[GTALUG] Question [about network security and privacy]

[Russell]

On June 14, 2017 6:49:07 AM EDT, o1bigtenor via talk <talk at gtalug.org> wrote:
>On Tue, Jun 13, 2017 at 11:21 PM, ac via talk <talk at gtalug.org> wrote:
>
>> On Tue, 13 Jun 2017 13:25:28 -0400 (EDT)
>> "D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk" <talk at gtalug.org> wrote:
>> <snip>
>> > | That way the control is what I chose and the information I share
>is
>> > my own | security/privacy trade-off.
>> >
>> +1
>>
>> > All systems other than Linux and other open source OSes (BSD,
>> > FreeDOS...) seem to have migrated to oversharing.  And even on
>Linux,
>> > some important applications programs seem to be headed that way
>> > (Firefox?).

<snip the middle>

>Somehow the sellers (and manufacturer) are missing the point that if
>the
>machine can send cell phone signals it can also receive them - - - and
>I
>won't
>allow that if I can help it. The machine has what is termed an
>'airplane'
>mode but
>use of this results in regular requests to be taken off of that mode.
>ET is
>desperate
>to call home.
>
>How could I disable this 'feature'?

You could roll your own with FONA and Raspberry Pi.

https://www.adafruit.com/product/1963

Kind of clunky but with the demise of project Ara this might be the only way a consumer can ensure that a service is truly disabled by their own physical kill-switch.

Ara was an interesting modular project. Makes me wonder now what really killed it? Was it lack of demand or the possibility of too much future demand? 

I think perhaps the latter. People got an eye opener after Snowden demonstrated how to semi-secure a phone in his 60 Minutes interview. 

Otherwise its a lot of work to physically disconnect the cellphone antenna every time you go private  :-) 

Here's one way I attempt to protect financial data in the short term. 

I keep a credit card on a smartphone however there is no sim card in it.

When I want to do a transaction I turn on the hotspot on my active other (not so smart) phone. I make my NFC transaction with the now connected smart phone app and then turn off the hotspot. Its a bit of a pain for a one off transaction but I tend to use the cc in clusters and debit or cash for one off shopping.

I figure it is easier to delete the card from the app remotely if the phone is lost or stolen, than it is to go through the hassle of suspending or cancelling a lost or misplaced card.

>
>Dee


-- 
Russell
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