Firewalls Don't Stop Dragons Podcast

Over the last 2-3 months, large software makers such as Microsoft have been releasing tons of fixes for vulnerabilities in their apps and operating systems. Did their software suddenly get a lot worse? No. They’re using the latest AI tools to find these bugs that humans missed and that have been lurking in their software for months or even years – and they’re fixing them. That’s great news… but these fixes won’t do you any good unless you install them. Bad guys are using these same tools to exploit these bugs. There’s never been a better time to update all your devices’ software.

In other news: a hidden car device leaves many cars vulnerable to hacking; most fitness wearables don’t encrypt users’ data end-to-end; Iran is tracking US military phones; CBP accuses citizen of wiping phone using “duress” password; US says Iran is hacking critical infrastructure; US also warns that Russia and China are hacking small office routers; US judge denies broad “stringray” warrant in Ohio; LG to ban proxy apps on their TVs; Maine librarians teach patrons how to remove AI features.

Article Links

A Device Hidden in Cars Across the US Leaves Them Vulnerable to Hacking and Paralysis. Patch It Now: https://www.wired.com/story/a-device-hidden-in-cars-across-the-us-leaves-them-vulnerable-to-hacking-and-paralysis-patch-it-now

Most fitness wearables lack end-to-end encryption and don’t disclose government data demands, says EFF: https://this.weekinsecurity.com/most-fitness-wearables-lack-end-to-end-encryption-and-lack-transparency-reports

Financial Times: US military smartphones targeted through roaming and ad tech: https://harrigan.house.gov/media/in-the-news/financial-times-us-military-smartphones-targeted-through-roaming-and-ad-tech

US accuses American of allegedly wiping his phone using a ‘duress’ password during border search: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/24/us-accuses-american-of-allegedly-wiping-his-phone-using-a-duress-password-during-border-search

US government says Iran-linked hackers are disrupting American water and energy providers: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/23/us-government-says-iran-linked-hackers-are-disrupting-american-water-and-energy-providers

The US government warns that Russia state hackers are coming after your router: https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/07/the-us-government-warns-that-russia-state-hackers-are-coming-after-your-router

U.S. judge denied feds a month-long warrant to snoop on the phones of thousands of Ohio residents: https://this.weekinsecurity.com/us-judge-denied-feds-month-long-warrant-to-snoop-on-the-phones-of-thousands-of-ohio-residents

LG to Ban Residential Proxies from Smart TV Apps: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/07/lg-to-ban-residential-proxies-from-smart-tv-apps

These Maine librarians are helping patrons resist AI and Big Tech: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/07/02/midcoast/midcoast-culture/maine-librarians-are-helping-patrons-resist-ai-joam40zk0w

Tip of the Week: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/update-all-the-things/ 

Further Info

Digital Citizen, Phase 1: https://fdsd.me/phase1 

Countdown to FDSD500!! https://fdsd500.com 

Get your FDSD500 merch!! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Zero-Day documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5446858/ 

EFF’s Rayhunter: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/03/meet-rayhunter-new-open-source-tool-eff-detect-cellular-spying 

This Week in Security: https://this.weekinsecurity.com/ 

My book: https://fdsd.me/book 

My newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Table of Contents

0:00:07: Intro

0:00:25: Phase 1 reminder

0:04:09: Quick news bites

0:05:54: News rundown

0:07:35: Hidden card device vulnerable to hacks

0:15:00: Most fitness wearables lack E2EE

0:19:19: Iran tracking military smartphones

0:26:58: US accuses citizen of wiping phone with “duress” password

0:33:15: US Gov’t claims Iran attaching infrastructure

0:38:03: Russia attacking US routers

0:42:37: Judge denies “Stingray” warrant

0:49:09: LG TV to ban proxy network apps

0:53:57: Maine librarians help patrons remove AI

1:00:54: Tip of the Week

1:10:18: Reminders

1:11:17: Patron podcast preview

1:11:49: Looking ahead

With modern AI tools, how do we know which images and videos are real and which ones are generated? Wouldn’t it be helpful to have some digitally verifiable way to tell where something came from and whether it has been altered? Turns out, that technology already exists. It’s open and free to use, and it’s supported by many technology companies. I’ll be digging into all the details of the Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity (C2PA) with Jacobo Castellanos from Witness.org.

Interview Notes

Jacobo Castellanos: https://www.witness.org/portfolio_page/jacobo-castellanos/ 

Witness: https://witness.org 

Coalition for Content Provenance and Authenticity: https://c2pa.org/ 

Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI): https://contentauthenticity.org/ 

Content Credentials explainer: https://www.linkedin.com/help/linkedin/answer/a6282984 

The Guardian Project: https://guardianproject.info/ 

Creator Assertions Working Group: https://cawg.io/ 

ProofMode tool: https://proofmode.org/ 

C2PA Content Credentials and the Surveillance Risk: https://library.witness.org/product/c2pa-privacy/ 

How C2PA works: https://contentauthenticity.org/how-it-works 

Further Info

Digital Citizen, Phase 1: https://fdsd.me/phase1 

Countdown to FDSD500!! https://fdsd500.com 

Get your FDSD500 merch!! https://fdsd.me/merch 

My book: https://fdsd.me/book 

My newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Table of Contents

0:00:13: Intro

0:01:17: Interview prep

0:02:39: Lingo

0:04:10: What is Witness.org?

0:06:22: What is the purpose of C2PA?

0:09:26: How does C2PA work?

0:17:28: Is C2PA embedded in our devices, too?

0:19:57: Are there fees or licensing required to use C2PA?

0:22:41: Does C2PA info include creator information?

0:26:41: As a user, how do I experience C2PA info?

0:30:54: Can C2PA be used to undo changes?

0:32:46: What are C2PA’s limitations?

0:38:36: Does C2PA report data to third parties?

0:41:07: Could C2PA be used to limit information?

0:45:27: Can C2PA info be removed? Reattached?

0:48:35: Is here a global C2PA content registry?

0:49:53: How do certificate authorities work?

0:53:37: Are any laws requiring provenance info?

0:56:56: How can we get involved?

0:59:15: How do we re-establish trust in our news?

1:02:27: Wrap-up

1:03:39: Patron podcast preview

1:05:23: Reminder for Phase 1

1:05:47: Looking ahead

It’s time to start the official countdown to my 500th podcast episode! I’ve been publishing a podcast every single week for over nine years now, which is a rather amazing accomplishment (if I do say so myself). But the entire purpose of the podcast – as well as my book and my blog – has been to try to improve the security and privacy of as many people as possible. So to celebrate this momentous occasion, I’m going to be conducting an experiment to figure out the most effective way to protect our data and devices. And I’m going to need your help.

In the news: Chat Control 1.0 has been resurrected in the EU; Apple’s Hide My Email is failing to do so; Meta patents a new, creepy wearable device; The Intercept’s Signal account was taken over for months; Papa Johns wants to know when your fridge is empty; Opera Browser has a new feature to combat ClickFix attacks; Google disrupted a residential proxy network; John Deere has been forced to support third party repairs; and the Supreme Court further protected our device location history.

Article Links

Chat Control 1.0 sneaks through the EU Parliament: https://www.tomshardware.com/tech-industry/cyber-security/chat-control-1-0-sneaks-through-the-eu-parliament-letting-companies-scan-user-data-without-warrants-legal-tactic-used-to-force-a-majority-required-re-vote-on-eve-of-parliament-break

Apple Hide My Email bug allows 100% of real email addresses to be discovered: https://9to5mac.com/2026/07/01/apple-hide-my-email-bug-seemingly-allows-100-of-real-email-addresses-to-be-discovered

Meta Patents AI Device That Tracks Your Emotions, Watches You Take Your Meds: https://www.404media.co/meta-patents-ai-device-that-tracks-your-emotions-watches-you-take-your-meds

The Intercept’s Signal tipline username was hijacked for months: https://cyberinsider.com/the-intercepts-signal-tipline-username-was-hijacked-for-months

Papa Johns Can Predict When Your Fridge Is Empty: https://www.adexchanger.com/?p=461783

Opera’s new security feature stops copy paste attacks from malicious websites – Engadget: https://www.engadget.com/2206574/opera-new-security-feature-stops-copy-paste-clickfix-attacks

Google Disrupts NetNut Residential Proxy Network Spanning 2 Million Home Devices: https://thehackernews.com/2026/07/google-disrupts-netnut-residential.html

The Deere Dam Just Broke: FTC Settlement Empowers Farmers Right To Repair: https://fighttorepair.substack.com/p/the-deere-dam-just-broke-ftc-settlement

Justices rule that cellphone location histories are protected by the Fourth Amendment: https://therecord.media/supreme-court-geofencing-ruling-fourth-amendment

Tip of the Week: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/celebrating-500-episodes/ 

Further Info

Countdown to FDSD500!! https://fdsd500.com 

Get your FDSD500 merch!! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Hacking the water supply: https://www.wired.com/story/what-happens-if-china-hacks-the-us-water-supply-war-game-volt-typhoon 

My book: https://fdsd.me/book 

My newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support 

Table of Contents

0:00:07: Intro

0:01:07: Quick headlines

0:03:18: News rundown

0:04:40: Chat Control 1.0 is back

0:09:27: Apple Hide My Email exposes real address

0:13:15: New creepy Meta patent

0:19:16: Intercept loses Signal account

0:23:52: Papa Johns knows when your fridge is empty

0:27:54: Opera implement ClickFix protections

0:32:49: Google foils residential proxy maker

0:38:23: John Deere forced to allow user repairs

0:41:06: SCOTUS restricts location data, again

0:46:04: Tip of the Week

0:53:17: Wrap-up

0:55:01: Hacker summer camp

0:55:42: Patron podcast preview

0:56:13: Looking ahead

Our Constitutional rights were written without any concept of modern technology such as cell phones and the internet. Much of our privacy laws are still geared towards the pre-digital age. Even though the internet is many decades old now, the era of traveling with smartphones and laptops is still relatively new and the laws around privacy have not kept up. Today I’ll be speaking with Nathan Freed Wessler from the ACLU about device searches, particularly at the US border. We’ll also talk about how cases relating to location tracking have evolved since the landmark Carpenter case that Nate successfully argued in front of the Supreme Court almost 10 years ago now.

Interview Notes

ACLU: https://aclu.org/ 

Nate Wessler: https://www.aclu.org/bios/nathan-freed-wessler 

My first interview with Nate: https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2022/08/01/now-place-left-to-hide/

ACLU facial recognition suit: https://reason.com/2026/06/11/aclu-sues-after-facial-recognition-falsely-identifies-florida-man-as-a-child-abductor/ 

Travel Insecurity: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/border-insecurity/ 

Further Info

My book: https://fdsd.me/book 

My newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Support the mission: https://fdsd.me/support 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Table of Contents

0:00:12: Intro

0:02:37: What makes border searches different, legally?

0:08:15: What is the 100 mile rule?

0:12:42: How do digital searches differ from physical?

0:19:26: What is digital contraband?

0:23:33: How does ‘in plain site’ work on a phone?

0:26:29: How has the Carpenter decision held up?

0:32:59: Should Carpenter apply to ALPRs?

0:41:29: How does AI complicate matters?

0:47:11: How should we prepare for border searches?

0:59:49: What about privileged or corporate data?

1:03:33: Can I lock my device before I hand it over?

1:05:30: What’s next for you and the ACLU?

1:08:36: Wrap up

1:11:01: Patron podcast preview

1:11:27: Looking ahead

With the 500th podcast and America’s 250th anniversary approaching, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about how we can be better digital neighbors and digital citizens. We’re all in this together. Your security and privacy overlaps the security and privacy of many others. It’s important to improve our own situation, but we need to also realize that failing to do so can put others at risk who may be more vulnerable and have more to lose that we do.

In the news: massive Fortinet breach; feds recover activists’ Signal messages; Visa partners with ChatGPT for agentic purchases; Anthropic models banned for export; US shortens cyber fix window to 3 days; EPIC endorses two new privacy bills; Canada’s spy agency hacks devices to clean out botnet; nearly half of LG smart TVs apps contain proxy SDKs; EFF calls out Amazon for shady Android devices containing proxies.

Article Links

Massive breach spills credentials for thousands of sensitive networks: https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/06/massive-breach-spills-credentials-for-thousands-of-sensitive-networks

How Did the Feds Get Into Anti-ICE Activists’ Signal Messages?: https://theintercept.com/2026/06/17/signal-messages-minneapolis-ice-protests

Visa plugs its payment network into ChatGPT, letting AI agents shop and pay for users: https://apnews.com/article/visa-chatgpt-openai-shopping-mastercard-d769dec86344cb4977c98789e8ec492f

The Fable 5 Export Controls Harm US Cyber Defense: https://www.lutasecurity.com/post/the-fable-5-export-controls-harm-us-cyber-defense

US shortens cyber fix window to three days as AI threats rise: https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/us-shortens-cyber-fix-window-three-days-ai-threats-rise-2026-06-10

EPIC Endorses Federal Bills Barring Worker Surveillance, Automated Workplace Decisions: https://epic.org/epic-endorses-federal-bills-barring-worker-surveillance-automated-workplace-decisions

Canada’s Spy Agency Used First-of-Its-Kind Warrant to Clean Botnet-Infected Devices: https://thehackernews.com/2026/06/canadas-spy-agency-used-first-of-its.html

Nearly Half of LG Smart TV Apps Contain Residential Proxy SDKs: https://spur.us/blog/smart-tv-apps-residential-proxy-sdks

Primed for Malware: Stop Selling Compromised Android Devices: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2026/06/primed-malware-stop-selling-compromised-android-devices

Tip of the Week: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/we-can-do-this/ 

Further Info

Loupe app (Mysk): https://apps.apple.com/us/app/loupe-what-apps-can-see/id6766152470 

Loupe app overview (Techlore): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_n_SpEWtqog 

Free Fable petition: https://freefable.org/ 

My book: https://fdsd.me/book 

My newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter 

Support our mission! https://fdsd.me/support 

Give the gift of privacy and security: https://fdsd.me/coupons 

Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! https://fdsd.me/merch 

Table of Contents

0:00:07: Intro

0:00:23: Quick news bits

0:02:46: News rundown

0:05:01: Massive Fortinet breach

0:12:27: Signal data security limits

0:17:58: Visa integrates with ChatGPT

0:23:01: Free Fable

0:30:35: US shortens cyber fix window

0:32:25: New federal privacy bills

0:35:18: Canada spy agency cleans up botnet

0:40:34: Shady Samsung TV apps

0:50:10: EFF on Android proxy devices

0:55:57: Tip of the Week

1:03:02: Patron podcast preview

1:03:27: Looking ahead