Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast Carey Parker

Encrypted communications are important for everyone, even if you have nothing to hide. But they're also important when you're trying to hide global criminal operations. Drug smugglers and money launderers have special needs when it comes to secure messaging. Several phone companies were created to address this market. Unfortunately for the criminals, the most popular one - Anom - was secretly run by the FBI. Today Joseph Cox from 404 Media will tell us about this astoundingly audacious sting operation, which is the basis for his book, Dark Wire.







Interview Notes









Order Dark Wire: https://a.co/d/h9o7ump







Anom website (right before take down): https://web.archive.org/web/20210507151115/http://anom.io/ 







Phantom Secure website (circa 2017): https://web.archive.org/web/20170330122723/http://phantomsecure.com/ 







Vice Anom story: https://www.vice.com/en/article/n7b4gg/anom-phone-arcaneos-fbi-backdoor 







Anom phone video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EA1KS-xh0n0 







Operation Trojan Shield: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Trojan_Shield 







Trojan Shield press conference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S89O0nis_ss 







Encrochat: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EncroChat 









Further Info









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.









0:00:54: Migrating to Mastodon







0:02:24: Embracing the dark... mode







0:02:45: Countdown to 400







0:03:28: Interview setup







0:04:30: How did this all start with you on an obscure forum for criminals?







0:08:34: What was Operation Trojan Shield?







0:10:49: How did the FBI start a secure phone company?







0:12:41: What were some of Anom's key tech features?







0:15:26: Where did they get the Arcane Operating System?







0:17:56: How did the 'duress' feature work?







0:20:18: How did Anom copy encrypted messages without being detected?







0:24:35: How were these phones marketed to criminals?







0:28:10: What does these phones cost?







0:30:09: What were the legal aspects for this multi-national operation?







0:34:49: How did they use this intelligence without revealing the source?







0:39:38: Did the criminals ever suspect the phones?







0:42:04: How did this all come to an end?







0:46:14: So, are we 'going dark' or not?







0:49:27: What lessons did the FBI take away from all this?







0:51:36: Can we still trust things like Signal and Proton?







0:55:39: What's your next big story or book?

Most major social media platforms are a hot mess. Your feed is filled with tons of crap you never asked to see and your data is mined mercilessly to serve you targeted ads. The promise of having a place to trade interesting posts with friends and family is now muddied up with sponsored content chosen by hidden algorithms optimized to keep you scrolling. It doesn't have to be that way. I've found something much better, and I'm inviting you to come join me.







In other news: Ticketmaster breach leaks data on half a billion users; the iOS bug that resurrected deleted photos explained; GPT-4 can write working malware based only on CVE bug descriptions; Slack customers upset to learn that their data was being used to train AI systems; WiFi location service can be used to track mobile routers; police are trialing new devices that can track and identify you based on multiple electronic signals; new Windows AI feature records everything you do on your PC; Microsoft rolling out welcome changes to admin privilege use; Google adding several privacy and security features to Android 15; and iVerify how has an Android app.







Article Links









[Mashable] Ticketmaster hacked. Breach affects more than half a billion users. https://mashable.com/article/ticketmaster-data-breach-shinyhunters-hack







[9to5Mac] Security Bite: Here’s the iOS 17.5 bug that resurfaced deleted photos https://9to5mac.com/2024/05/26/security-bite-heres-the-ios-17-5-bug-that-resurfaced-deleted-photos/







[Dark Reading] GPT-4 Can Exploit Most Vulns Just by Reading Threat Advisories https://www.darkreading.com/threat-intelligence/gpt-4-can-exploit-most-vulns-just-by-reading-threat-advisories







[securityweek.com] User Outcry as Slack Scrapes Customer Data for AI Model Training https://www.securityweek.com/user-outcry-as-slack-scrapes-customer-data-for-ai-model-training/







[9to5Mac] Apple Location Services vulnerability can enable troop movements to be tracked https://9to5mac.com/2024/05/24/apple-location-services-vulnerability/







[Forbes] New Police Tech Can Detect Phones, Pet Trackers And Library Books In A Moving Car https://www.forbes.com/sites/thomasbrewster/2024/05/14/police-car-surveillance-tech-uncovers-phones-pet-trackers-and-library-books/







[Ars Technica] New Windows AI feature records everything you’ve done on your PC https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/microsofts-new-recall-feature-will-record-everything-you-do-on-your-pc/







[PCWorld] Microsoft battens security hatches on Windows admin accounts https://www.pcworld.com/article/2344405/microsoft-battens-security-hatches-on-oft-used-windows-admin-accounts.html







[Lifehacker] Google Is Rolling Out Some Great Privacy Features to Android This Year https://lifehacker.com/tech/google-is-rolling-out-some-great-privacy-features-with-android-15







[iverify.io] iVerify Basic is now on Android! https://www.iverify.io/post/iverify-basic-is-now-on-android







Tip of the Week: Move to Mastodon https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-move-to-mastodon/ 









Further Info









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.

Our privacy has never been more threatened. While some of us are vaguely aware of this, most of the rampant data collection and sharing is completely opaque. And the consequences are more dire than most of us realize. We can't afford to be complacent. We need to push back, to ask questions, and make better choices. Privacy-respecting apps and services do exist today. Making a deliberate and overt decision to use them will force the market (and our elected representatives) to take notice. My guest Naomi Brockwell from NBTV will make a compelling case for privacy and reclaiming control of our data, including several top notch tips for doing so.







Interview Notes









Naomi Brockwell’s NBTV: https://www.nbtv.media/  







A World Without Privacy: https://www.nbtv.media/episodes/a-world-without-privacy 







A Beginner’s Introduction to Privacy: https://www.amazon.com/Beginners-Introduction-Privacy-Naomi-Brockwell-ebook/dp/B0BQHS8MFS 







Who can access your car remotely? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ff9pmaSdZV8 







Naomi Brockwell on All Things Secured: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D0WjIWBQEBM 







Michael Bazzell’s Extreme Privacy resources: https://inteltechniques.com/links.html 







Try Proton! https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/its-time-to-try-proton/ 







Try Signal! https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-switch-to-signal/ 









Further Info









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 







Generate secure passphrases! https://d20key.com/#/ 









Table of Contents







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









0:02:58: How did you become a privacy evangelist?







0:06:51: What are some of the most mind-blowing ways we leak personal data?







0:09:56: What were some of Orwell's most prescient predictions in 1984?







0:15:49: How is surveillance different in real life from 1984?







0:22:23: How does data collection skew the power balance between citizens and authorities?







0:26:36: How do you counter the "I have nothing to hide" argument?







0:29:55: Why is it so important to normalize the use of privacy tools?







0:33:46: What changes do you recommend and what are the impacts for making them?







0:45:48: If you've given away tons of personal data already, is it too late?







0:50:07: What can we do to push vendors to respect our privacy more?







0:57:49: What's the future of privacy look like?







1:00:15: Post-interview notes







1:06:11: Looking ahead

Security experts talk at length about how to choose a good password - but we don't often talk about how to choose a good PIN code. A recent analysis by a researcher shows popular patterns humans use when choosing PIN codes, and therefore what you should avoid doing.







In the news: MediSecure e-Rx firm hit by data breach; CISA warns of active D-Link router exploit; a couple cases of insecure APIs being abused; 53k Nissan employees' SSN's leaked; new macOS malware called Cuckoo; Ascension Healthcare suffers cyberattack; Proton user's poor OpSec gives him away; TunnelVision VPN attack exploits DHCP feature; Maryland & Vermont pass data privacy laws; tracker detection feature debuts on iPhone & Android.







Article Links









[BleepingComputer] MediSecure e-script firm hit by ‘large-scale’ data breach https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/medisecure-e-script-firm-hit-by-large-scale-ransomware-data-breach/







[The Hacker News] CISA Warns of Actively Exploited D-Link Router Vulnerabilities https://thehackernews.com/2024/05/cisa-warns-of-actively-exploited-d-link.html







[Ars Technica] How I upgraded my water heater and discovered how bad smart home security can be https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2024/05/how-i-upgraded-my-water-heater-and-discovered-how-bad-smart-home-security-can-be/







[BleepingComputer] Dell API abused to steal 49 million customer records in data breach https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/security/dell-api-abused-to-steal-49-million-customer-records-in-data-breach/







[infosecurity-magazine.com] 53,000 Nissan Employees' Social Security Numbers Exposed https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/employees-social-security-nissan/







[Tom's Guide] New Cuckoo macOS malware can take over all Macs and steal your passwords https://www.tomsguide.com/computing/malware-adware/new-cuckoo-macos-malware-can-take-over-all-macs-and-steals-your-passwords-too-dont-fall-for-this







[Dark Reading] Ascension Healthcare Suffers Major Cyberattack https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/ascension-healthcare-hit-by-cyberattack







[restoreprivacy.com] Proton Mail Discloses User Data Leading to Arrest in Spain https://restoreprivacy.com/protonmail-discloses-user-data-leading-to-arrest-in-spain/







[Ars Technica] Novel attack against virtually all VPN apps neuters their entire purpose https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/05/novel-attack-against-virtually-all-vpn-apps-neuters-their-entire-purpose/







[mullvad.net] Evaluating the impact of TunnelVision https://mullvad.net/en/blog/evaluating-the-impact-of-tunnelvision







[epic.org] Vermont Passes Landmark Data Privacy Bill https://epic.org/vermont-passes-landmark-data-privacy-bill/







[epic.org] Governor Moore Signs Maryland Online Data Privacy Act https://epic.org/governor-moore-signs-maryland-online-data-privacy-act/







[9to5Mac] Here’s how the new Cross-Platform Tracking Detection works https://9to5mac.com/2024/05/13/cross-platform-tracking-detection-ios-17-5/







Tip of the Week: How to Choose a PIN https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/how-to-choose-a-pin/ 









Further Info









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 

Russia has been hacking Ukraine for at least a decade now, but since the invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022, the cyber war has changed. Instead of being a tactical element, cyber war is now a full-fledged strategic aspect of the conflict, on both sides. At the outset, Ukraine put out an official call to enlist cyber warriors from around the globe to their cause in what's been called the IT Army of Ukraine. Today we'll look at how this group was formed, how it operates, and what we should all be learning from what's happening there. My guest is Dina Temple-Raston from The Record, the Click Here Podcast, and formerly NPR.







Interview Notes









Dina Temple-Raston at The Record: https://therecord.media/author/dina-temple-raston 







Click Here podcast: https://therecord.media/podcast 







Click Here, Episode 98: “Lessons from the world's first hybrid war”: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/click-here/id1225077306?i=1000639045741 







NPR’s I’ll Be Seeing You: https://www.npr.org/series/760566025/ill-be-seeing-you 







Operation Glowing Symphony: https://www.npr.org/2019/09/26/763545811/how-the-u-s-hacked-isis 









Further Info









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.









0:04:50: How did you get into covering cybersecurity and cyber warfare?







0:06:48: When and how did Russian cyber attacks begin in Ukraine?







0:15:40: What is the IT Army of Ukraine and what is its origin?







0:20:47: Have we seen other cyberwar volunteer organizations?







0:23:05: How are information and communications being utilized by the IT Army?







0:26:53: How has Russia responded to this?







0:28:34: How are IT Army members recruited and vetted?







0:30:17: How are objectives coordinated?







0:31:20: Where are IT Army members coming from?







0:32:03: Do we know if Western military members are participating in the IT Army?







0:36:30: What are the military lessons to be learned here?







0:42:11: What should civilians be learning from all of this?







0:46:01: What's next for you and Click Here?







0:47:14: Wrap-up and looking ahead

Google's Chrome browser has dominated the planet - both on desktop computers and mobile devices. Furthermore, many other popular web browsers are actually based on the same Google-made Chromium browser engine, including Microsoft Edge and Brave Browser. This gives Google an inordinate amount of influence on web standards, in particular preventing better privacy protections. We need to support privacy-forward alternatives lest they disappear.







In other news: US passes expanded mass surveillance policies instead of curbing them; TikTok ban bill becomes law giving Bytedance a year to sell it; UK's Investigatory Powers Bill amendment passes; photo-sharing app will use users' uploaded images to train AI; Health insurers Kaiser and Change Healthcare are hacked; antivirus software service installs malware on user's systems; FCC fines telecom's $200M; CISA director pushes for vendor accountability; CISA's proactive protection programs are making positive impacts; UK becomes first country to enforce strong and strict IoT security requirements; net neutrality is back; Google again delays killing third party cookies.







Article Links









[Electronic Frontier Foundation] U.S. Senate and Biden Administration Shamefully Renew and Expand FISA Section 702, Ushering in a Two Year Expansion of Unconstitutional Mass Surveillance https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2024/04/us-senate-and-biden-administration-shamefully-renew-and-expand-fisa-section-702-0







[TechCrunch] Biden signs bill that would ban TikTok if ByteDance fails to sell the app https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/24/biden-signs-bill-that-would-ban-tiktok-if-bytedance-fails-to-sell-the-app/







[theregister.com] UK's Investigatory Powers Bill to become law despite tech world opposition https://www.theregister.com/2024/04/26/investigatory_powers_bill/







[TechCrunch] Photo-sharing community EyeEm will license users photos to train AI if they don’t delete them https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/26/photo-sharing-community-eyeem-will-license-users-photos-to-train-ai-if-they-dont-delete-them/







[TechCrunch] Health insurance giant Kaiser notifies millions of a data breach https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/25/kaiser-permanente-health-plan-millions-data-breach/







[TechCrunch] Change Healthcare hackers broke in using stolen credentials — and no MFA, says UHG CEO https://techcrunch.com/2024/04/30/uhg-change-healthcare-ransomware-compromised-credentials-mfa/







[Ars Technica] Hackers infect users of antivirus service that delivered updates over HTTP https://arstechnica.com/security/2024/04/hackers-infect-users-of-antivirus-service-that-delivered-updates-over-http/







[BleepingComputer] FCC fines carriers $200 million for illegally sharing user location https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/news/technology/fcc-fines-carriers-200-million-for-illegally-sharing-user-location/







[cybersecuritydive.com] CISA director pushes for vendor accountability and less emphasis on victims’ errors https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/cisa-highlights-vendors-errors/714300/







[therecord.media] More than 800 vulnerabilities resolved through CISA ransomware notification pilot https://therecord.media/vulnerabilities-resolved-through-cisa-pilot







[therecord.media] UK becomes first country to ban default bad passwords on IoT devices https://therecord.media/united-kingdom-bans-defalt-passwords-iot-devices







[WIRED] Net Neutrality Returns to a Very Different Internet https://www.wired.com/story/fcc-net-neutrality-rules-vote/







[Ars Technica] Google delays third-party cookie death again: Now scheduled for 2025 https://arstechnica.