Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast

Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast


Letters from the Mailbag

December 02, 2024

It’s been too long since I’ve dipped into the listener mailbag, so today I’m going to answer a small selection of your questions on the air! Topics include privacy-respecting baby monitors, the “IoT network” on some Orbi routers, why you can’t really use a computer monitor as a “dumb” TV, and whether browser privacy plugins work on first party tracking.


We’ll also cover some news stories: why you shouldn’t upload medical images to AI chatbots; the Fancy Bear “nearest neighbor” attack; Google’s new website link overlays; the curious case of cutting undersea internet cables; Microsoft’s new Windows Resiliency Initiative; mobile pay apps coming under regulatory scrutiny; iPhone’s new tool to strip metadata from shared photos; and Google now warning you about suspicious apps.


Article Links

  1. [techcrunch.com] PSA: You shouldn’t upload your medical images to AI chatbots https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/19/psa-you-shouldnt-upload-your-medical-images-to-ai-chatbots/
  2. [darkreading.com] Fancy Bear ‘Nearest Neighbor’ Attack Uses Nearby Wi-Fi Network https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/fancy-bear-nearest-neighbor-attack-wi-fi
  3. [9to5google.com] Google’s iOS app now injects links on third-party websites that go back to Search https://9to5google.com/2024/11/25/google-ios-app-link-annotations-search/
  4. [newsweek.com] Chinese Vessel Allegedly Drags Anchor, Severs Undersea Cable Links https://www.newsweek.com/chinese-vessel-allegedly-drags-anchor-severs-undersea-cable-links-1992580
  5. [dw.com] Hybrid warfare on the seabed? https://www.dw.com/en/baltic-sea-underwater-cable-damage-highlights-hybrid-warfare-on-critical-infrastructure/a-70853706
  6. [theverge.com] Microsoft’s new Windows Resiliency Initiative aims to avoid another CrowdStrike incident https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/19/24299873/microsoft-windows-resiliency-initiative-crowdstrike-incident
  7. [lifehacker.com] Venmo, Apple Pay, and Other Payment Apps Are About to Be More Regulated https://lifehacker.com/money/payment-apps-are-about-to-be-more-regulated
  8. [lifehacker.com] Your iPhone Can Now Automatically Remove Location Data From Photos You Share Online https://lifehacker.com/tech/your-iphone-can-now-automatically-remove-location-data-from-photos-online
  9. [lifehacker.com] The Google Play Store Will Soon Warn You Before You Download a Bad App https://lifehacker.com/tech/the-google-play-store-will-warn-you-bad-app

Further Info

Table of Contents

Use these timestamps to jump to a particular section of the show.



  • 0:00:51: Holiday PSA
  • 0:02:12: News preview
  • 0:03:59: PSA: You shouldn’t upload your medical images to AI chatbots
  • 0:07:22: Fancy Bear ‘Nearest Neighbor’ Attack Uses Nearby Wi-Fi Network
  • 0:12:59: Google’s iOS app now injects links on third-party websites that go back to Search
  • 0:15:10: Chinese Vessel Allegedly Drags Anchor, Severs Undersea Cable Links
  • 0:18:17: Hybrid warfare on the seabed?
  • 0:27:19: Microsoft’s new Windows Resiliency Initiative aims to avoid another CrowdStrike incident
  • 0:33:11: Venmo, Apple Pay, and Other Payment Apps Are About to Be More Regulated
  • 0:36:30: Your iPhone Can Now Automatically Remove Location Data From Photos You Share Online
  • 0:42:23: The Google Play Store Will Soon Warn You Before You Download a Bad App
  • 0:46:20: Finding a private, secure baby monitor
  • 0:50:44: IoT Network on Netgear Orbi routers?
  • 0:52:50: Using a computer monitor as a dumb TV?
  • 0:55:47: Can browser plugins prevent first party tracking?
  • 0:59:23: The plan for the rest of the year