Privacy Files

In the United States, fraud and identity theft together result in tens of billions of dollars in losses annually.

Contributing to this growing problem is the continued use of usernames and passwords stored in giant, centralized databases owned by large companies. These databases are often the target of hacking attacks. And this stolen data finds its way into marketplaces on the dark web.

The good news is, there's a better way and it's being put to the test now.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we welcome back Anonyome Labs CTO, Dr. Paul Ashley.

Dr. Ashley provides an update on the topic of decentralized identity and how companies are using blockchain technology to develop reusable credentials, sometimes referred to as reusable digital identity.

So much has happened in the world of decentralized identity since Dr. Ashley last appeared on Privacy Files.

Many industries are now exploring ways to implement reusable credentials as a way to reduce fraud and improve the customer experience. From banking and healthcare to insurance and cybersecurity, industry leaders are pioneering the transformation of the way businesses secure information and protect their clients.

Dr. Ashley covers many examples of how the concept of reusable credentials can work and proves that the best use case for blockchain technology is not cryptocurrency, but data verification.

A future where clunky usernames and passwords are a thing of the past is just around the corner.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

When it comes to data privacy, the legal and regulatory environment is changing faster than ever.

While in the United States, no federal privacy law exists, there's a growing sentiment from those who are watching closely that things are about to change.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we talk to privacy law attorney Alan Chapell. Alan is the Founder of Chapell & Associates, a legal consulting firm that helps digital media companies navigate the challenges associated with regulations, public policy and the overall marketplace as it relates to privacy.

From serving as Chief Privacy Officer for startups to transitioning into a general counsel role for more established organizations, Alan's primary goal is to help companies maximize opportunities while avoiding the major pitfalls.

Alan is also the Chief Analyst and Publisher of The Chapell Report, a monthly research report focusing on the most important topics pertaining to digital media and privacy.

To learn more about The Chapell Report:

https://thisischapell.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/The-Chapell-Report-one-page-description-041821.pdf

In this interview, Alan reflects on the significant changes that have taken place over the last twenty years in the digital media industry.

We talk about the impact that artificial intelligence (AI) is having on digital media and privacy.

Alan has consulted in more than 25 bankruptcy cases, including General Motors, Chrysler, Eddie Bauer, Atari and St. Vincent’s hospitals. Related to this topic, we discuss a little about the dangers involved with mergers and acquisitions and why it so critical for companies to conduct their due diligence before finalizing any agreements to ensure the company will be compliant with privacy laws and regulations.

Alan is also a professional musician and talks about how his career in music inspired him to help the digital media industry raise its game in the privacy arena.

To learn more about Alan's music:

https://thisischapell.com/

To learn more about Chapell & Associates:k

https://chapellassociates.com/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Ever since the release of OpenAI's ChatGPT in November 2022, artificial intelligence (AI) has dominated the news.

AI is bringing a level of realism and human-like behavior to technology that just two years ago would have been considered unthinkable.

But AI is also introducing new data privacy concerns.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we examine the rising phenomenon of romantic AI chatbots and what these applications are doing with your personal data.

Colin from Anonyome Lab's Security & Compliance team joined Rich to discuss the findings of the Mozilla Foundation's review of 11 romantic AI chatbots. Each one received Mozilla's notorious warning label "Privacy Not Included."

Only one of the chatbot apps confirmed in their privacy policy that they don't share or sell personal data.

Half of the chatbots reviewed won't even allow you to delete your personal data.

64% of the apps were not clear about encryption technology and whether or not they employ it.

Overall, it's an interesting look into yet another AI-spawned industry where the security of personal data might not be a top priority.

Links Referenced:

https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/happy-valentines-day-romantic-ai-chatbots-dont-have-your-privacy-at-heart/

https://www.bbc.com/news/technology-67012224

https://www.reuters.com/technology/what-happens-when-your-ai-chatbot-stops-loving-you-back-2023-03-18/

https://www.vice.com/en/article/pkadgm/man-dies-by-suicide-after-talking-with-ai-chatbot-widow-says

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

On this show, we have talked quite a bit about the red hot cybersecurity industry. Companies can't fill open positions fast enough.

Globally, cybersecurity spending exceeds $200 billion.

But there's a small problem. You might call it a cybersecurity paradox.

Despite companies spending more than ever on cybersecurity, companies are also losing data more than ever.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we talk to Richard Hollis, a 35-year veteran of the cybersecurity industry.

Richard works at Risk Crew, a London-based cyber risk management consulting firm that strengthens companies' cybersecurity defenses through ethical hacking and information security awareness programs.

Overall, Richard believes the cybersecurity industry has failed to accomplish its mission, citing how companies around the world are collectively losing on average 20 million personal records every single day.

Over the last five years globally, companies have lost the records of more than 17 billion people.

These are staggering numbers.

We talk about some of the reasons the cybersecurity industry is failing, including looking at the largest incentive not to protect personal data: the desire to make money from it.

Richard brings a very refreshing perspective to the cybersecurity discussion, believing that companies should start viewing this from an individual privacy perspective.

To learn more about Richard Hollis:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/riskexpertrichardhollis/

To learn more about Risk Crew:

https://www.riskcrew.com/

Links Referenced:

https://www.cybersecuritydive.com/news/cybersecurity-spending-increase-idc/645338/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

The rapid rise of artificial intelligence (AI) is bringing great promise to the world in the form of increased productivity and a better quality of life.

However, as with any new technology, there are people who look to leverage it for nefarious purposes.

Deepfakes are seemingly everywhere now. And while some are being used for humor or general entertainment, many deepfakes are being used to inflict harm.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we welcome Anonyome Labs CFO Naomi Rule to the studio to discuss the challenges facing corporate accounting and finance teams in the face of AI advances, real-time deepfakes and harder-to-detect scams.

We kick of the conversation with the deepfake CFO story that cost one multinational company more than $25 million.

Naomi discusses how thorough processes can help accounting teams thwart the best efforts of sophisticated fraudsters.

We look at how corporations can prepare themselves for increasingly more realistic deepfakes.

In the latter part of the episode, we talk about how AI can positively impact corporate accounting and finance teams in the near future.

With AI technology evolving faster than the legal landscape, it's critical that companies stay abreast of new developments. Otherwise, organizations could be unknowingly sharing sensitive and proprietary information with the world.

Links Referenced:

https://www.cfo.com/news/deepfake-cfo-hong-kong-25-million-fraud-cyber-crime/706529/

https://www.cfo.com/news/cyber-fraud-2023-survey-trustpair/705928/

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/law-and-crime/article/3250851/everyone-looked-real-multinational-firms-hong-kong-office-loses-hk200-million-after-scammers-stage

https://www.cfo.com/spons/the-hidden-hazard-how-fraud-is-impacting-fleets-bottom-line/707818/

https://www.cfo.com/trendline/artificial-intelligence-AI-finance/415/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Web3, or Web 3.0, is a new vision for the World Wide Web where the user is in control. While Web3 has been called many things, there's no doubt that its architecture enables for the democratization of the web.

The key concepts of Web3 include decentralization, blockchain technologies and token-based economies.

While the pervasiveness of fraud in cryptocurrency has tarnished the image of Web3, decentralization continues to be the greatest promise emanating from the emerging technologies of this new paradigm.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we talk to Daniel Harris, the Founder and CEO of Kendraio, an independent nonprofit research project, building free, open-source software with data privacy and autonomy at its core.

For the majority of this interview, we discuss the Kendraio app, a highly customizable, no-code environment to explore how people can interact with technology with more personal control.

The Kendraio app's focus is on user-centric design, data portability, privacy, interoperability, and user-configurable interfaces.

It's a revolutionary app that gives users control over their data, the process and the interface.

We also talk to Daniel about his thoughts on today's battle for individual privacy.

To learn more about Daniel:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dahacouk/

To learn more about Kendraio:

https://www.kendra.io/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

With large data breaches making headline news nearly every week, cybersecurity is a hot topic.

Recently, AT&T discovered the personal information of more than 70 million current and former customers being sold on the Dark Web.

Compounding this is the fact that it takes on average nearly seven months for a corporate security and compliance team to even identity that a data breach occurred in the first place.

With the average cost of a data breach in the United States hitting $10 million per incident, companies are spending more than ever to defend against cyber attacks.

However, despite this, the number of data breaches happening today has never been higher.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we talk to Elvis Moreland, a Virtual Chief Information Security Officer at Blue Cyren. Elvis has an extensive background helping some of the largest companies in the world with their cybersecurity, and Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC) strategies.

We talk a lot about the importance of implementing strong GRC frameworks and how cybersecurity tools alone are not enough to protect people, systems and data.

With the recent AT&T and Change Healthcare data breaches making the news, we analyze what happened and how these can be prevented in the future.

Elvis also talks about the risks of not conducting the proper due diligence during mergers and acquisitions, and how this can significantly increase a company's exposure to a data breach.

Overall, Elvis provides great insight into how corporations approach cybersecurity and GRC, and how his decades of experience has impacted the way he handles his own personal data.

Links Referenced:

https://www.mckinsey.com/capabilities/risk-and-resilience/our-insights/cybersecurity/new-survey-reveals-2-trillion-dollar-market-opportunity-for-cybersecurity-technology-and-service-providers

https://www.statista.com/statistics/273550/data-breaches-recorded-in-the-united-states-by-number-of-breaches-and-records-exposed/

https://www.varonis.com/blog/data-breach-statistics

https://www.npr.org/2024/03/30/1241863710/att-data-breach-dark-web

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

According to a recent study at the University of Texas at Austin, from January 2020 to February 2024, people lost more than $75 billion around the world to the scam of pig butchering.

Named after the practice of farmers fattening hogs before slaughter, victims are lured into fake crypto investments. Once victims send enough funds, the scammers disappear. Hence, the pig is slaughtered.

Victims routinely lose hundreds of thousands or even millions of dollars. And each story often begins as an online romance.

In this episode of Privacy Files we speak to Troy, a private investigator who specializes in exposing pig butchering scams.

Troy works for the non-profit organization called the Global Anti-Scam Organization.

To learn more:

https://www.globalantiscam.org/

Troy has his own pig butchering story to tell and it's the reason he got involved in the fight to warn the public about this ruthless criminal activity.

This is so much more than just a story about another online scam. It's also about organized crime and human trafficking.

Above all, the hope is that this interview helps you better understand a rapidly rising global scam and what to look out for to avoid becoming a victim.

Links Referenced:

https://time.com/6836703/pig-butchering-scam-victim-loss-money-study-crypto/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

In 2023, Americans lost more than $10 billion to fraud. This is the largest annual loss in US history.

In terms of dollars lost, investment scams emptied consumers' bank accounts more than any other scam at $4.6 billion.

But a close second was imposter scams at $2.7 billion.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we look at the tragic story of former New York Times journalist Charlotte Cowles.

On Halloween of 2023, Charlotte became the victim of a very elaborate imposter scam that cost her $50,000 USD.

This is one of those stories that highlights how anyone can be targeted for fraud and just how susceptible we are in the perfect storm.

In past episodes, we have underscored how scams are growing in sophistication, which makes it even more important to understand how they work so you can identify them before it's too late.

We also discuss the psychology of imposter scams to better understand why people fall for them, even when there are so many noticeable red flags in the beginning.

Finally, this story is another excellent example of why it is so important to minimize your digital footprint so you can reduce your chances of encountering a fraudster in the first place.

Links Referenced:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/02/nationwide-fraud-losses-top-10-billion-2023-ftc-steps-efforts-protect-public

https://www.thecut.com/article/amazon-scam-call-ftc-arrest-warrants.html

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

The demand for cybersecurity professionals is strong. Job vacancies in the industry grew from one million in 2013 to 3.5 million in 2021.

And because of this shortfall in talent, companies are struggling to keep up with the latest in modern threat awareness, including phishing, social engineering, Business Email Compromise (BEC), and financial fraud.

Many corporate security and compliance teams feel that their company's apps, data, devices, infrastructure, and people are vulnerable.

While the number of job vacancies remained steady at 3.5 million in 2023, one thing is very evident. Companies are struggling to find qualified cybersecurity professionals.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we speak with one of the largest cybersecurity influencers in the world.

Caitlin, also known as "Cybersecurity Girl", spends most of her time educating the public about data protection and promoting careers in cybersecurity. She is also a leading advocate for getting more women interested in STEM subjects and ultimately on the cybersecurity career path.

We kick off the episode by looking at Caitlin's career and how she got started in cybersecurity.

Caitlin got her start at EY and quickly learned the ropes of cybersecurity as she consulted with a wide range of businesses looking to better protect their people, systems and data.

Later Caitlin moved to the UK and worked on GDPR and privacy impact infrastructures.

Caitlin also discusses how she assisted investment firms during mergers and acquisitions, helping them pinpoint transactional risks related to cybersecurity and data privacy.

Before becoming a full-time influencer, Caitlin worked at a major law firm where she helped develop a cybersecurity and data privacy consultancy wing.

We also get into how Caitlin stays private as a public figure and she offers some tips for protecting personal data.

To learn more about Caitlin:

https://cybersecuritygirl.net/

Follow Caitlin:

https://www.tiktok.com/@cybersecuritygirl

https://www.instagram.com/cybersecurity_girl/

Links Referenced:

https://cybersecurityventures.com/jobs/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

In 2015, Dr. Robert Epstein, a psychologist at the American Institute for Behavioral Research and Technology, made world news.

Dr. Epstein was one of the authors of a groundbreaking study that found that Google's search ranking algorithm could influence how people vote.

Even more shocking, according to Dr. Epstein, "We estimate, based on win margins in national elections around the world, that Google could determine the outcome of upwards of 25 percent of all national elections."

And just exactly how could Google do this? By simply changing the order of positive and negative stories appearing in search results.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we talk to someone who is trying to give the world a more "honest search engine."

Kristin Jackson is the Co-Founder and President of Freespoke Search, a search engine designed to provide balanced search results, promote free speech, and protect your privacy.

We begin by discussing some of the inherent problems with existing search engine options and how Kristin found herself in the center of the fight against Google.

Then we discuss what Freespoke Search is doing to shake up the search engine industry.

We also cover Freespoke Search's unique business model and how it differs from the competition.

Toward the end of the interview, Kristin talks about how she protects her personal data and offers some advice to the audience for becoming more private.

To Learn More about Freespoke Search:

https://freespoke.com/privacyfiles

To Learn More about Kristin Jackson:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristin-jackson-0539b53/

Links Referenced:

https://www.wired.com/2015/08/googles-search-algorithm-steal-presidency/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

In 2023, it is estimated that $3.1 trillion in illicit funds moved through the global financial system. Financial crimes can take many forms.

Money laundering accounted for trillions of dollars supporting a wide range of crimes, including $346.7 billion in human trafficking, $782.9 billion in drug trafficking activity, and $11.5 billion in terrorist financing.

In 2023, fraud scams and bank fraud schemes reached $485.6 billion in total losses.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we welcome back Tom Chavez, a private investigator and CEO at Dark Horse Intelligence in California.

Tom is a veteran in investigating financial crimes. We talk about a variety of financial crimes and what to look out for to better protect yourself from becoming a victim.

Surprisingly, check fraud is still alive and well. In addition, Tom touches on mailbox fraud for stealing identities.

We also discuss cryptocurrency fraud, one of Tom's passions, and review the problems with P2P payment apps.

Tom addresses what he calls "microthefts", or small amounts of money routinely deducted from bank accounts. He even recounts a personal story where a bad actor unsuccessfully attempted to access and withdraw money from his bank account.

One of our most fascinating topics is "fraud-as-a-service." There is an entire industry on the Dark Web for fake IDs, stolen credit cards and accounts, and laundering money.

We also dive into decentralized identity and reusable credentials for preventing financial fraud in the banking industry.

Rich even tells a personal story about how someone recently hacked into his frequent flyer account and stole miles for a plane ticket.

And of course, as always, we offer some advice for how you can better protect your personal data.

To learn more about Tom Chavez:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-chavez-dark-horse-intelligence/

To learn more about Dark Horse Intelligence:

https://darkhorseintel.com/

Links Referenced:

https://www.nasdaq.com/global-financial-crime-report

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) in the United States, consumers reported losing more than $10 billion to fraud in 2023. This is a 14% increase over reported losses in 2022.

Some of the most common scams include investment scams, imposter scams, bank transfer scams and cryptocurrency scams.

"Digital tools are making it easier than ever to target hard-working Americans,” said Samuel Levine, Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Consumer Protection.

Fraud is more prevalent today than ever thanks to advances in technology that give bad actors access to powerful tools for perpetrating crimes.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we speak with Nigel Ramoutar, a professional fraud investigator based in Canada.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/nigelram/

We cover a variety of fraud topics, from gift cards and identity theft to credit cards and organized crime.

Nigel is a seasoned professional who knows the ins and outs of the fraud industry and sheds light on several common criminal activities in hopes of helping people avoid becoming a victim.

Toward the end of the episode, we talk to Nigel about ways he personally stays private as a professional investigator. Nigel also offers some tips for how you can better safeguard your personal information to stay more private and reduce your chances of falling victim to identity theft.

Links Referenced:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2024/02/nationwide-fraud-losses-top-10-billion-2023-ftc-steps-efforts-protect-public

https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/identity-theft-credit-card-fraud-statistics/

https://identitytheft.org/statistics/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

The rise of remote work has led to the rise of a wild phenomenon: the overemployed.

While it is difficult to know exactly how many people juggle multiple full-time jobs simultaneously, it is evident the trend is more common than most realize. 79% of remote workers say they have been overemployed within the past year

In fact, on Reddit, there is a subreddit called "r/overemployed" with nearly 300,000 community members. There the overemployed discuss successes and failures, and provide tips for how to fool bosses.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we examine employment scams. Whether it's an employee discreetly working two or more full-time jobs or an unscrupulous actor attempting to scam an innocent job seeker, we lay out the ways these cons operate so you can avoid becoming a victim.

Links Referenced:

https://www.businessinsider.com/overemployed-workers-secret-two-multiple-jobs-salaries-tech-tips-2023-11

https://www.reddit.com/r/overemployed/

https://fortune.com/2023/02/13/overemployed-workers-juggling-full-time-jobs/

https://www.resumebuilder.com/8-in-10-remote-workers-have-been-overemployed-within-the-past-year/

https://www.forbes.com/sites/jackkelly/2023/06/01/fake-job-scams-are-becoming-more-common-heres-how-to-protect-yourself/?sh=48edad5518f6

https://www.indeed.com/career-advice/finding-a-job/job-scams

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Modern organizations face continuous threats from bad actors that put systems, data and people at great risk. This is why it's critical for companies to adopt solid cyber governance strategies.

Cyber governance, or cybersecurity governance, is a holistic approach to mitigating business risks. Via risk management and security awareness, companies develop cybersecurity plans designed to prevent, detect, and respond to cyber threats and cyberattacks.

Overall, a good cyber governance program will closely align with its company's business objectives.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we talk to someone who has been driving technology transformation within companies for more than thirty years.

Mark Nicholls is Partner and Chief Executive Officer of Information Professionals Group (IPG) in Australia. At IPG, Mark helps companies develop world-class cybersecurity strategies.

We cover a variety of topics: from the current challenges facing cybersecurity professionals to best practices for establishing a successful cyber governance program.

Toward the end of the episode, Mark talks about how his professional experience has made him more privacy conscious. He provides a few simple tips on what we all can do to better protect our personal data. It's a unique perspective coming from someone who is intimately familiar with how organizations collect and manage data.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

If you have ever spent some time on dating apps, you most likely have encountered fake profiles. And with recent improvements in AI, there's a good chance some of those fake profiles aren't even using pictures of real people.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), in 2022, nearly 70,000 people reported some form of a romance scam, with total reported losses reaching $1.3 billion, equating to a median loss of $4,400.

The goal of most romance scams is to steal your money or your identity...or sometimes both.

What are the most common payment methods scammers request? Gift cards, cryptocurrency, bank wire transfers and payment apps.

While there are many red flags when using dating apps, one of the easiest ones to look out for is someone who tries to quickly move the conversation off the dating app and onto a third-party app to carry out their scam in anonymity.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we bring back our true crime panel to weigh in on some high-profile dating app crimes.

Our stories underscore the dangers of online dating and why it's critical to proceed with caution when looking for love.

We close out the episode by providing some tips and advice for staying safe while dating in the digital age.

Please stay safe out there.

Links Referenced:

https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/data-visualizations/data-spotlight/2023/02/romance-scammers-favorite-lies-exposed

https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/tv/a38955743/tinder-swindler-simon-leviev-true-story-where-is-he-now/

https://www.sacbee.com/news/nation-world/national/article266918956.html

https://www.cracked.com/image-pictofact-10091-13-reasons-its-probably-time-to-get-off-dating-apps

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Whether it's at work or at home, everything we do online is based on permissions. If you have the proper credentials, you can obtain access.

When permissions management breaks down or a threat actor manages to gain unauthorized access, the situation can deteriorate very quickly.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we talk to Jake Moshenko. Jake is an authorization pioneer who is the Co-Founder and CEO of AuthZed, the company commercializing SpiceDB, the industry-leading cloud-native permissions database.

After working in engineering roles at Amazon and Google, Jake turned to entrepreneurship and founded a company that was eventually acquired by IBM.

At AuthZed, Jake is helping companies replace their home-grown authorization software with a scalable, flexible solution. In other words, AuthZed lets companies (and developers) focus on their core competencies.

In addition to permissions management, we also talk about how Jake's career has made him more privacy-conscious in his personal life. Jake also offers some advice for protecting your personally identifiable information (PII).

To learn more about Jake Moshenko:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jake-moshenko/

To learn more about about AuthZed:

https://authzed.com/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

In this episode of Privacy Files, we talk to Cindy Cohn, an American civil liberties attorney and the Executive Director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF).

In 2018, Forbes named Cindy one of America's Top 50 Women in Tech.

Cindy's passion for internet law spans decades and has put her in the middle of landmark legal cases involving privacy, censorship and the Fourth Amendment.

We begin the episode by discussing Cindy's lead role in the case of Bernstein vs. Department of Justice, challenging the United States' export restrictions on cryptography.

Today, written software code is speech protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.

In all, we discuss a variety of topics from Big Tech's surveillance capitalism model to where the privacy legal battlefield is today.

It was an honor to interview someone playing such a prominent role in defending Americans' rights to live privately and free from censorship.

To donate or to present a case for the EFF to review:

https://www.eff.org/

Check out the EFF's podcast How to Fix the Internet:

https://open.spotify.com/show/4UAplFpPDqE4hWlwsjplgt

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Happy New Year!

In this first Privacy Files episode of 2024, we kick off a new true crime series...with a privacy angle.

We examine the disturbing crime of cyber kidnapping.

According to the FBI, scammers have been perpetrating variations of cyber kidnapping for at least 20 years.

Sometimes called "virtual kidnapping," cyber kidnapping is an extortion scheme where scammers contact a person, claiming they kidnapped a relative and demand money to be wired in exchange for a safe release.

Although nobody is actually physically kidnapped, many people have fallen victim to this scam and have paid large ransoms.

The FBI says cyber kidnapping cases are difficult to investigate and prosecute because the scammers often reside in different countries where the US has no legal jurisdiction.

In this episode, we look at a recent cyber kidnapping case involving a Chinese high school exchange student living in Utah that led to the wire transfer of an $80,000 ransom.

Links Referenced:

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/chinese-exchange-student-found-cold-scared-alone-tent-utah-mountains-c-rcna131840

https://wpde.com/news/nation-world/cyber-kidnappings-on-the-rise-chinese-exchange-student-utah-fbi-police-scammers-ransom-family-extortion-scheme-money

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-67869517

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Quick Note: This is the last episode of 2023. We will be back the second week of January 2024 with exciting new changes and many more fascinating guests. Thank you to everyone who has supported Privacy Files over the past year. You have given us encouragement to continue our mission to help the world take back control over its personal information. Have a great holiday season and see you in 2024!

When it comes to the topic of privacy, there are a few terms that are often freely used that may not always be well understood. Terms like digital footprint, digital exhaust and compartmentalization are just a few examples.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we tackle the concept of what it means to compartmentalize your digital life.

While there are many exciting developments in the area of privacy technology (e.g., decentralized identity) that will one day make protecting your personal data much easier, for now, one of the best ways to minimize your risk exposure is to compartmentalize your digital life.

We provide several examples of how this can be done and why it works. The more you compartmentalize your digital life, the more you reduce your digital exhaust. In other words, you make it far more difficult for data aggregators to develop rich behavioral profiles on your life. Less digital exhaust. More privacy.

In the second half of the episode, we talk about the newest addition to MySudo: the web browser extension.

To learn more about the MySudo web browser extension:

https://mysudo.com/browser-extension/

MySudo is the world's only all-in-one privacy app that makes compartmentalizing your digital life simple by giving you the ability to create multiple Sudos, or digital identities, that help you break the data trail linking back to your personal identity.

With the release of the web browser extension, compartmentalizing your digital life through MySudo is now much easier. When you're shopping online, the web browser extension allows you to quickly choose which Sudo you want to use. Then the contact information associated with that Sudo populates the appropriate fields. Obtaining privacy via MySudo just became more convenient.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

The mission to give people back control over their personal data is far from an easy one. Fortunately for society, there are a few mavericks around the world who are sacrificing sleep for the protection of individual privacy.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we talk to JB Benjamin, a privacy tech innovator who is reshaping the digital landscape. JB runs three separate technology companies, all with a common theme of combating continuous surveillance.

We cover a wide-range of topics. From cryptocurrency and crypto wallets, to encryption technologies and the blockchain, to cryptography...and of course...to the general topic of privacy and where it is headed, this is an episode that leaves you feeling optimistic about the future of how our personal information will be managed.

JB is an extremely passionate entrepreneur who believes in his cause. With people like JB championing the effort to make privacy a human right, the time ahead will be bright for those seeking to live privately.

To learn more about JB Benjamin:

https://www.jbbenjamin.co.uk/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

There are many good people around the world who are working long hours to make data privacy and security second nature.

Aaron Painter, CEO of Nametag, is one of these leaders whose passion begins with focusing on the human side of business. Author of the book Loyal: A Leader's Guide to Winning Customer and Employee Loyalty, Aaron shows you why it's important to provide superior customer service and how to get there.

So what's the connection to identity verification and personal privacy? As a seasoned cybersecurity professional (spending nearly 15 years at Microsoft), Aaron says that data privacy is all about delivering the best customer experience. If you tackle the issues of identity verification, data security and personal privacy with the individual as the center of your model, good things will happen.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we cover a variety of items, from how to stop help desk hacks and what Multi-Factor Identity (MFI) is, to innovative ways to counter Artificial Intelligence (AI) deep fakes and how the recent MGM security breach could have easily been prevented.

To learn more about Aaron Painter:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronpainter/

To learn more about Nametag, Inc.:

https://www.getnametag.com/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Special Note: This is the 50th episode of Privacy Files. Thank you to all for your continued support of our mission to make the topic of privacy approachable for everyone. 2024 will be even better!

ABOUT THIS EPISODE

In this episode of Privacy Files, we look at the rise of the Software-Defined Vehicle and how this evolution in automobiles is putting your privacy at risk.

A Software-Defined Vehicle is any vehicle that manages its operations, adds functionality, and enables new features primarily or entirely through software.

Software-Defined Vehicles are the foundation of numerous technological advancements, including self-driving and connected cars.

Whether it's via Bluetooth, WiFi or a hotspot, today's modern vehicle is connected to the internet. And as we frequently say on the podcast, if a device is connected to the internet, it serves as a potential attack vector for a bad actor.

In September 2023 Mozilla released the findings of its study of 25 car brands and what they do with owners' personal data. Every car brand earned Mozilla's "Privacy Not Included" warning label. It is the worst category of products for privacy that Mozilla has ever reviewed.

GPS trackers, cameras, microphones, and sensors are all capturing your every move. And that data is being collected, shared and sold.

When reviewing privacy policies, Mozilla found that 84% of car brands say they can share your data. 76% state they can sell your personal information. Shockingly, 56% say they can share your data with the government or law enforcement in response to a "request." In other words, no court order is necessary. It simply requires an "informal request."

We also discuss how this problem will likely worsen with the rise of smart cities and connected cars. Just around the corner is a world where vehicles are talking to each other and fixed structures. With the Internet of Things (IoT), unimaginable volumes of data will be collected on your driving behavior.

This evolution fits in with automakers' dream of moving to a revenue model where the real profit is in monetizing your data, not the sale of vehicles.

In fact, McKinsey estimates the value of the data gleaned from connected cars and self-driving cars will reach $1.5 trillion by 2030.

Links Referenced:

https://foundation.mozilla.org/en/privacynotincluded/articles/its-official-cars-are-the-worst-product-category-we-have-ever-reviewed-for-privacy/

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/narrative-ceo-big-data-from-cars-is-a-multibillion-dollar-opportunity-182532343.html?guccounter=1

https://www.einfochips.com/blog/how-big-data-is-shaping-the-future-of-the-automotive-industry/

https://www.mckinsey.com/~/media/mckinsey/industries/automotive%20and%20assembly/our%20insights/monetizing%20car%20data/monetizing-car-data.ashx

https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/13/23206999/car-subscription-nightmare-heated-seats-remote-start

https://www.wired.com/2015/07/hackers-remotely-kill-jeep-highway/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

The reason we started Privacy Files is to make the topic of privacy and personal data protection more approachable for a wider, global audience. Many people acknowledge that privacy is important, but they just don't know where to begin.

At Privacy Files, we believe this begins with understanding your privacy risk exposure. In other words, it's about education.

On November 4, 2023, Privacy Files hit the road and recorded this episode at the Anonyome Labs booth on the floor of the 2023 Utah Pinners Conference & Expo in the Greater Salt Lake City Area.

Pinners is a two-day event where 35,000+ creative enthusiasts, DIY aficionados and expert makers meet. If you like Pinterest, Pinners is the place to be.

Why were we there? As part of our core mission to make privacy approachable for everyone, we wanted to meet with hardworking Americans from all walks of life and get their views on personal data protection.

Pinners is a major shopping event. Tens of thousands of transactions are taking place daily. In other words, 35,000+ shoppers are sharing their personal data with total strangers.

We sat down with a few Pinners attendees to talk about the event and solicit their perspectives on a variety of privacy topics. We were also joined by a few Anonyome Labs employees to see where they are in their privacy journeys.

You will find these interviews in this episode of Privacy Files.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Tens of millions of Americans alone have submitted their DNA to companies in the hopes of learning more about their ancestry.

Genetic testing for ancestry research and identifying potential health issues is big business.

However, as with any tool used for good, there can be a downside.

Recently, a hacker stole the genetic data from millions of users of the popular genetics test kit company 23andMe. That data then went on sale on the dark web.

It's not the first time concerns about DNA and privacy have been in the news.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we are joined by Colin from Anonyome Labs Security and Compliance Team to discuss some of the most prevailing privacy issues impacting consumers as it relates to DNA.

We kick off the episode by looking at the privacy policies of 23andMe and Ancestry.com. Then we discuss the lack of consumer protections surrounding DNA ancestry testing companies versus the more regulated world of healthcare.

If you have concerns, take the time to read the privacy policy.

We then jump into a landmark case where the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) took action against Vitagene (now 1Health.io) for changing material privacy terms without customers' consent.

One concerning development in the at-home DNA testing space is the trend of local law enforcement obtaining warrants to review DNA data collected by consumer ancestry and genetics testing companies. We review some recent cases and discuss the implications.

Perhaps the craziest story of all is the recent discovery that high-quality human DNA can be found all over in the natural environment. And what scientists can do with that DNA will shock you. It shocked us!

We close out the episode by looking at the ongoing controversy of newborn DNA sequencing. Today it is common practice for blood samples to be taken from babies just after birth. Healthcare professionals say this is a vital practice to screen for serious health issues. But some say what is being done with newborn blood samples has gone too far.

Links Referenced:

https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/blog/2023/06/privacy-security-genetic-information-putting-dna-companies-test

https://fortune.com/2023/10/06/23andme-user-data-hacked/

https://www.govtech.com/public-safety/police-use-of-forensic-genealogy-tech-raises-privacy-concerns

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/05/business/dna-database-search-warrant.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/06/12/smarter-living/how-to-protect-your-dna-data.html

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/scientists-can-now-pull-human-dna-from-the-air-and-water-raising-privacy-questions-180982192/

https://www.aclu.org/news/privacy-technology/widespread-newborn-dna-sequencing-will-worsen-risks-to-genetic-privacy

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

One of the biggest challenges to getting more people to be proactive about protecting their personal data is the data privacy knowledge gap.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we're getting back to the basics of how to manage personally identifiable information by talking to Nick, a power user of MySudo, the world's only all-in-one privacy app.

Nick has been using MySudo for several years. In our discussion, he provides a unique perspective from someone who takes the concept of compartmentalizing one's digital life to the next level.

On this podcast, we talk a lot about minimizing your digital exhaust. The first step toward accomplishing this goal is to stop using the same email address and phone number for everything you do online.

Many of us fall into the habit of providing an email address when we're asked while checking out at a store. We are enticed to offer up our phone number to enter a sweepstakes. From loyalty programs to online shopping, our data is everywhere.

But as we like to say, "You can live your life online without leaving your life online." Nick shares how he does this by creating multiple digital identities that correlate with some of the most common activities he engages in while on the internet or out in public.

We also talk a little about virtual cards and VPNs.

And what is Nick's advice to those looking to take the first step toward becoming more private? It's very simple. Over the next couple of weeks, whenever you're prompted to provide personal data, ask yourself if the inquiring party really needs this information to do business with you. If they don't. Don't provide it.

If they do, start breaking the data trail linking back to you by using unique emails and phone numbers for the different categories of activities you engage in. Over time, it will be more difficult for data aggregators and bad actors to build elaborate profiles on you. In other words, you will become more private.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Privacy is a hot topic. There are headline news stories about data privacy concerns, laws and breaches appearing virtually every single day. Polls show that the public worries about protecting personal data. However, people often don't know where to start. Yes, there is most definitely a data privacy knowledge gap.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we speak to Matt, the VP of Sales at Anonyome Labs. Matt talks about how the business world is adding privacy solutions to product portfolios to help the public take back control over its personally identifiable information (PII).

For the first time, we explore off-the-shelf solutions that help businesses skip the lengthy and costly product development process. From VPNs and password managers to virtual cards and encrypted communications, we discuss how companies are private labeling data privacy solutions and driving revenue in mere weeks.

We also dive into the hottest topic of all: Decentralized Identity (DI). Matt talks about how he simplifies discussing DI so that business leaders can quickly wrap their minds around how to monetize this burgeoning technology.

But privacy solutions don't just make great business models. Offering data privacy tools to your market is an excellent way to build strong public relations. With the rising frequency of data breaches, building a reputation for protecting personal information is a way to differentiate your business.

To close out the episode, we mention that Anonyome Labs will be at Booth 13729 at Money20/20 in Las Vegas from October 23 - 25. It's one of the largest fintech events in the world.

If you're attending, please stop by and say hello!

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

There has been a giant spotlight shining on cybersecurity at Las Vegas casinos. Recently a hacking group pretended to be an IT support employee with Caesars Entertainment, Inc. and gained access to the company's computer systems. Hackers made off with Social Security numbers and driver’s license numbers from a “significant number” of loyalty program customers.

Social engineering attacks exploit the weakest link in cybersecurity: the human.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we talk to a former US Army Intelligence Officer who once served as an interrogator.

For years he interviewed detainees and informants during a time of war.

While he functioned as a good actor, he also leveraged many of the social engineering strategies employed by the modern threat actor.

You will hear real accounts of interrogations and how an intelligence officer navigates difficult interactions to collect vital information that can save lives.

Whether you are an individual concerned about phishing attacks on your financial accounts or a cybersecurity professional guarding vast amounts of critical company data, this episode will provide you with a different perspective on social engineering methods so you can better protect against bad actor attacks.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

We've talked a lot about social engineering on Privacy Files. It's commonly said that the human is the weakest link in data security.

In this episode, we talk about what you could call unintentional social engineering.

What if you had a story so compelling that employees of retail businesses would eagerly hand over personally identifiable information (PII) about strangers?

In this interview, we talk to someone who recently had his wallet stolen while at the local gym. While the story about the stolen wallet, the ensuing investigation and eventual recovery is interesting in and of itself, it's not the most important lesson.

Shockingly, what we discover is how easy it can be to persuade employees to freely share personal information about others, especially when the mission appears to be a noble one.

But it leaves us wondering how many bad actors try this approach by concocting a story that sounds convincing.

It's yet another lesson highlighting just how easy it is for your personal data to end up in the hands of someone with bad intentions.

This episode will also leave you rethinking just how much you really need to take with you in your wallet or purse when leaving home.

Overall, we hope this story encourages you to compartmentalize your online and offline life to limit your personal data trail and ultimately your exposure to data leaks and breaches.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

MySudo VPN - No personal information required to sign up. You don't even need a username and password. Finally, a VPN that is actually private. https://mysudo.com/mysudo-vpn/

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

To learn more about this episode's guest Phil Windley:

https://www.windley.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/windley/

https://internetidentityworkshop.com/

https://www.oreilly.com/library/view/learning-digital-identity/9781098117689/

In this episode...

Data breaches are a common occurrence in the digital age. Most of us feel pretty helpless when it comes to protecting our personal information.

But what if there were a way to empower the individual to manage their own personally identifiable information (PII)? What if companies no longer needed to store PII, thus reducing exposure to hacks?

Phil Windley is one of the key players in the emerging field of digital identity. He is spearheading a paradigm shift in the way personal data is handled.

Imagine a future where you need to prove to a rental car company that you are 25 or older in order to rent a car. The reservations agent sends a request to a virtual wallet on your smartphone. You grant permission for a simple communication to be sent to the rental car company that "Yes" you are 25 or older. No actual birth date is transmitted because your date of birth was already verified. All the reservations agent sees is a "Yes."

In other words, no PII was ever exchanged. And you are now in full control of your sensitive personal data.

In this episode, Phil talks about how he got started on the road to digital identity and how the concept of self-sovereign identity will transform how the digital space operates. Phil is the author of the book Learning Digital Identity, a practical guide for companies to design, deploy and manage identity architectures.

Phil is also the founder of the Internet Identity Workshop, a semi-annual event that unites some of the most innovative minds working to design and build identity systems that empower individuals. As an Open Space unConference, there is no preset agenda. Dozens of sessions are called and convened by participants in real time.

Overall, Phil provides us with a solid overview of where digital identity is headed and gives all of us privacy-conscious people some hope that a credible solution for putting individuals in charge of their own personal data is just around the corner.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

To learn more about this episode's guest Olivia Arnauts:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/oliviaarnauts/

https://www.zfisolutions.com/

https://www.relentlessrevival.org/

In this episode...

Most people are generally familiar with the work that private investigators do. But there is a specialization within this profession that few are aware of.

In this episode of Privacy Files we talk to Olivia Arnauts, a licensed private investigator in the state of Texas.

Olivia specializes in an area called Protective Intelligence, a subset of Executive Protection. In her role, Olivia typically serves high-profile clients where, among many jobs, she performs threat assessments to determine risk exposure to dangers such as identity theft and financial fraud.

In short, a Protective Intelligence Agent is proactive in identifying, assessing and mitigating potential threats to a client.

We talk about Olivia's early career as a Signals Intelligence Analyst in the Army and how that influenced her decision to transition into Protective Intelligence.

Olivia talks about her typical client profile, from celebrities to high-profile business people to politicians.

As we discussed in previous episodes of Privacy Files, people share so much personal information online that most bad actors can simply rely on Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) to conduct their nefarious work.

Olivia explains how easy it is for her to find personal information, ranging from the embarrassing to data that could destroy someone's future if it fell into the wrong hands.

We then cover some simple things you can do, whether you're a high-profile person or not, to reduce your digital footprint.

We close out the episode by talking about Olivia's project to help human trafficking survivors.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

It's hard to believe, but ten years have passed since former government contractor Edward Snowden shocked the world disclosing that the United States National Security Agency (NSA) was collecting data from the electronic communications of millions of American citizens--all without a warrant.

For the majority of the public, that's what people remember. But the classified documents Snowden leaked revealed much more than warrantless electronic surveillance.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we take a hard look at about a year's worth of leaks. Starting from June 6, 2013 (when it all started) and ending on May 31, 2014, we revisit some of the most earth-shattering revelations about how the United States intelligence apparatus operates.

Colin fills in for Sarah in the co-hosting chair. Colin is a member of Anonyome Labs' Security & Compliance team.

Looking back at the disclosures, both Rich and Colin were mesmerized at the extent of what the Snowden leaks cover.

Over the years, journalists have released thousands of documents that Snowden entrusted them with. Some believe this is still less than 1% of the entire archive. And they're probably close to being accurate cause according to national intelligence officials, Snowden downloaded up to 1.5 million files before fleeing Hawaii and heading to Hong Kong to meet with journalists Glenn Greenwald and Laura Poitras.

After revisiting key revelations, Rich and Colin discuss what this all means for the world today. How have the Snowden Leaks impacted society, government and technology? One thing is clear. Personal privacy is on people's minds more than ever. And as a result, the last ten years have seen an explosion in privacy products for public consumption.

In fact, the Snowden Leaks have impacted so much of global society that these impacts are often referred to as the "Snowden Effect."

Links Referenced:

https://www.cato.org/commentary/snowden-effect-six-years#

https://www.businessinsider.com/snowden-leaks-timeline-2016-9

https://www.propublica.org/article/claim-on-attacks-thwarted-by-nsa-spreads-despite-lack-of-evidence

https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/sites/default/files/docs/2013-12-12_rg_final_report.pdf

https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/2048/text/pl?overview=closed

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/05/04/us/politics/nsa-surveillance-2017-annual-report.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Snowden_effect

https://www.amnesty.org/en/latest/campaigns/2015/06/7-ways-the-world-has-changed-thanks-to-edward-snowden/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Privacy is an important topic for an increasing number of people around the world. But it takes on a whole new meaning when it comes to professional athletes.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we sit down with former NFL defensive lineman and Super Bowl XXVI champion Jason Buck.

Jason was the 17th overall pick in the 1987 NFL draft and played for the Cincinnati Bengals and Washington Redskins before retiring at the end of the 1993 season.

We get Jason's take on many privacy-related issues impacting today's professional athlete such as financial fraud and medical privacy.

Jason talks about how today the NFL invests more resources in educating new players coming into the league about the dangers of celebrity status.

We cover a recent story about an Australian rugby player who lost his entire life savings in an elaborate phishing attack.

Jason discusses the challenges professional athletes face when it comes to maintaining a semblance of privacy while living in the public eye.

Along the way, we also talk about how life has become more complex with the advent of the digital age.

Jason's story is an inspiring one as he overcame significant odds to become one of the best college football players in the country, winning the Outland Trophy for best college football interior lineman in 1986 as a senior at Brigham Young University.

While we cover the topic of privacy, we also spend some time just talking about football, life and how the world has changed.

Links Referenced:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jason_Buck

https://www.profootballarchives.com/playerb/buck00600.html

https://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2023/03/23/nba-players-defrauded-former-morgan-stanley-advisor/9361679606223/

https://www.foxsports.com.au/afl/teams/carlton-blues/afl-2023-jacob-weitering-victim-to-banking-scam-loses-life-savings-what-happened-carlton-blues-latest-news/news-story/8cb8efa2bd500027468ba46dfcdf475f

https://angle.ankura.com/post/102i75w/monetizing-sports-data-and-protecting-athlete-privacy-where-is-the-balance

https://law.utah.edu/the-price-of-health-privacy-in-sports/

https://www.theperspective.com/debates/entertainment/celebrities-expect-privacy

https://www.biometricupdate.com/202205/athletes-data-privacy-concerns-raise-question-of-what-counts-as-biometrics

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/athlete-data-privacy-performance-sportslawyer-paul-horvath-solicito/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

In this episode of Privacy Files, we continue our multipart series on the dark web. We examine the complexities of dark web crimes and discuss their far-reaching impacts.

To help us navigate this subject, we talk to Tammy Harper. Tammy is a Senior Threat Analyst, Dark Web Investigator and Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR) consultant.

Dark web crimes are surprisingly nuanced. While not an exhaustive deep dive, we explore some of the most salient angles.

We kick off the episode by looking at the struggle to balance anonymity with accountability. Many people use the dark web for privacy, but there are also those who use that privacy to commit crimes. Can privacy be maintained while still allowing law enforcement to do its job?

Next, we cover a variety of dark web topics such as evolving encryption technologies (and backdoors), the global impact of dark web crimes, and insider threats and corporate espionage.

One of the most fascinating topics, is the psychological impacts of dark web crimes. A 2020 study found a link between mental health issues and dark web addiction. The dark web can also be a breeding ground for cyberbullying and online harassment.

In the last half of the episode, we get into how dark web crimes have eroded trust in legitimate online services. We follow that up with the ethics and responsibility of technology providers, collaborative approaches to dark web mitigation, and how the dark web is a reflection of societal issues.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Watch YouTuber Kitboga Bait Scammers: https://www.youtube.com/@KitbogaShow/featured

Have a scam for Kitboga to look into? Email him at: hello@kitbogashow.com

Scam call centers are big business. Employees head into a typical-looking office building and put in their 40-plus hours every week sitting in cramped cubicles. But unlike most common office workers, these employees spend their days trying to con people out of their hard-earned money. And the most well-known version of the call-center-based scam is the tech support scam.

The criminal world of call-center-based tech support scams is a global industry that bleeds victims of $47 billion US dollars each year--affecting three out of every five consumers.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we welcome YouTuber Kitboga to the show to talk about how some of the most common call-center-based scams work and how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim.

With more than three million subscribers and nearly 500 hilarious videos, Kitboga is one of the most well-known scam baiters on earth. While his videos are incredibly entertaining, they all serve a primary purpose of educating the public about various call-center-based scams designed to pilfer money from the innocent.

Kitboga begins the episode by discussing the inspiration for his YouTube channel and recounts a couple of key moments early on that let him know his unique content was resonating with people.

We then dive into the nuances of some of the most common forms of tech support scams, including the message popup and the fake tech support hotline Google Ad. Kitboga then addresses the growing number of call-center-based scams that don't involve the usual tech support angle. These types of scams include Internal Revenue Service (IRS) Impersonation, Social Security Fraud, Fake Loans, Pension Fraud, Extended Warranty Fraud and other types of Consumer Financial Fraud.

The conversation then moves to the typical profile of call-center-based scam victims.

Along the way, Kitboga discusses his plans for expanding his content beyond tech support scam baiting. One idea he's mulling over is to target the perpetrators of dating app catfishing scams.

We close out the episode with Sarah providing a series of tips for avoiding call-center-based scams. Kitboga weighs in and adds some insightful wisdom of his own.

You'll definitely want to listen to the end as Kitboga reveals his plans for life after scam baiting.

Links Referenced:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7CZReZ24-to

https://firstorion.com/scam-call-centers/

https://www.fcc.gov/consumers/guides/stop-unwanted-robocalls-and-texts

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

You might not be familiar with the term Real-Time Bidding (RTB), but if you browse the web, you're likely participating in this privacy-compromising activity hundreds of time each day.

According to the Irish Council for Civil Liberties (ICCL), "RTB is the largest data breach ever recorded. It tracks and shares what people view online and their real-world location 294 billion times in the U.S. and 197 billion times in Europe every day."

In America, this intrusive activity exposes the average person's online activity and location 747 times every single day.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we pull back the curtain on the mysterious world of digital ad auctions and how RTB broadcasts are continuously comprising the personal data of unsuspecting web users.

RTB is essentially an automated auction where the buying and selling of ads takes place in the mere span of approximately 200 milliseconds. The auction begins the moment you click on a link and visit a page that displays ads. Before the page fully loads, the website's publisher sends available ad space dimensions to what's called the Supply-Side Platform.

From there, the Supply-Side Platform looks at your browser cookies to make assessments about your web activity, interests, demographics and so much more. This information will be used to determine which ad is most relevant to you.

Then the Demand-Side Platform assigns a value to you (the user) and places a bid on the ad space based on your cookie data.

Finally, the Supply-Side Platform receives the bids and picks a winner based on the highest and most relevant bid.

Once the ad is chosen, the webpage loads and the winning ad is revealed.

So what's the problem? Once personal data is broadcast via RTB, there's no control over where and how it might be used.

Companies involved in the auction can actually access the bid stream data even without bidding.

Furthermore, even though bid stream data is typically anonymized, it's relatively easy to match a user to their information. Data brokers can package the bid stream data (particularly valuable location data) and sell it to other companies and even governments with little oversight.

In all, there are 178 trillion RTB broadcasts about people in the US and Europe every year. And even worse, the RTB market is growing. One study forecasts the RTB market to reach $34.57 billion by 2027--a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 25.2%.

To close out the episode, we give you some simple tips for protecting your personal data from RTB broadcasts.

Links Referenced:

https://mysudo.com/2022/07/this-is-why-you-should-worry-about-your-personal-information-in-targeted-advertising/

https://mysudo.com/2022/06/were-all-part-of-the-biggest-data-breach-everyday-mysudo-private-browsers-can-protect-you/

https://techcrunch.com/2022/05/16/iccl-rtb-report-google-gdpr/

https://www.jdsupra.com/legalnews/going-once-going-twice-sold-real-time-7645080/

https://www.iccl.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/05/Mass-data-breach-of-Europe-and-US-data-1.pdf

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/real-time-bidding-rtb-global-153700963.html

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

When you think about the dark web, culture is probably not the first thing that comes to mind. However, to really understand something, culture is one of the first places you should look. When you understand a culture, you can recognize patterns. And when you recognize patterns, suddenly, a full story emerges.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we interview Evan Blicker (https://www.linkedin.com/in/eblick/), a former cyber crimes detective with the Pasco County Sheriff's Office in Pasco County, Florida.

During his law enforcement career, Evan worked in the field conducting criminal investigations and even served as a hostage negotiator. But the one area he was most passionate about was the dark web.

As a cyber crimes detective looking for the bad guys of the dark web, Evan developed a strong understanding for how things operate in the deepest recesses of the web--a place few of us will ever go.

Evan helped build the dark web investigation program at the Pasco County Sheriff's Office. As a dark web investigator, Evan investigated criminal cases and gathered intelligence. He also worked with federal law enforcement as a Task Force Officer to help solve dark web cases.

During his time as a Task Force Officer conducting federal criminal investigations related to the dark web, Evan participated in undercover operations and pursued those who exploited children.

Evan's expertise in the dark web, digital forensics and OSINT made this one of the most informative and fascinating episodes we've ever recorded.

He gave us the insider story on "red rooms" and whether or not real hitmen are crawling the dark web.

We also learned about the importance of trust between buyers and sellers operating inside dark web black markets and each party vets out the other. Can you believe that online reviews on the dark web are a real thing?

From banner ads promoting illicit items and the nuanced vernacular of different markets, to journalists fighting censorship and privacy-minded people simply looking to live more privately, this is an excellent opportunity to learn the objective truth about the inner workings of the dark web from someone who made a living learning about its deepest secrets.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

The internet is a lot of things. It is informative...sometimes deceptive. It brings people together when they are separated by great physical distances. It makes shopping easier than at any other time in human history. But there is also a dark side. But is it as sinister as the media makes it out to be?

The dark web conjures up images of a deep recess within the web where anything goes. A place where so-called "red rooms" live stream the torture and murdering of innocent people. A shadowy digital world where hitmen sell their services for as little as $5,000.

But is the dark web really this evil?

In this episode of Privacy Files, we kick of a multi-part series on the dark web by laying the foundation for what the dark web really is and how it came about.

We start by explaining the differences between the surface web, the deep web and the dark web. The surface web, the indexed part of the web most of us are familiar with, is less than 10% of the entire web. Considering that in April 2023 there were more than 30 billion webpages indexed on the surface web alone, the entirety of the web is mind-blowing.

Then we dive into the origins of the dark web by looking at its history and evolution.

The dark web as we know it today traces its roots back to the 1990s when researchers at the Naval Research Lab (NRL) created the first designs and prototypes for onion routing, which relies on a decentralized network.

In the mid-2000s the Tor Project launched and the Tor browser soon followed.

Today, the Tor browser is how most people access the dark web, with one study placing the number of daily Tor users at 2.6 million. While Tor and the dark web are used by criminals, they are also championed by privacy advocates around the world. These privacy patriots include whistleblowers, political dissidents, independent journalists and those fighting government censorship.

In all, we give you an objective look at the good and the bad of the dark web. Our conclusions might surprise you. They surprised us.

To wrap up the episode, we provide you with some helpful tips for navigating the dark web and leave you with a few clear words of caution.

If you don't have a good reason for navigating the dark web, it's probably best to stay away.

Links Referenced:

https://www.techspot.com/article/2660-the-dark-web/

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12119027/Im-tech-correspondent-used-dark-web-day-heres-saw.html

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/dark-web-chatgpt-unleashed-meet-darkbert

https://kratikal.com/blog/surface-web-and-dark-web-exploring-layers-of-web/

https://www.kaspersky.com/resource-center/threats/deep-web

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UuHn27dFpE

https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/fandd/issues/2019/09/the-truth-about-the-dark-web-kumar

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=luvthTjC0OI

https://www.makeuseof.com/dark-web-legitimate-uses/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EgXeXmNecto

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-12042561/I-bought-5-items-Dark-Web-wont-believe-sent.html

https://www.torproject.org/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

There are approximately 18 million students enrolled in degree-granting colleges and universities in the United States. Globally, that number balloons to 235 million students.

And as technology evolves, it finds its way into today's college campus life one way or another. But is it always for the betterment of students? Can college students maintain their privacy during a period in their life that seems so exposed?

In this episode of Privacy Files we take a look at some of the common risk exposures college students face when it comes to protecting their personal data.

To facilitate our discussion, Connor joined us in-studio to provide his unique perspective as a senior at the University of Utah in Salt Lake City.

We begin the episode by examining the controversial practice of remote proctoring. Exploding during the pandemic, remote proctoring became commonplace for college students taking exams. But what has alarmed privacy advocates is the practice of requiring students to use their webcam to remotely scan their room prior to the start of testing.

In 2022, after a Cleveland State University student filed a lawsuit against the school, U.S. District Court Judge J. Philip Calabrese agreed that room scanning was unconstitutional, stating that the student's "privacy interest in his home outweighs Cleveland State’s interests in scanning his room.”

Connor then shares his experiences with remote proctoring and webcam room scanning while attending the University of Utah during the pandemic.

Sarah then talks about how the remote proctoring industry is growing. She cites a research study forecasting that the online exam proctoring market will reach nearly $4 billion by 2032, up from $742 million in 2022.

Rich addresses the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) and how this federal law protects the privacy of student education records.

From group projects and communications apps to submitting schoolwork and Greek life, we give you a sense of the privacy risks today's college students face while pursuing their education.

Links Referenced:

https://twitter.com/mysudoapp/status/1554894893125980161?s=46&t=mZ7hpkIc8fcEa7z7a9HKIQ

https://mysudo.com/2021/08/college-students-top-10-reasons-to-use-mysudo-this-year/

https://er.educause.edu/articles/2021/2/data-privacy-in-higher-education-yes-students-care

https://studentprivacycompass.org/resource/higheredvoices2021/

https://www2.ed.gov/policy/gen/guid/fpco/ferpa/index.html

https://www.forbes.com/advisor/education/protecting-college-student-data/

https://www.insidehighered.com/views/2021/09/20/should-college-students-be-able-opt-out-data-sharing

https://blogs.blackberry.com/en/2023/04/cybersecurity-and-the-future-workforce

https://www.unco.edu/college-bound-colorado/digital-privacy-as-a-college-student.aspx

https://www.edsurge.com/news/2022-08-25-college-s-use-of-exam-proctoring-software-to-scan-rooms-violated-privacy-rights-judge-finds

https://calmatters.org/education/higher-education/college-beat-higher-education/2023/02/remote-proctoring-california-colleges/

https://www.globenewswire.com/en/news-release/2023/05/22/2673436/0/en/18-5-CAGR-of-Online-Exam-Proctoring-Market-to-Gain-USD-3-881-0-Million-by-2032-Market-us.html

https://mycampusdirector2.com/assets/pdf/privacy.pdf

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

***NOTE: The audio in the first eleven minutes might be a little challenging to listen to, but after that it improves. This was our first episode recorded outside of our Privacy Files studio. Recording remotely does introduce some additional recording challenges. In this episode, we were recording inside a convention center expo hall where we had to contend with a considerable amount of ambient noise from attendees walking the floor. We hope you understand. All in all, in this episode you will hear some insightful feedback from people about their views on privacy, safety and security. Thank you for your support.

In this special episode of Privacy Files, we took the podcast on the road to the Salt Palace Convention Center in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah to talk to attendees at the 2023 Utah Bridal & Wedding Expo.

The MySudo team took over a booth space for four hours on Saturday, May 20th and helped hundreds of people download the world's only all-in-one privacy app. We handed out lots of gourmet Crumbl cookies to booth visitors and sent them on their way with big smiles.

The goal of this podcast episode was to capture the raw feedback of a few expo attendees. What does privacy mean to them? How important is privacy to them? Does "personal privacy" or "personal safety" elicit a stronger response? Do attendees use other privacy tools like a VPN, password manager or private browser? What about the timeless battle between aesthetics and functionality?

When it was all said and done, we met some amazing people. Each had a unique story to tell. There were a few surprises along the way as well.

Most importantly, we spread the word about data privacy and did our little part to help close the privacy knowledge gap.

We hope you get something valuable out of this episode.

Please help us in this mission to give people back control over their personal data by telling your friends and family about the Privacy Files podcast. Together we can win this fight.

Links Referenced:

https://www.bridalshowsut.com/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Globally, there are more than 50 million people creating original content for social media. Make no mistake about it. The influencer industry is huge. In many cases, being an influencer is like being a Hollywood celebrity. Strangers will often recognize influencers in public.

But life as a content creator is not all about money and fame. Living life in the public eye comes at the expense of personal privacy.

Over the last several years there have been many well-documented incidents of stalkers tracking down content creators, including Kim Kardashian being robbed at gunpoint inside her Paris hotel room back in 2016.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we dive into the world of content creators and the risks they face as it relates to their personal privacy.

To aid in the conversation, an influencer joins us in-studio to discuss her experiences creating content for platforms like TikTok, Pinterest and Instagram.

We kick off the episode by covering some news about the concept of "sharenting", the act of parents oversharing pictures, videos and other intimate details of their kids' lives online.

Michelle then talks about her efforts to grow as a content creator and the precautions she takes to protect her privacy while still maintaining a public presence.

We look at the differences between how Millennials and Gen Z view social media.

Then we transition into the topic of performative vulnerability and how content creators feel pressure to open up more and more of their lives to strangers to keep the likes and engagement rolling.

Michelle gives us insight into what privacy means to her as a female and how privacy and safety intersect in her world.

To close out the episode, Rich and Michelle discuss key tips for influencers to follow to minimize digital exhaust and thus stay private and safe.

Links Referenced:

https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/sharenting-privacy-concerns-1.6779790

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/joca.12462

https://www.cnet.com/news/politics/the-us-is-finally-dealing-with-the-exploitation-of-child-influencers/

https://app.leg.wa.gov/billsummary?BillNumber=1627&Year=2023&Initiative=false.

https://www.collegeofinfluence.com/blog/is-privacy-a-luxury-for-influencers

https://www.womenshealthmag.com/health/a41946590/influencer-content-creation-hurting-mental-health/

https://www.incfile.com/blog/data-privacy-digital-security-for-influencers

https://www.incfile.com/blog/data-privacy-digital-security-for-influencers

https://security.googleblog.com/2017/11/new-research-understanding-root-cause.html

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Since 2000, there have been more than two million marriages every year in the United States. In fact, the average cost of a wedding in America is approximately $25,000.

But what about the privacy cost? Planning a wedding often involves communicating with ten or more vendors. From photographers and caterers to musicians and cake bakeries, wedding planning requires providing your personal contact information to total strangers. On top of this, attending bridal expos can result in sharing your personal phone number and email address with dozens of vendors as part of the selection process for each facet of your wedding.

All of this can expose you to high volumes of spam that could take months, if not years, to fully eliminate. Then there's the risk of your personal data falling into the hands of scammers. Do you really want the entire world knowing every minute detail about your big day?

In this special "MySudo Monday" episode of Privacy Files, we examine the wedding planning process and how you can use a privacy app like MySudo to limit your digital exhaust, thus reducing your exposure to spammers and scammers.

We kick off the episode by welcoming Nina to the show to discuss her recent wedding and some of the challenges she faced, and still faces to this day, as the result of using her primary email address over the course of an entire year while planning her special day.

Sarah then jumps into some fascinating wedding statistics, from the average cost per guest to the states where weddings cost the most. Did you know the average wedding cake costs just under $500?

After Rich briefly touches on the not-so-well-known subject of wedding insurance, Sarah dives into the do's and don'ts of wedding websites for ensuring you maintain control over your privacy. From creating a secure wedding website and streaming safely to asking permission before publishing guest photos and deactivating your wedding website when the event is over, there are some simple things you can do to protect yours and others' personal information.

We close out the episode by outlining a few examples where MySudo can be used to protect personal data during the wedding planning process. And beyond the privacy angle, MySudo also can be used to conveniently manage key vendors. For instance, you can create separate Sudos, or digital identities, for things like catering, floral arrangements and the wedding reception venue.

Rich also plugs MySudo's upcoming appearance at the Bridal Expo in downtown Salt Lake City, Utah on May 20, 2023.

Links Referenced:

https://www.valuepenguin.com/average-cost-of-wedding

https://lovelyweddingskc.com/2021/08/03/cyber-safe-wedding-websites/

https://staysafeonline.org/online-safety-privacy-basics/wedding-planning/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

To learn more about our guest Robert Kerbeck and to buy the book RUSE:

https://www.robertkerbeck.com/

To those in the world of corporate espionage, Robert Kerbeck is known as the best corporate spy there ever was. He perfected the art of social engineering, or "rusing" as Robert likes to call it, to gain access to sensitive internal information from some of the largest companies in the world.

Robert took "live an interesting life" to the next level. For most, making millions of dollars as a corporate spy would probably be more than enough adventure for a lifetime. But for Robert, that was just one life chapter. As an actor, Robert appeared in well-known 1990s television shows like Melrose Place, ER, Sisters, Star Trek, NYPD Blue and Chicago Hope. He interacted with several celebrities including George Clooney, Paul Newman, Al Pacino, Yoko Ono, Kevin Spacey and even O.J. Simpson. Today, Robert is an accomplished author having published two award-winning books, RUSE: Lying the American Dream from Hollywood to Wall Street and Malibu Burning.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we talk to Robert about his journey from actor, to corporate spy, to published author. His journey is a wild one. It's not just a lesson in how to prevent social engineering attacks. It's also a lesson that it's never too late to pivot in one's career.

Whether you are in corporate security or are simply someone interested in understanding how sophisticated scams work, this episode will not disappoint.

From techniques such as "sense of urgency" to "quid pro quo" to "authority figure," Robert explains the strategies he used to employ to quickly build trust with total strangers--and ultimately acquire what he wanted: valuable corporate intelligence.

Today, Robert helps the "other side" as he shares his vast knowledge from his many years spent spying on corporations to educate security teams on what to look for.

While his corporate spying days are well in the past, Robert asserts that "rusing" is alive and well. In fact, he believes it might be as strong as ever.

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

The Virtual Private Network (VPN) business is hot. What was once the domain of the corporate world is now a ubiquitous phenomenon. Today there are 1.5 billion VPN users worldwide--making this a nearly $50 billion global market.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we take a hard look at the world of VPNs. What's driving the growth in VPN adoption? Who's using VPNs, for what and why? Are all VPNs the same? What about free VPN services? Are all VPNs truly private?

93% of organizations employ a VPN but still less than 40% of Americans say they use one.

Of all global internet users, 31% report using a VPN.

While significant VPN growth is still expected in the United States, other high-growth markets include China, Canada, Germany and Japan.

Most concerning is that 47% of personal VPN users use a free VPN service. This is problematic for a variety of reasons:

• 60% of free VPN users encounter problems with their connections including slow internet speed, numerous or buggy ads, and streaming issues.
• 86% of free iOS and Android VPN apps have unacceptable privacy policies, ranging from a simple lack of transparency to explicitly sharing user data with Chinese authorities.
• 64% of free VPN app offerings had no web presence outside of their app store pages, and only 17% responded to customer support emails.
• 38% of free Android VPNs contain malware.
• In a November 2021 study, just 15% of free VPN apps respected iOS users' choices when they declined voluntary ad tracking.
• Some free VPNs have been known to sell your bandwidth, potentially putting you on the legal hook for whatever they do with it.

Overall, the takeaway is that not all VPNs are the same. Features vary widely. It is highly recommended that you stay far away from free VPN services. Paying for a quality VPN service will give you peace of mind and help you avoid potential headaches later that could cost you many times more than the service itself.

To close out the episode we talk about Anonyome Labs' launch of its own VPN service, MySudo VPN. It's one of only two VPN services that doesn't require personally identifiable information (PII) to sign up. No email address. No phone number. No passwords. Another benefit is that MySudo VPN is compatible with MySudo, the world's only all-in-one privacy app.

The VPN space is a fascinating one and this episode is a great overview of where VPN technology is today.

Links Referenced:

https://explodingtopics.com/blog/vpn-stats

https://nordvpn.com/blog/vpn-for-china/

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/best-free-vpn/

https://www.top10vpn.com/research/free-vpn-investigations/ownership/

https://cdn-resprivacy.pressidium.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/paper-1.pdf

https://cdt.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/FTC-CDT-VPN-complaint-8-7-17.pdf

https://www.top10vpn.com/research/free-vpn-investigations/ios-request-to-track/

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/not-all-vpns-care-about-your-privacy/

https://www.cnet.com/news/privacy/its-not-that-hard-to-unmask-real-people-in-anonymous-data-researchers-warn/

https://www.cnet.com/tech/services-and-software/3-companies-control-many-big-name-vpns-what-you-need-to-know/

https://www.vpnmentor.com/blog/companies-secretly-own-dozens-vpns/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

World Password Day is May 4, 2023. And with 80% of hacking-related breaches being linked to passwords, this Intel-conceived annual event, is an opportunity to raise awareness about the importance of strong passwords and fight back against bad actors. It's a great reminder to take inventory of your accounts and reassess all login credentials--especially financial accounts. Take an extra hard look at account passwords for checking, savings, credit cards, peer-to-peer payment apps and investments.

If there are accounts you haven't used in a while, consider whether it's worth keeping them open. The more password-protected accounts you hold, the greater your exposure is to a data breach.

In this episode of Privacy Files, we examine the topic of password security. From longer and more complex passwords, to multifactor authentication and password managers, there are many tools available for upping your password game.

Every study of a topic typically begins with the statistics. And it's no different here as we highlighted the most interesting facts about passwords.

For instance, 59% of people use their name or birth date in their password. Definitely not a good idea!

Even more fascinating--only 45% of people said they would change a password after a breach.

42% of organizations rely on sticky notes for password management. Again...not a good idea!

One of the more concerning stats is about the reuse of passwords. Almost two-thirds of people use the same password across multiple accounts.

While traditional advice typically includes resetting passwords every so often, more experts are now recommending the use of a password manager to store long and complex passwords that never need to be reset. Combine this approach with multifactor authentication and the security of your accounts should be at their maximum.

In fact, research indicates that multifactor authentication blocks 99.9% of all attacks. Those are pretty convincing results.

We also briefly touch on other secure access methods such as biometrics, passkeys, security keys and decentralized identity.

Links Referenced:

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/netflix-password-crackdown-timeline-sharing-paid-earnings-q1-2023/

https://www.foxnews.com/tech/ai-tech-can-crack-common-passwords-stunning-speed-researchers-find

https://www.tomshardware.com/news/thermal-cameras-and-machine-learning-combine-to-snoop-out-passwords

https://www.comparitech.com/blog/information-security/password-statistics/

https://www.wired.com/story/best-password-managers/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Open Source Intelligence (OSINT) has been receiving a lot of press lately. There is so much data freely accessible online today that many experts say spy agencies like the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and the National Security Agency (NSA) should focus their research efforts on OSINT sources first, long before employing covert techniques like wiretapping or reading an adversary's mail.

In other words, OSINT isn't just about stalkers and other bad actors using publicly-available information on you to do you harm. Today, OSINT is used by corporations and governments to track people and even predict the future.

In this episode of Privacy Files, Brian Tillman (aka Mr. Metaverse) fills in for Sarah as co-host to help Rich make sense of the rapid rise of OSINT. Given the voluminous amounts of information the public is routinely sharing, how can corporations and governments leverage that data to make critical decisions?

Rich kicks off the episode by briefly defining what OSINT really means and how your day-to-day online activities are leaving a data trail that feeds the OSINT machine.

From predicting crime in America's largest cities to analyzing consumer app data to locate secret American military bases around the world, the power that OSINT harbors for society's future is just now being discovered.

While OSINT has been around for decades, it really took off with the advent of the internet. And now with machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) making giant leaps in recent years, the ability to make sense of unimaginable amounts of data in minutes instead of days, weeks or months is altering the way militaries, governments and corporations solve problems.

Just some examples of vectors where your personal data may be acquired include: facial recognition cameras, license plate readers, social media usage, cell phone location data sharing, and anytime you provide someone your email or phone number.

Links Referenced:

https://hai.stanford.edu/news/re-imagining-espionage-era-artificial-intelligence

https://www.smartcompany.com.au/industries/information-technology/grocery-chains-surveillance-tech-auror/

https://scitechdaily.com/ai-algorithm-predicts-future-crimes-one-week-in-advance-with-90-accuracy/

https://www.csoonline.com/article/3445357/what-is-osint-top-open-source-intelligence-tools.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/25/technology/china-surveillance-police.html

https://www.reuters.com/world/china/china-uses-ai-software-improve-its-surveillance-capabilities-2022-04-08/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Imagine a future where YOU own your data and not Big Tech. Imagine a future where you control what personal information you share, with whom and for how long.

Decentralized identity offers this future and the technology and standards are being developed today.

When available, decentralized identity will put an end to the practice of giant corporations storing your sensitive personal data--only for a hacker to come along and breach that database, exposing you to identity theft and financial fraud.

In this episode of Privacy Files, Rich and Sarah welcome Dr. Paul Ashley to the studio to break down the topic of decentralized identity--how it works, the technology underpinning it and the virtually infinite number of applications waiting to put this technology into practice.

Dr. Ashley is the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) at Anonyome Labs and one of the key industry players on the global stage who is developing the standards for decentralized identity.

The global decentralized identity market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 90.3% from 2023 to 2030. Most experts attribute the predicted rise in decentralized identity to the explosion in identity fraud cases.

In February 2022, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) published a report revealing that identity fraud incidents increased by about 45% globally in 2020.

Sarah kicks off the episode by defining decentralized identity and explaining how this approach to managing personal data is part of the larger discipline of Identity and Access Management (IAM).

Dr. Ashley provides a history lesson on the evolution of IAM and the path that led us to decentralized identity today. He explains how data was first managed via a centralized approach. Then federated systems began to materialize. One common example of a federated approach to data management is Facebook. Facebook often asks users of the platform if they want to use their existing login credentials to access other platforms in order to collect that rich behavioral data. While convenient, the federate approach is a privacy nightmare.

Sarah and Dr. Ashley then look at the anatomy of the decentralized identity process. From digital wallets and verifiable credentials to issuers and verifiers, it's a highly secure approach to giving the individual back control of their data--all based on blockchain technology.

Rich and Dr. Ashley follow with a discussion on potential use cases and detailed examples of how the process actually works.

Dr. Ashley closes out the episode by addressing some concerns about who controls decentralized identity and how the overall ecosystem should be structured to maximize privacy and security for digital wallet holders.

Links Referenced:

https://www.grandviewresearch.com/industry-analysis/decentralized-identity-market-report

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Identity theft is big business for bad actors. In 2021, there were nearly 1.7 million reports of identity theft in the United States, translating into $56 billion in losses.

Credit card fraud is the second leading form of identity theft with nearly 400,000 cases being reported in the United States in 2021.

In 2023, worldwide payment card fraud losses are expected to exceed $35 billion.

In fact, global payment card losses from fraud are expected to total nearly $400 billion over the next ten years, with almost half of that amount occurring in the United States.

With 65% (approximately 151 Americans) of credit and debit card holders in the United States having been a victim of fraud at some point in their lives, it's important to take extra precautions to protect your sensitive financial data.

In this special "MySudo Monday" episode of Privacy Files, we look at virtual cards and how they can be used to better protect you against bad actors and financial institutions that want to sell your transactional data. We welcomed Dave Glass to the studio to lean on his expertise in the payment card industry. David is the Fintech Operations Manager at Anonyome Labs.

We start with Sarah covering the eight most common forms of credit card fraud.

Then Rich revisits a monumental hacking story from 2021 where hackers published a million stolen credit cards on the dark web.

Sarah follows up by taking a hard look at MySudo virtual cards, explaining how they work and what the key benefits are.

Rich and Dave then talk about the differences between a MySudo virtual card and a standard virtual card offered by a bank.

Sarah takes it up a notch by discussing how to leverage MySudo's digital identity concept to compartmentalize different virtual cards, thus further limiting digital exhaust.

The episode wraps up with Dave and Sarah talking about when ACH funding is launching for MySudo virtual cards. Then Rich provides a few tips for preventing credit card for those who choose not to use virtual cards.

Links Referenced:

https://www.disneydining.com/disney-guests-beware-of-credit-card-fraud-bwb1/

https://www.reddit.com/r/DisneyWorld/comments/12hsbja/credit_card_fraud_warning_4647/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3

https://www.disneydining.com/guest-loses-apple-watch-on-ride-at-epcot-costing-her-more-than-40000-bb1/

https://www.fool.com/the-ascent/research/identity-theft-credit-card-fraud-statistics/

https://www.security.org/digital-safety/credit-card-fraud-report/

https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/hackers-published-one-million-stolen-credit-cards-on-the-dark-web-to-attract-cybercriminals-to-their-carding-site/

https://mysudo.com/2020/07/the-rise-of-surveillance-capitalism-or-whatever-happened-to-my-internet-free-will/

https://www.webfx.com/blog/internet/what-are-data-brokers-and-what-is-your-data-worth-infographic/

https://anonyome.com/2020/05/fight-the-fatigue-data-privacy-really-does-matter/

https://mysudo.com/2020/07/why-your-mysudo-virtual-card-is-more-private-than-a-banks-virtual-card/

https://mysudo.com/2020/08/the-most-private-way-to-use-mysudo-virtual-cards/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

Each year in the United States, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) processes approximately 160 million individual tax returns. Personal income taxes in America is anything but a simple process. In fact, there are literally more than 800 forms and schedules available to accommodate a wide variety of income reporting scenarios.

But with approximately 92% of all tax returns in the United States being filed electronically, just how safe is your personal data?

To kick off the episode, we cover a little news, looking at how one Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) Secretary proposed mandating a GPS tracking device in all electric vehicles. The reason? He doesn't just want to tax you per mile driven, but he also wants to adjust your taxes based on where, when and why you're driving.

In this episode of Privacy Files, Rich and Sarah take a hard look at some of the problems with electronic filing and what you should be on the watch for.

Sarah begins by introducing the Internal Revenue Code called Tax Information Privacy. It prohibits the IRS, your tax professional and any other tax prep company from disclosing your tax information without your written consent.

Rich then dives into last year's bombshell story by The Markup about the Meta Pixel tracking code being used to collect sensitive financial information via some of the largest online tax-filing services. These services include H&R Block and TurboTax.

In general, data being shared with Facebook included users' income, filing status, refund amounts and dependents' college scholarship amounts.

The tax services involved in this investigation have since claimed they have either wholly removed or changed the settings of their tracking pixels to stop gathering financial information.

But data sharing is just one vulnerability. According to Accounting Today, there has been a 300% increase in cyberattacks on accounting firms since the major rise in working from home started back in 2020.

Keeping in mind that in 2022, there were nearly eight million reports of suspicious activity related to income tax filing and identity theft, Sarah closes out the episode by offering ten helpful tips for protecting your privacy when filing your taxes.

Links Referenced:

https://taxfoundation.org/publications/latest-federal-income-tax-data/

https://www.pbs.org/newshour/economy/how-to-navigate-an-unusually-complicated-tax-year-according-to-experts

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IRS_tax_forms

https://themarkup.org/pixel-hunt/2022/12/02/meta-sued-for-collecting-financial-information-through-tax-filing-websites

https://www.documentcloud.org/documents/23326894-322-cv-07557-si

https://www.taxslayer.com/media-room/prdetails?articleID=122509

https://themarkup.org/pixel-hunt/2022/10/20/senator-questions-zuckerberg-about-facebooks-collection-of-sensitive-health-information

https://www.pewresearch.org/internet/2015/05/20/americans-attitudes-about-privacy-security-and-surveillance/

https://www.washingtonpolicy.org/publications/detail/wsdot-secretary-wants-mandated-gps-tracking-for-a-road-usage-charge

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbestechcouncil/2023/03/15/how-improved-data-privacy-can-impact-the-future-of-the-gas-tax/?sh=56974e6b15ea

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com

In the United States, there are nearly 40,000 private detectives and investigators. Jobs for private detectives and investigators are expected to grow 13% through 2030.

Globally, the private investigation services market stands at $18.2 billion USD in 2022. In fact, private investigation services account for 20% of the entire global security services market.

So what's responsible for the growing demand for private detectives and investigators? One word: Fraud.

A rapid explosion in fraud across industry verticals, from data theft to financial fraud, is keeping private detectives and investigators very busy.

But why is fraudulent activity rising so rapidly? The digitalization of businesses means that today, virtually any type of fraudulent activity can be carried out from the comfort of home, sitting in front of a laptop computer.

In this episode of Privacy Files, Rich and Sarah welcome Tom Chavez to the show to hear firsthand the challenges facing today's private investigator.

Tom is the Co-Founder of Dark Horse Intelligence (https://darkhorseintel.com), a global intelligence company that handles a wide variety of services including fraud investigations, security audits and vulnerability assessments. He is also the Founder of Recover My Crytpo (https://recovermycrypto.com), a company that assists in solving cryptocurrency fraud, from stolen cryptocurrency and Ponzi schemes, to ransomware and sim swap attacks. Tom is a licensed private investigator at Gaslamp Quarter Investigations who also handles, when time permits, a broad cross section of cases involving the general public.

From online research and security audits to stakeouts and disguises, Tom goes to great lengths to find the truth.

With more than 25 years in investigations, hacking and social engineering, Tom understands the challenges in truly remaining private. He covers some of the main concerns people have with respect to privacy and then highlights ways you can better protect your personal data.

Tom understands all the tricks of the digital world and as a privacy advocate, he will give you the knowledge necessary to limit your exposure to bad actors.

Links Referenced:

https://darkhorseintel.com/

https://recovermycrypto.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-chavez-dark-horse-intelligence/

OUR SPONSORS:

Anonyome Labs - Makers of MySudo and Sudo Platform. Take back control of your personal data. www.anonyome.com

MySudo - The world's only all-in-one privacy app. Communicate and transact securely and privately. Talk, text, email, browse, shop and pay, all from one app. Stay private. www.mysudo.com

Sudo Platform - The cloud-based platform companies turn to for seamlessly integrating privacy solutions into their software. Easy-to-use SDKs and APIs for building out your own branded customer apps like password managers, virtual cards, private browsing, identity wallets (decentralized identity), and secure, encrypted communications (e.g., encrypted voice, video, email and messaging). www.sudoplatform.com