Privacy Files

The reason we started Privacy Files is to make the topic of privacy and personal data protection more approachable for a wider, global audience. Many people acknowledge that privacy is important, but they just don't know where to begin. At Privacy Files, we believe this begins with understanding your privacy risk exposure. In other words, it's about education. On November 4, 2023, Privacy Files hit the road and recorded this episode at the Anonyome Labs booth on the floor of the 2023 Utah Pinners Conference & Expo in the Greater Salt Lake City Area. Pinners is a two-day event where 35,000+ creative enthusiasts, DIY aficionados and expert makers meet. If you like Pinterest, Pinners is the place to be. Why were we there? As part of our core mission to make privacy approachable for everyone, we wanted to meet with hardworking Americans from all walks of life and get their views on personal data protection. Pinners is a major shopping event. Tens of thousands of transactions are taking place daily. In other words, 35,000+ shoppers are sharing their personal data with total strangers. We sat down with a few Pinners attendees to talk about the event and solicit their perspectives on a variety of privacy topics. We were also joined by a few Anonyome Labs employees to see where they are in their privacy journeys. You will find these interviews in this episode of Privacy Files. OUR SPONSORS: Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/ Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Tens of millions of Americans alone have submitted their DNA to companies in the hopes of learning more about their ancestry. Genetic testing for ancestry research and identifying potential health issues is big business. However, as with any tool used for good, there can be a downside. Recently, a hacker stole the genetic data from millions of users of the popular genetics test kit company 23andMe. That data then went on sale on the dark web. It's not the first time concerns about DNA and privacy have been in the news. In this episode of Privacy Files, we are joined by Colin from Anonyome Labs Security and Compliance Team to discuss some of the most prevailing privacy issues impacting consumers as it relates to DNA. We kick off the episode by looking at the privacy policies of 23andMe and Ancestry.com. Then we discuss the lack of consumer protections surrounding DNA ancestry testing companies versus the more regulated world of healthcare. If you have concerns, take the time to read the privacy policy. We then jump into a landmark case where the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took action against Vitagene (now 1Health.io) for changing material privacy terms without customers' consent. One concerning development in the at-home DNA testing space is the trend of local law enforcement obtaining warrants to review DNA data collected by consumer ancestry and genetics testing companies. We review some recent cases and discuss the implications. Perhaps the craziest story of all is the recent discovery that high-quality human DNA can be found all over in the natural environment. And what scientists can do with that DNA will shock you. It shocked us! We close out the episode by looking at the ongoing controversy of newborn DNA sequencing. Today it is common practice for blood samples to be taken from babies just after birth. Healthcare professionals say this is a vital practice to screen for serious health issues. But some say what is being done with newborn blood samples has gone too far. Links Referenced: https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/06/privacy-security-genetic-information-putting-dna-companies-test https://fortune.com/2023/10/06/23andme-user-data-hacked/ https://www.govtech.com/public-safety/police-use-of-forensic-genealogy-tech-raises-privacy-concerns https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/05/business/dna-database-search-warrant.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/12/smarter-living/how-to-protect-your-dna-data.html https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-can-now-pull-human-dna-from-the-air-and-water-raising-privacy-questions-180982192/ https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/widespread-newborn-dna-sequencing-will-worsen-risks-to-genetic-privacy OUR SPONSORS: Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/ Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

One of the biggest challenges to getting more people to be proactive about protecting their personal data is the data privacy knowledge gap. In this episode of Privacy Files, we're getting back to the basics of how to manage personally identifiable information by talking to Nick, a power user of MySudo, the world's only all-in-one privacy app. Nick has been using MySudo for several years. In our discussion, he provides a unique perspective from someone who takes the concept of compartmentalizing one's digital life to the next level. On this podcast, we talk a lot about minimizing your digital exhaust. The first step toward accomplishing this goal is to stop using the same email address and phone number for everything you do online. Many of us fall into the habit of providing an email address when we're asked while checking out at a store. We are enticed to offer up our phone number to enter a sweepstakes. From loyalty programs to online shopping, our data is everywhere. But as we like to say, "You can live your life online without leaving your life online." Nick shares how he does this by creating multiple digital identities that correlate with some of the most common activities he engages in while on the internet or out in public. We also talk a little about virtual cards and VPNs. And what is Nick's advice to those looking to take the first step toward becoming more private? It's very simple. Over the next couple of weeks, whenever you're prompted to provide personal data, ask yourself if the inquiring party really needs this information to do business with you. If they don't. Don't provide it. If they do, start breaking the data trail linking back to you by using unique emails and phone numbers for the different categories of activities you engage in. Over time, it will be more difficult for data aggregators and bad actors to build elaborate profiles on you. In other words, you will become more private. OUR SPONSORS: Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/ Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Privacy is a hot topic. There are headline news stories about data privacy concerns, laws and breaches appearing virtually every single day. Polls show that the public worries about protecting personal data. However, people often don't know where to start. Yes, there is most definitely a data privacy knowledge gap. In this episode of Privacy Files, we speak to Matt, the VP of Sales at Anonyome Labs. Matt talks about how the business world is adding privacy solutions to product portfolios to help the public take back control over its personally identifiable information (PII). For the first time, we explore off-the-shelf solutions that help businesses skip the lengthy and costly product development process. From VPNs and password managers to virtual cards and encrypted communications, we discuss how companies are private labeling data privacy solutions and driving revenue in mere weeks. We also dive into the hottest topic of all: Decentralized Identity (DI). Matt talks about how he simplifies discussing DI so that business leaders can quickly wrap their minds around how to monetize this burgeoning technology. But privacy solutions don't just make great business models. Offering data privacy tools to your market is an excellent way to build strong public relations. With the rising frequency of data breaches, building a reputation for protecting personal information is a way to differentiate your business. To close out the episode, we mention that Anonyome Labs will be at Booth 13729 at Money20/20 in Las Vegas from October 23 - 25. It's one of the largest fintech events in the world. If you're attending, please stop by and say hello! OUR SPONSORS: Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/ Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Former US Intelligence Officer, a former US Army Intelligence Officer and interrogator, discusses social engineering strategies employed by threat actors and shares real accounts of interrogations. The episode provides a different perspective on social engineering methods to better protect against bad actor attacks.

We've talked a lot about social engineering on Privacy Files. It's commonly said that the human is the weakest link in data security. In this episode, we talk about what you could call unintentional social engineering. What if you had a story so compelling that employees of retail businesses would eagerly hand over personally identifiable information (PII) about strangers? In this interview, we talk to someone who recently had his wallet stolen while at the local gym. While the story about the stolen wallet, the ensuing investigation and eventual recovery is interesting in and of itself, it's not the most important lesson. Shockingly, what we discover is how easy it can be to persuade employees to freely share personal information about others, especially when the mission appears to be a noble one. But it leaves us wondering how many bad actors try this approach by concocting a story that sounds convincing. It's yet another lesson highlighting just how easy it is for your personal data to end up in the hands of someone with bad intentions. This episode will also leave you rethinking just how much you really need to take with you in your wallet or purse when leaving home. Overall, we hope this story encourages you to compartmentalize your online and offline life to limit your personal data trail and ultimately your exposure to data leaks and breaches. OUR SPONSORS: Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/ Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

To learn more about this episode's guest Phil Windley: https://www.windley.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/windley/ https://internetidentityworkshop.com/ https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/learning-digital-identity/9781098117689/ In this episode... Data breaches are a common occurrence in the digital age. Most of us feel pretty helpless when it comes to protecting our personal information. But what if there were a way to empower the individual to manage their own personally identifiable information (PII)? What if companies no longer needed to store PII, thus reducing exposure to hacks? Phil Windley is one of the key players in the emerging field of digital identity. He is spearheading a paradigm shift in the way personal data is handled. Imagine a future where you need to prove to a rental car company that you are 25 or older in order to rent a car. The reservations agent sends a request to a virtual wallet on your smartphone. You grant permission for a simple communication to be sent to the rental car company that "Yes" you are 25 or older. No actual birth date is transmitted because your date of birth was already verified. All the reservations agent sees is a "Yes." In other words, no PII was ever exchanged. And you are now in full control of your sensitive personal data. In this episode, Phil talks about how he got started on the road to digital identity and how the concept of self-sovereign identity will transform how the digital space operates. Phil is the author of the book Learning Digital Identity, a practical guide for companies to design, deploy and manage identity architectures. Phil is also the founder of the Internet Identity Workshop, a semi-annual event that unites some of the most innovative minds working to design and build identity systems that empower individuals. As an Open Space unConference, there is no preset agenda. Dozens of sessions are called and convened by participants in real time. Overall, Phil provides us with a solid overview of where digital identity is headed and gives all of us privacy-conscious people some hope that a credible solution for putting individuals in charge of their own personal data is just around the corner. OUR SPONSORS: Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

To learn more about this episode's guest Olivia Arnauts: https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviaarnauts/ https://www.zfisolutions.com/ https://www.relentlessrevival.org/ In this episode... Most people are generally familiar with the work that private investigators do. But there is a specialization within this profession that few are aware of. In this episode of Privacy Files we talk to Olivia Arnauts, a licensed private investigator in the state of Texas. Olivia specializes in an area called Protective Intelligence, a subset of Executive Protection. In her role, Olivia typically serves high-profile clients where, among many jobs, she performs threat assessments to determine risk exposure to dangers such as identity theft and financial fraud. In short, a Protective Intelligence Agent is proactive in identifying, assessing and mitigating potential threats to a client. We talk about Olivia's early career as a Signals Intelligence Analyst in the Army and how that influenced her decision to transition into Protective Intelligence. Olivia talks about her typical client profile, from celebrities to high-profile business people to politicians. As we discussed in previous episodes of Privacy Files, people share so much personal information online that most bad actors can simply rely on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) to conduct their nefarious work. Olivia explains how easy it is for her to find personal information, ranging from the embarrassing to data that could destroy someone's future if it fell into the wrong hands. We then cover some simple things you can do, whether you're a high-profile person or not, to reduce your digital footprint. We close out the episode by talking about Olivia's project to help human trafficking survivors. OUR SPONSORS: Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

It's hard to believe, but ten years have passed since former government contractor Edward Snowden shocked the world disclosing that the United States National Security Agency (NSA) was collecting data from the electronic communications of millions of American citizens--all without a warrant. For the majority of the public, that's what people remember. But the classified documents Snowden leaked revealed much more than warrantless electronic surveillance. In this episode of Privacy Files, we take a hard look at about a year's worth of leaks. Starting from June 6, 2013 (when it all started) and ending on May 31, 2014, we revisit some of the most earth-shattering revelations about how the United States intelligence apparatus operates. Colin fills in for Sarah in the co-hosting chair. Colin is a member of Anonyome Labs' Security & Compliance team. Looking back at the disclosures, both Rich and Colin were mesmerized at the extent of what the Snowden leaks cover. Over the years, journalists have released thousands of documents that Snowden entrusted them with. Some believe this is still less than 1% of the entire archive. And they're probably close to being accurate cause according to national intelligence officials, Snowden downloaded up to 1.5 million files before fleeing Hawaii and heading to Hong Kong to meet with journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras. After revisiting key revelations, Rich and Colin discuss what this all means for the world today. How have the Snowden Leaks impacted society, government and technology? One thing is clear. Personal privacy is on people's minds more than ever. And as a result, the last ten years have seen an explosion in privacy products for public consumption. In fact, the Snowden Leaks have impacted so much of global society that these impacts are often referred to as the "Snowden Effect." Links Referenced: https://www.cato.org/commentary/snowden-effect-six-years# https://www.businessinsider.com/snowden-leaks-timeline-2016-9 https://www.propublica.org/article/claim-on-attacks-thwarted-by-nsa-spreads-despite-lack-of-evidence https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2013-12-12_rg_final_report.pdf https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2048/text/pl?overview=closed https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/nsa-surveillance-2017-annual-report.html https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowden_effect https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2015/06/7-ways-the-world-has-changed-thanks-to-edward-snowden/ OUR SPONSORS: Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Privacy is an important topic for an increasing number of people around the world. But it takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to professional athletes. In this episode of Privacy Files, we sit down with former NFL defensive lineman and Super Bowl XXVI champion Jason Buck. Jason was the 17th overall pick in the 1987 NFL draft and played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Redskins before retiring at the end of the 1993 season. We get Jason's take on many privacy-related issues impacting today's professional athlete such as financial fraud and medical privacy. Jason talks about how today the NFL invests more resources in educating new players coming into the league about the dangers of celebrity status. We cover a recent story about an Australian rugby player who lost his entire life savings in an elaborate phishing attack. Jason discusses the challenges professional athletes face when it comes to maintaining a semblance of privacy while living in the public eye. Along the way, we also talk about how life has become more complex with the advent of the digital age. Jason's story is an inspiring one as he overcame significant odds to become one of the best college football players in the country, winning the Outland Trophy for best college football interior lineman in 1986 as a senior at Brigham Young University. While we cover the topic of privacy, we also spend some time just talking about football, life and how the world has changed. Links Referenced: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Buck https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerb/buck00600.html https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/03/23/nba-players-defrauded-former-morgan-stanley-advisor/9361679606223/ https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/carlton-blues/afl-2023-jacob-weitering-victim-to-banking-scam-loses-life-savings-what-happened-carlton-blues-latest-news/news-story/8cb8efa2bd500027468ba46dfcdf475f https://angle.ankura.com/post/102i75w/monetizing-sports-data-and-protecting-athlete-privacy-where-is-the-balance https://law.utah.edu/the-price-of-health-privacy-in-sports/ https://www.theperspective.com/debates/entertainment/celebrities-expect-privacy https://www.biometricupdate.com/202205/athletes-data-privacy-concerns-raise-question-of-what-counts-as-biometrics https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/athlete-data-privacy-performance-sportslawyer-paul-horvath-solicito/ OUR SPONSORS: Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com