Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast

Do you have a “smart” TV? Or an Internet-connected baby monitor? Then you are a part of the Internet of Things (IoT)! Welcome to the world of everyday devices being connected to the network, allowing you to change the temperature of your home while traveling, check up on your dogs from work, and have a Bluetooth speaker that can also fetch tomorrow’s weather forecast. While there are lots of great...

Summer is upon us and for many of us that means travel - but before you even pack your bags, you need to listen to this podcast! In my second interview with Michael Kaiser (the Executive Director of the National Cyber Security Alliance), we discuss all the cyber security and privacy issues you need to consider: before you go and while you’re traveling. Going abroad this summer? There are even more...

The WannaCry virus hit over 200,000 computers in over 150 countries in a matter of days. While WannaCry spread quickly, it had some fatal flaws that prevented it from doing a lot more damage. However, these flaws will soon be fixed - Round 2 of this virus is already upon us. I speak with Michael Kaiser from the National Cyber Security Alliance to find the lessons we need to learn and what we need...

The WannaCry ransomware worm spread across the planet is a matter of hours, infecting over 200,000 computers in just a matter of hours - this included hospitals in the UK, phone service in Spain, and even a Russian ministry. The malware was stopped dead by one security researcher who basically got lucky. In today’s show, I will explain what WannaCry is and how to ensure that you are protected agai...

This week I’ll tell you why you should not be using Microsoft’s Edge Browser, how to find out if you were bitten by a very clever Google Docs phishing scheme, and why you can’t believe every voice you hear. Along the way, I’ll give you my recommendations on the best web browser to use as well as how to revoke permissions you may have granted to Twitter, Facebook and Google over the years that may...

Would you write banking information, passwords, private conversation or any sensitive data on the back of a postcard? Sounds like a silly question perhaps - but this is the equivalency of writing private information in your public emails. Your emails are NOT secure. Today I'm going to help you understand the options available to you so you don't get caught with your drawbridge down! I have an insi...

The Shadow Brokers have dumped a treasure trove of NSA secret hacking tools, proving that even the best secret-keepers in the country can’t always prevent info from leaking. Is it better for intelligence agencies to hoard software vulnerabilities for use against others, or to report those vulnerabilities so they can be fixed? I delve into this topic in detail, exploring the pros and cons. What if...

This week I talk with Chris Romeo on why humans are so horribly bad at picking good passwords and why this invariably makes you vulnerable to hacking. We discuss password managers and how to create the one and only password you should ever need. Along the way, we’ll explain things like two-factor authentication, how often you should be changing your passwords, and how to make sure your accounts ca...

This week I discuss the stunning repeal of Internet privacy provisions with Ernesto Falcon from the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Congress narrowly passed a bill that would not only toss out the regulations that would have given consumers much-needed transparency and choice in how their web surfing data is collected and used, but also would effectively prevent any further regulations from being...

What are your rights at the border? It depends on your immigration status, and even US citizens will not enjoy their usual Constitutional rights in this situation. This is an important topic that should not be overlooked. I have a insightful and revealing discussion with Adam Schwartz from the Electronic Frontier Foundation about the recent escalation in US border searches of electronic devices. W...

WikiLeaks dumped almost 9000 pages of secret CIA documents on the web for all to see, detailing dozens of secret hacking tools and techniques. What does this all mean for you and me? In this week’s interview, I speak with Daniel Davis from the privacy-preserving web search engine company DuckDuckGo. We discuss how crafty marketing services are attempting to track everywhere you go on the web in an...

“Phishing” is one of the most common and most effective ways for the bad guys to get your passwords or credit card information. In this episode, I’ll be discussing this classic hacking tactic that has grown by leaps and bounds in just the last year - one report said phishing attacks grew over 250% in the first quarter of 2016 alone. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson recently said that “th...

The media was once again telling everyone to light their hair on fire over the latest web bug that threatens to expose all of our private information - a bug they called CloudBleed. In this show, I use this particular web vulnerability to discuss how the media so often gets the reporting on these things totally wrong. In today’s world, where every headline is dire and begs to be clicked on, the ph...