone https://9to5mac.com/2023/06/28/proton-pass-encrypted-password-manager-free/
Tip of the Week - Access Backup Plan: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/craft-your-access-backup-plan/
Further Info
Saving your Apple Photo Stream pics: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210705
Securityzed podcast: https://www.securityzed.com/podcast-test/securityzed-ltfyn-7xm5l-b8c8s-km25d-jbagp-6k9d4-39cr9-z5nhw-w4jwm
Nominate someone for a challenge coin: https://fdsd.me/quest
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.
0:01:00: Photo Stream, Securityzed podcast
0:03:21: News rundown
0:05:10: CISA issues DDoS warning after attacks hit multiple US orgs
0:09:29: LetMeSpy stalkerware maker says it was hacked
0:16:43: Researchers Recover Crypto Keys from LED Flickers
0:24:07: Turn your iPhone off every day for 5 mins?
0:29:39: Artists boycotting venues that Use Face-Scanning Technology
0:34:02: Brave Browser boosts privacy with localhost restrictions
0:41:28: Proton debuts new password manager
0:45:56: Dear Carey question
0:50:05: Tip of the Week
1:00:32: Wrap-up

Jun 26, 2023 • 1h 6min
Hacking in Space
Right now there are thousands of satellites orbiting above our heads performing crucial tasks. At the end of the day, they're just computers running software - albeit at thousands of miles up and thousands of miles per hour. Can they be hacked? What are the dangers? Aaron Myrick and the Hack-A-Sat team are trying to answer those questions. And they're doing it by launching an actual satellite into low earth orbit for this year's DEF CON hacking contest and asking talented hackers from around the world to take their best shot.
Interview Notes
Moonlighter Fact Sheet: https://aerospace.org/fact-sheet/moonlighter-fact-sheet
Hack-A-Sat 4: https://hackasat.com/moonlighter/
Hack-A-Sat GitHub resources: https://github.com/deptofdefense/hack-a-sat-library
Space-Track.org: https://www.space-track.org/
Moonlighter launch: https://vimeo.com/833432259/4ba9b0927b
Further Info
Amulet of Entropy (DEF CON badge): https://amuletofentropy.com/
Nominate someone for a challenge coin: https://fdsd.me/quest
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
Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/
Table of Contents
Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.
0:00:36: Update Apple devices, ASUS routers
0:01:03: Misc updates
0:03:08: Interview setup
0:04:19: What is Aerospace Corp and what do you do there?
0:08:25: What are things satellites do that we might not think about?
0:13:42: Break down some key stats on satellites for us.
0:17:27: How might we be affected by loss of satellites?
0:21:31: How do you hack an orbiting satellite, logistically?
0:24:38: What sorts of attacks are we worried about?
0:26:58: How do we debug problems in orbiting satellites?
0:30:55: How is hacking a satellite different from a computer?
0:35:23: What happens to old satellites?
0:41:26: What is the Hack-A-Sat program about?
0:43:35: How did the target systems work, prior to this year?
0:46:39: What have we learned so far from past contests?
0:51:24: What's new with Hack-a-Sat 4?
0:52:43: When and how will Moonlighter launch?
0:58:30: What kinds of things can I hack on Moonlighter?
1:00:43: What's the future for Hack-a-Sat?
1:03:26: Wrap-up

Jun 19, 2023 • 51min
Go Forth, Do Good Deeds
I launched my mission to improve people’s privacy and security almost ten years ago now. It’s been quite a journey and I’ve learned a lot in that time. One thing I’ve realized is that there’s only so much I can do on my own. And so I’ve encouraged the more technically savvy members of my audience to help others where they can. One downside to being a podcaster is that I don’t have much insight into the effectiveness of my exhortations. I have no idea how many people are going forth to do good deeds nor what those deeds are. So today I'm launching a new campaign to solicit stirring stories of good deeds and every quarter or so I will select the most inspiring deed-doers and reward them with one of my dragon challenge coins!
In the news: Clop ransomware gang lists first victims of MOVEit supply chain hacks; firmware bug in Gigabyte motherboards has a fix now; US Congress and intelligence agencies debate reform for mass surveillance program; tissue and fluid samples are being abused by law enforcement for DNA scans; check washing scams are on the rise; how to avoid being scammed by virtual kidnapping schemes; 1Password announces beta support for browser passkey extension; bold new plan for 311 cyber support line.
Article Links
[TechCrunch] Ransomware gang lists first victims of MOVEit mass-hacks, including US banks and universities https://techcrunch.com/2023/06/15/moveit-clop-mass-hacks-banks-universities/
[restoreprivacy.com] Hackers Stole Millions of Driver’s Licenses and IDs from U.S. States https://restoreprivacy.com/hackers-stole-millions-of-drivers-licenses-and-ids-from-u-s-states/
[Tom's Hardware] Firmware Backdoor Discovered in Gigabyte Motherboards, 250+ Models Affected https://www.tomshardware.com/news/gigabyte-motherboards-come-with-a-firmware-backdoor
[cyberscoop.com] Congress and intelligence officials spar over surveillance reforms https://cyberscoop.com/congress-fbi-section-702/
Senate hearing: https://www.judiciary.senate.gov/oversight-of-section-702-of-the-foreign-intelligence-surveillance-act-and-related-surveillance-authorities
[aclu.org] Donated Blood or an Organ? Police Shouldn’t Have Easy Access to Your DNA https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/donated-blood-or-an-organ-police-shouldnt-have-easy-access-to-your-dna
[Lifehacker] Why You Should Stop Sending Checks in the Mail, Especially Now https://lifehacker.com/why-you-should-stop-sending-checks-in-the-mail-especia-1850543113
[connectsafely.org] Quick-Guide to Virtual Kidnapping Scams https://connectsafely.org/virtualkidnapping/
[9to5mac.com] 1Password passkey support for the web launches in public beta on the Mac https://9to5mac.com/2023/06/06/1password-passkey-browser-extension/
[WIRED] The Bold Plan to Create Cyber 311 Hotlines https://www.wired.com/story/ut-austin-cybersecurity-clinic-311/
Tip of the Week: Go Forth, Do Good Deeds: https://fdsd.me/quest
Further Info
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.
0:00:47: News preview
0:03:01: Clop Ransomware hits several public and privacy organizations
0:11:32: Firmware Backdoor Discovered in Gigabyte Motherboards
0:17:04: Congress and intelligence officials spar over surveillance reforms
0:24:13: Police Shouldn’t Have Easy Access to Your DNA
0:28:03: Why You Should Stop Sending Checks in the Mail
0:31:43: Quick-Guide to Virtual Kidnapping Scams

Jun 12, 2023 • 1h 6min
Making a Difference
At some point, when you care enough about a particular cause, you shift from following the issue to actually trying to advance the issue - to make a difference. The easiest way to do this is to find groups that are already working for this cause and supporting them with donations of your time and/or money. But what do you do if you can't find such a group, or maybe there's no local chapter? Well, you can start your own! It's not as hard as it sounds - and in fact, there exist organizations that can help you. Today I'll speak with Rory Mir from the Electronic Frontier Alliance along with leaders from two successful EFA-affiliated groups: Freddy Martinez from Lucy Parsons Labs and Chris Bushick from PDX Privacy.
Interview Notes
Reach out to EFF organizing team: organizing@eff.org
Electronic Frontier Alliance (EFA): https://www.eff.org/efa
Meetup groups: https://meetup.com
Lucy Parsons Labs: https://lucyparsonslabs.com/
PDX Privacy: https://www.pdxprivacy.org/
EFF on the EARN IT Act: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/05/dangerous-earn-it-bill-advances-out-committee-several-senators-offer-objections
Further Info
Dragon Coins! https://fdsd.me/coin2
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
Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/
Table of Contents
0:00:25: Interview setup
0:04:32: Introductions and overview of EFA
0:09:12: Lucy Parsons Project overview
0:10:52: PDX Privacy overview
0:12:28: How has the EFA helped you with your projects?
0:15:33: What other types of groups work with the EFA?
0:17:49: What did you do before? What was it like starting your group?
0:23:02: How can you go about finding sources of funding?
0:25:25: What sorts of grants are available?
0:30:09: What accomplishments are you most proud of?
0:34:48: What were some of your biggest challenges?
0:38:51: Do you ever feel like you're David versus Goliath?
0:42:26: How can I find existing groups that I can support or join?
0:45:58: What's the first step in starting my own group?
0:49:31: If you were starting over again, what would you have done differently?
0:49:56: Do I need to incorporate or create a legal entity?
0:53:02: Can a non-profit organization make money?
0:57:32: Any parting thoughts you'd like to share?
1:00:32: Wrap-up
1:03:11: Looking ahead
1:04:09: Upcoming challenge coin campaign

Jun 5, 2023 • 1h 6min
Blocking .zip Domains
Two weeks ago, I told you about the availability of two new top-level domains that also happen to be popular file name extensions: .zip and .mov. The ambiguity will undoubtedly be exploited by ne'er-do-wells to trick people into doing something they shouldn't do. There are clever ways to manipulate website addresses that would trick even tech-savvy people into clicking malicious links. Today I'll tell you how these tricks work and explain you can avoid all of these issues by simply blocking these new domains.
In other news: iTunes for Windows patches a nasty bug; Android malware downloaded over 420 million times; Android phones vulnerable to fingerprint brute-force attacks; Luxottica exposes 300 million customer records; free VPN service SuperVPN exposes 360 million user records; Amazon gets slap on the wrist for Ring video doorbell private data access; KeePass "master password crack" not as bad as it sounds; Twitter adding Content Notes 'fact checks' to images; Microsoft now scanning inside password-protected zip files; drone pilot is NOT killed by drone; AI is NOT likely to cause human extinction; and Brave introduces new Off The Record browsing mode. Plus my Dear Carey question: recommended cheat sheet for computer safety.
Article Links
[MacRumors] PSA: If You Run Windows, Make Sure to Update iTunes to Fix Security Vulnerability https://www.macrumors.com/2023/06/01/itunes-windows-vulnerability/
[Lifehacker] This Android Malware Was Downloaded Over 420 Million Times https://lifehacker.com/this-android-malware-was-downloaded-over-420-million-ti-1850492306
[BleepingComputer] Android phones are vulnerable to fingerprint brute-force attacks https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/android-phones-are-vulnerable-to-fingerprint-brute-force-attacks/
[bitdefender.com] Luxottica 2021 breach: 300 million customer records up for grabs online https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/hotforsecurity/luxottica-2021-breach-300-million-customer-records-up-for-grabs-online/
[hackread.com] Free VPN Service SuperVPN Exposes 360 Million User Records https://www.hackread.com/free-vpn-service-supervpn-leaks-user-records/
[AppleInsider] Amazon gets slap on the wrist over privacy violations with Ring cameras https://appleinsider.com/articles/23/05/31/amazon-gets-slap-on-the-wrist-over-privacy-violations-with-ring-cameras
[Naked Security] Serious Security: That KeePass “master password crack”, and what we can learn from it https://nakedsecurity.sophos.com/2023/05/31/serious-security-that-keepass-master-password-crack-and-what-we-can-learn-from-it/
[Mashable] Twitter will now put Community Notes 'fact checks' on images https://mashable.com/article/twitter-notes-on-media-images
[Ars Technica] Microsoft is scanning the inside of password-protected zip files for malware https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2023/05/microsoft-is-scanning-the-inside-of-password-protected-zip-files-for-malware/
[VICE] USAF Official Says He ‘Misspoke’ About AI Drone Killing Human Operator in Simulated Test https://www.vice.com/en/article/4a33gj/ai-controlled-drone-goes-rogue-kills-human-operator-in-usaf-simulated-test
[Schneier Blog] On the Catastrophic Risk of AI https://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2023/06/on-the-catastrophic-risk-of-ai.html
[brave.com] Request "Off the Record" https://brave.com/privacy-updates/26-request-off-the-record/
Tip of the Week: Blocking .zip Domains: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-block-the-new-zip-domain/
Further Info
How to send files securely: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-send-files-securely-like-tax-info/
Checklist of Tips for my book: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/02/FDSDv5-workbook-v1.pdf
10 Years After Snowden: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2023/05/10-years-after-snowden-some-things-are-better-some-were-still-fighting
The Wayback Machine: https://web.archive.org/
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