It’s been too long since I’ve dipped into the listener mailbag, so today I’m going to answer a small selection of your questions on the air! Topics include privacy-respecting baby monitors, the “IoT network” on some Orbi routers, why you can’t really use a computer monitor as a “dumb” TV, and whether browser privacy plugins work on first party tracking.

We’ll also cover some news stories: why you shouldn’t upload medical images to AI chatbots; the Fancy Bear “nearest neighbor” attack; Google’s new website link overlays; the curious case of cutting undersea internet cables; Microsoft’s new Windows Resiliency Initiative; mobile pay apps coming under regulatory scrutiny; iPhone’s new tool to strip metadata from shared photos; and Google now warning you about suspicious apps.

Article Links

1. [techcrunch.com] PSA: You shouldn’t upload your medical images to AI chatbots https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/19/psa-you-shouldnt-upload-your-medical-images-to-ai-chatbots/


2. [darkreading.com] Fancy Bear ‘Nearest Neighbor’ Attack Uses Nearby Wi-Fi Network https://www.darkreading.com/cyberattacks-data-breaches/fancy-bear-nearest-neighbor-attack-wi-fi


3. [9to5google.com] Google’s iOS app now injects links on third-party websites that go back to Search https://9to5google.com/2024/11/25/google-ios-app-link-annotations-search/


4. [newsweek.com] Chinese Vessel Allegedly Drags Anchor, Severs Undersea Cable Links https://www.newsweek.com/chinese-vessel-allegedly-drags-anchor-severs-undersea-cable-links-1992580


5. [dw.com] Hybrid warfare on the seabed? https://www.dw.com/en/baltic-sea-underwater-cable-damage-highlights-hybrid-warfare-on-critical-infrastructure/a-70853706


6. [theverge.com] Microsoft’s new Windows Resiliency Initiative aims to avoid another CrowdStrike incident https://www.theverge.com/2024/11/19/24299873/microsoft-windows-resiliency-initiative-crowdstrike-incident


7. [lifehacker.com] Venmo, Apple Pay, and Other Payment Apps Are About to Be More Regulated https://lifehacker.com/money/payment-apps-are-about-to-be-more-regulated


8. [lifehacker.com] Your iPhone Can Now Automatically Remove Location Data From Photos You Share Online https://lifehacker.com/tech/your-iphone-can-now-automatically-remove-location-data-from-photos-online


9. [lifehacker.com] The Google Play Store Will Soon Warn You Before You Download a Bad App https://lifehacker.com/tech/the-google-play-store-will-warn-you-bad-app

Further Info

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Table of Contents

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

• 0:00:51 : Holiday PSA


• 0:02:12 : News preview


• 0:03:59 : PSA: You shouldn’t upload your medical images to AI chatbots


• 0:07:22 : Fancy Bear ‘Nearest Neighbor’ Attack Uses Nearby Wi-Fi Network


• 0:12:59 : Google’s iOS app now injects links on third-party websites that go back to Search


• 0:15:10 : Chinese Vessel Allegedly Drags Anchor, Severs Undersea Cable Links


• 0:18:17 : Hybrid warfare on the seabed?


• 0:27:19 : Microsoft’s new Windows Resiliency Initiative aims to avoid another CrowdStrike incident


• 0:33:11 : Venmo, Apple Pay, and Other Payment Apps Are About to Be More Regulated


• 0:36:30 : Your iPhone Can Now Automatically Remove Location Data From Photos You Share Online


• 0:42:23 : The Google Play Store Will Soon Warn You Before You Download a Bad App


• 0:46:20 : Finding a private, secure baby monitor


• 0:50:44 : IoT Network on Netgear Orbi routers?


• 0:52:50 : Using a computer monitor as a dumb TV?


• 0:55:47 : Can browser plugins prevent first party tracking?


• 0:59:23 : The plan for the rest of the year