Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast

Available Episodes

5 of 400

Controlling Your Digital ID
In the real world, we present different aspects of ourselves in different environments: home, work, family, friends, school, etc. Why can't we do this in the virtual world, as well? While marketers love to identify us with unique identifiers so they can track us mercilessly, there are tools we can use that will allow us to compartmentalize our digital lives just like we can in the real world. Today we'll discuss the notion of decentralized identity with Dr. Paul Ashley, CTO of Anonyome Labs who runs the MySudo service. Interview Notes MySudo: https://anonyome.com/individuals/mysudo/ Anonyome Labs: https://anonyome.com/ Open Wallet Foundation: https://openwallet.foundation/ Verifiable Credentials (W3C): https://www.w3.org/TR/vc-data-model/ Privacy is Power interview: https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2024/11/25/privacy-is-power-2/ EFF on digital wallets: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/09/digital-id-isnt-everybody-and-thats-okay Further Info Recommend news stories: send to news [at] firewallsdontstopdragons.com Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:00:14: Intro 0:00:38: Getting more non-US news stories 0:02:44: Still waiting on big winner to reply 0:03:15: Intervew setup 0:05:23: How did Anonyome Labs get started? 0:12:20: Which identifiers are most valuable for tracking people? 0:15:19: Can you explain "de-centralized IDs " and "identity wallets"? 0:24:28: Are there open standards for digital ID? 0:29:20: Can digital ID be used to privately verify your age online? 0:32:18: Can email relay companies see all your emails? 0:36:31: How about using a custom domain for creating email aliases? 0:38:50: Don't a lot of sites reject email and phone numbers from alias services? 0:43:17: Do social media companies allow you to have multiple accounts? 0:46:37: What about ad ID's and fingerprinting? 0:51:21: What happens if your virtual ID company goes bad or goes dark? 0:55:36: Can I trust the virtual ID companies with my privacy? 0:59:07: Are there downsides or gotchas to using services like these? 1:00:51: How can we convince companies to respect our privacy? 1:04:48: What else is MySudo working on? 1:07:41: Interview wrap-up 1:08:17: Patron preview 1:08:42: Looking ahead
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1:09:26
Treat Plugins Like Apps
Software plugins allow you to add functionality to existing applications. Web browsers commonly use these extensions to add functionality like shopping helpers, password managers, ad blockers and much, much more. In a way, these add-ons are like "apps" for the browser. Like apps, they can view and manipulate your data. In the browser, they may alter the web page, track pages you visit, and even mine any data you might enter into web forms. Also like apps, plugins can have permissions which you must agree to when you install them. Therefore, we need to be very careful which plugins we install and make sure we trust the maker. Today I'll explain how to audit your plugins. In other news: The TikTok ban has been given a 75-day reprieve; the Trump administration fires scores of cybersecurity experts; Apple Intelligence will soon be enabled by default on iPhones and Macs; some clever researchers have hacked the iPhone USB-C connection; a tricky new smishing campaign tricks users into bypassing Apple protections; PowerSchool hack affects 62M students and 9M teachers; new AI took can identify where a photo was taken; Subaru hack exposes scary amount of location data collection; fuzzing tool find over 100 bugs in modern cellular network; Texas sues Allstate for using private car data; FTC to ban GM from sharing location info; exercise equipment collects lots of personal data; federal court finally rules that Section 702 FISA data access requires a warrant. Article Links [theverge.com] Trump signs order refusing to enforce TikTok ban for 75 days https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/20/24348213/trump-tiktok-ban-executive-order-sale-delay-china [techcrunch.com] Trump administration fires members of cybersecurity review board in “horribly shortsighted” decision https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/22/trump-administration-fires-members-of-cybersecurity-review-board-in-horribly-shortsighted-decision/ [macrumors.com] macOS Sequoia 15.3 and iOS 18.3 Enable Apple Intelligence Automatically https://www.macrumors.com/2025/01/21/macos-sequoia-15-3-apple-intelligence-opt-out/ [9to5mac.com] Security vulnerability in iPhone’s USB-C port, and a gotcha with iMessage scams https://9to5mac.com/2025/01/14/security-vulnerability-in-iphones-usb-c-port-and-a-gotcha-with-imessage-scams/ [Tech Radar] PowerSchool hack keeps getting worse - 62 million students now thought to be affected https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/powerschool-hack-keeps-getting-worse-62-million-students-now-thought-to-be-affected [404media.co] The Powerful AI Tool That Cops (or Stalkers) Can Use to Geolocate Photos in Seconds https://www.404media.co/the-powerful-ai-tool-that-cops-or-stalkers-can-use-to-geolocate-photos-in-seconds/ [wired.com] Subaru Security Flaws Exposed Its System for Tracking Millions of Cars https://www.wired.com/story/subaru-location-tracking-vulnerabilities/ [The Hacker News] RANsacked: Over 100 Security Flaws Found in LTE and 5G Network Implementations https://thehackernews.com/2025/01/ransacked-over-100-security-flaws-found.html [gizmodo.com] Texas Sues Allstate for Collecting Driver Data to Raise Premiums https://gizmodo.com/texas-sues-allstate-for-collecting-driver-data-to-raise-premiums-2000549878 [techcrunch.com] GM banned from sharing driving and location data with insurance companies https://techcrunch.com/2025/01/17/gm-banned-from-sharing-driving-and-location-data-with-insurance-companies/ [consumerreports.org] Your Exercise Bike Knows a Lot About You—and It Doesn't Keep Every Secret https://www.consumerreports.org/health/health-privacy/exercise-machine-privacy-a3907557984/ [eff.org] VICTORY! Federal Court (Finally) Rules Backdoor Searches of 702 Data Unconstitutional https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/01/victory-federal-court-finally-rules-backdoor-searches-702-data-unconstitutional Tip of the Week: Treat Extensions Like Apps: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/treat-extensions-like-apps/ Further Info
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1:10:45
Reclaiming Data Privacy
There are way too many data brokers and they have way too much of our data. We've talked a lot lately about what you can do to reclaim your privacy and claw back some of that data and today I'm going to give you yet another interesting tool for your privacy toolbox: Permission Slip. This app and the related service, brought to you by Consumer Reports, will work on your behalf to request that these data brokers relinquish your information, or at least suppress the sharing of that data to the extent that's legally possible. The tool has some helpful and interesting features that you may not find on other, similar services. Sukhi Gulati GIlbert is my guest today and will explain why you should consider using this tool and how it supports the overall effort to rein in dangerous business of data mining. Interview Notes Permission Slip app: https://permissionslipcr.com/ Protecting Your Privacy Online: https://www.consumerreports.org/electronics/privacy/from-our-president-protecting-your-privacy-online-a1603013649/ Digital Security & Privacy: https://www.consumerreports.org/digital-security-privacy/ CR Report on data deletion services (PDF): https://innovation.consumerreports.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/Data-Defense_-Evaluating-People-Search-Site-Removal-Services-.pdf California data broker registry: https://cppa.ca.gov/data_broker_registry/ How to download the Vermont data broker list (which doesn’t seem to work): https://www.muckrock.com/foi/vermont-80/vermont-data-broker-db-107096/ My article series on data deletion: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/osint-reconnaissance/ Further Info Annual listener survey!! https://fdsd.me/survey2025 Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:00:12: Intro 0:00:51: Couple quick news notes 0:01:45: Last call: listener survey 0:02:47: Interview setup 0:03:48: What brought you to Consumer Reports and the Permission Slip app? 0:07:19: How does Permission Slip compare to other data deletion services? 0:14:17: Where are the data brokers getting so much of our personal info? 0:17:00: How do I use Permission Slip? 0:21:47: What info does Permission Slip give to brokers? 0:24:42: Is it more effective to request data deletion yourself versus using a service? 0:31:12: What level of success should I expect when deleting my data? 0:33:16: Are there any limitations or exclusions for data deletion? 0:38:19: What if you live in a state or country with no privacy laws? 0:39:44: Can we limit access to our public data records? 0:41:24: Does freezing your credit do anything to limit data sharing? 0:43:53: How broken is the 'notice and consent' model for privacy? 0:45:57: Would it help to actively spread incorrect personal info? 0:48:31: How else can we reduce our data footprint? 0:50:04: What's next for Consumer Reports in terms of privacy? 0:53:46: What does Permission Slip Pro cost? 0:55:19: Interview wrap-up 0:59:11: Patron content preview 0:59:50: Looking ahead
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1:00:50
New Year’s Resolutions 2025!
The start of a new year is always a good time to add some big juicy goals to your to-do list - call them New Year's Resolutions, if that works for you, but really it's just about making up your mind to tackle some important personal objectives. Today I'll give you several ideas to improve your privacy and security in 2025, and those around you. In the news: dozens of malicious Chrome Browser extensions identified; net neutrality is dead, again, and probably for good this time; Apple to pay a meager $95M to settle a Siri privacy class action suit; Apple's new Enhanced Visual Search is enabled by default and sending data to Apple; proposed ban on TP-Link routers is missing the real problem; Google's change in its Privacy Sandbox policy seems to now allow the use of device fingerprinting; proposed HIPAA amendments will close major health data security gaps. Article Links [Ars Technica] Time to check if you ran any of these 33 malicious Chrome extensions https://arstechnica.com/security/2025/01/dozens-of-backdoored-chrome-extensions-discovered-on-2-6-million-devices/ Terms of service study: https://www.helpnetsecurity.com/2016/07/14/agree-terms-conditions-lie/ [nytimes.com] Net Neutrality Rules Struck Down by Appeals Court https://www.nytimes.com/2025/01/02/technology/net-neutrality-rules-fcc.html [reuters.com] Apple to pay $95 million to settle Siri privacy lawsuit https://www.reuters.com/legal/apple-pay-95-million-settle-siri-privacy-lawsuit-2025-01-02/ [macrumors.com] Apple Says Siri Data Has Never Been Sold or Used for Marketing https://www.macrumors.com/2025/01/06/apple-siri-data-not-sold-for-marketing/ [9to5mac.com] Enhanced Visual Search shares your photos with Apple by default, to identify landmarks https://9to5mac.com/2024/12/30/enhanced-visual-search-shares-your-photos-with-apple-by-default-to-identify-landmarks/ [csoonline.com] No evidence that TP-Link routers are a Chinese security threat https://www.csoonline.com/article/3504775/no-evidence-that-tp-link-routers-are-a-chinese-security-threat.html [Lukasz Olejnik blog] Biggest Privacy Erosion in 10 Years? On Google’s Policy Change Towards Fingerprinting https://blog.lukaszolejnik.com/biggest-privacy-erosion-in-10-years-on-googles-policy-change-towards-fingerprinting/ [Dark Reading] Proposed HIPAA Amendments Will Close Healthcare Security Gaps https://www.darkreading.com/cyber-risk/proposed-hipaa-amendments-close-healthcare-security-gaps Tip of the Week: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/new-years-resolutions-2025/ Further Info Annual listener survey!! https://fdsd.me/survey2025 Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:00:07: Intro 0:01:24: News preview 0:02:59: Time to check if you ran any of these 33 malicious Chrome extensions 0:12:51: Net Neutrality Rules Struck Down by Appeals Court 0:16:49: Apple to pay $95 million to settle Siri privacy lawsuit 0:19:02: Apple Says Siri Data Has Never Been Sold or Used for Marketing 0:26:29: Enhanced Visual Search shares your photos with Apple by default 0:35:23: No evidence that TP-Link routers are a Chinese security threat 0:47:01: Biggest Privacy Erosion in 10 Years? On Google’s Policy Change Towards Fingerprinting 0:53:08: Proposed HIPAA Amendments Will Close Healthcare Security Gaps 0:57:16: Tip of the Week: New Years Resolutions for 2025! 1:04:53: Wrap-up
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1:05:57
ALPRs Are Everywhere
There are many ways in which we are tracked in the real world, but one of the most ubiquitous and insidious technologies is Automated License Plate Readers. These camera systems are deployed in just about every city by both public and private organizations. Furthermore, the third parties who sell and operate these systems collect and collate data from around the country, making it available to law enforcement and marketing firms. Because these systems capture images of your car, they can also document the make, model and color, any distinguishing marks, and even bumper stickers. Today we'll discuss how and where these systems are deployed, who has access to the data, the repercussions of this mass surveillance and how it can go horribly wrong with my guests Adam Schwartz and Gowri Nayar from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Interview Notes Donate to the EFF: https://supporters.eff.org/donate/join-eff-today The Human Toll of ALPR Errors: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/11/human-toll-alpr-errors EFF’s Street Level Surveillance: https://sls.eff.org/ Community Control of Police Surveillance (CCOPS): https://www.eff.org/issues/community-control-police-surveillance-ccops US 100-mile “border zone” facts: https://www.aclu.org/know-your-rights/border-zone Flock camera map: https://www.404media.co/the-open-source-project-deflock-is-mapping-license-plate-surveillance-cameras-all-over-the-world/ DeFlock: https://deflock.me Flock transparency page example: https://transparency.flocksafety.com/riverside-county-ca-sd Further Info Annual listener survey!! https://fdsd.me/survey2025 Send me your questions! https://fdsd.me/qna Check out my book, Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons: https://fdsd.me/book Subscribe to the newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter Become a patron! https://www.patreon.com/FirewallsDontStopDragons Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ Table of Contents Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show. 0:00:20: Intro 0:01:24: Listener survey and book giveaway 0:03:16: ShmooCon in DC this weekend 0:04:21: Interview setup 0:05:27: What prompted you to write about ALPRs? 0:08:11: How do ALPRs work and what info can they capture? 0:10:14: How long have ALPRs been around and how is EFF tracking their use? 0:11:34: Where are these systems deployed? How do we recognize them? 0:14:19: How does mobile ALPR data collection work? 0:15:58: Are police departments transparent about the use of ALPRs? 0:18:09: Is there a way know where ALPR systems are deployed? 0:20:46: How accurate are ALPRs? What are the consequences of failure? 0:22:37: Are license plate "hot lists" shared across jurisdictions? 0:25:41: Where is ALPR data stored? For how long? Who has access? 0:27:40: Is ALPR data shared among local and federal agencies? How often is the data abused? 0:31:04: Do the ALPR system operators sell this data to anyone else? 0:36:04: What legal expectation of privacy do I have in public spaces? 0:42:57: How does the legal "third party doctrine" apply to ALPR data? 0:45:01: How do we balance the need to catch bad guys with the use of surveillance tech? 0:50:18: Is there any surveillance tech that EFF feels should be banned outright? 0:52:17: Does EFF consult with law enforcement on deployment of surveillance tech? 0:53:05: If we're concerned about surveillance tech being deployed, what can we do? 0:58:19: Interview wrap-up 0:59:29: Notes on the "border zone" width in the US 1:01:09: Patron preview 1:02:01: Survey reminder 1:02:50: Looking ahead
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1:03:45