Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast
Latest Episodes
Sad State of Cybersecurity
Today's news headlines are littered with stories on massive cybersecurity failures: SolarWinds, Microsoft Exchange, Colonial Pipeline, data breaches, ransomware... Are the bad guys ramping up their game? Or are we just really bad at cybersecurity?
Hacking Satellites for Fun & Profit
Are satellites really just IoT devices in space? They're small computers and connected to the internet, not unlike Nest thermostats, baby video monitors, and smart toasters. You'd think that they'd be a lot more complex and secure...
Payment App Privacy Sucks
Payment apps are fairly secure & very convenient, but NOT private. And Venmo is the worst. Venmo is the only payment app that is primarily a "social" app. That's shorthand for "share as much info as possible, with as many people as possible".
Have I Been FLoCed? (Part 2)
Is it possible for you to view your FLoC ID right now? And if so, can you decode this ID to understand what Google is learning about you from it? Does FLoC require your consent or cooperation from the sites you're visiting?
Have I Been FLoCed? (Part 1)
The public has voted and the results are in: people do not want to be tracked. In response, like pop-up ads before them, third party cookies are now being blocked by default by just about every browser - except Chrome.
How & When to Use a Passphrase
Today is the day we've all been waiting for! The super-secret, highly-collectible, security-enhancing device is finally HERE!! For a short period of time, I will be offering a very limited edition challenge coins to my patrons.
Protecting Intellectual Freedom (Part 2)
What is Tor, exactly? How and why would I use it? And what the heck is a Tor node? In part 2 of my talk with Alison from the Library Freedom Project, we'll discuss why libraries are so important in the fight for privacy and how they're using technologi...
Protecting Intellectual Freedom (Part 1)
Want to read a book without your reading history being tracked? Do you need to surf the web with complete anonymity? If so, then look no further than your local public library. You have the right to research and collaborate on politically or socially s...
App Tracking Transparency
After what seemed like forever, Apple has finally released its App Tracking Transparency (ATT) feature which requires apps to get your permission to track you across other apps and websites. This was announced last year and delayed by several months to...
Hunting for Stingrays (Part 2)
While law enforcement touts the benefits of cell site simulators, today we will talk about the negative impacts, as well. While the actual impacts are not documented due to secrecy, we have to wonder whether Stingrays could interfere with critical comm...