Why This Security Expert Doesn't Use a Phone (Buskill Interview)
Even with encryption and 2FA, if someone steals your logged-in laptop, you're compromised. Michael Altfield created Buskill - an open source USB "dead man switch" - to solve this analog attack vector. In this interview, you’ll hear about the real incidents that inspired it, the advocacy work that fueled it, and the collaborative engineering efforts that turned it into a practical tool for protecting sensitive data.📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:• https://tech.michaelaltfield.net/• https://buskill.in/• https://github.com/BusKillTimestamps:00:00:00 INTRO00:01:43 WHAT GOT YOU INTO SECURITY?00:02:32 WHEN DID YOU GET INTO SECURITY?00:03:31 WHAT IS A DEAD MAN SWITCH?00:04:33 WHY DID YOU DEVELOP BUSKILL?00:06:25 WHEN DID YOU START MAKING BUSKILL CABLES?00:06:42 HAS THE PRODUCT CHANGED SINCE THEN?00:07:42 WHO ELSE IS BUSKILL FOR?00:09:08 WHAT OPTIONS CAN BE TRIGGERED?00:10:53 IS IT POSSIBLE TO TRIGGER A FALSE OR ALTERNATIVE ENVIRONMENT?00:12:16 CAN YOU WIPE ON WINDOWS OR MACOS?00:13:40 LINUX INSTALL OPTIONS00:14:16 MACOS & WINDOWS INSTALL OPTIONS00:14:25 CAN THIS BE DONE ON MOBILE?00:16:39 REAL-WORLD BUSKILL EXAMPLES00:18:13 BUSKILL COMMUNITY00:19:17 BUSKILL + OPEN SOURCE00:19:44 STL FILES + 3D PRINTING00:20:38 IS IT GOOD TO CREATE IT YOURSELF?00:20:50 INTERDICTION00:21:42 EDWARD SNOWDEN ON INTERDICTION00:23:24 OTHER ACQUISITION METHODS00:25:13 NOVACUSTOM PARTNERSHIP00:26:00 BUSKILL + NICHE LINUX DISTROS00:26:57 QUBES DOM000:28:27 UBUNTU & TAILS00:30:02 DOES BUSKILL SUPPORT CHROMEBOOKS?00:31:19 GETTING INVOLVED IN PRIVACY + ADVOCACY00:33:05 HOW PRIVACY IS VIEWED WORLDWIDE00:36:55 PERSONAL CHALLENGES WITH PRIVACY00:39:11 GO-TO PRIVACY & SECURITY TIPS00:40:11 BUSKILL + SECURITY KEYS?00:43:06 SECURITY THROUGH OBSCURITY00:45:25 CLOUD-BASED PASSWORD MANAGERS00:46:09 LIVING WITHOUT A PHONE00:51:57 CAN IT GET WORSE?00:53:18 PROPRIETARY BROADBAND00:58:49 WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT NOVACUSTOM?01:00:56 OUTRO—Keep Techlore Independent:• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/techlore• YouTube Memberships: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs6KfncB4OV6Vug4o_bzijg/join• All Support Methods: https://techlore.tech/support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The Email Provider Google Doesn't Want You to Know About (Fastmail Interview)
Ricardo Signes, Chief Engineer at Fastmail, explains why Gmail's email experience has become increasingly fragmented, and what it would take to actually fix the decades-old IMAP protocol that powers most of the internet. We dive deep into JMAP (the modern replacement Gmail won't adopt), privacy-by-design vs. encryption theater, and the hidden trade-offs between convenience and security that no one talks about. If you've noticed your email client feeling broken, this interview reveals why.📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:• Fastmail: https://fastmail.com• Fastmail Values Statement: https://fastmail.com/about/values• Cyrus IMAP/JMAP Server (open source): https://www.cyrusimap.org/• JMAP Standard (RFC 8620): https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8620• Web Push Standard (RFC 8030): https://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc8030• Signal (for encrypted messaging): https://signal.org• Fastmail Data Transparency Report: https://fastmail.com/about/transparencyTimestamps:0:00:00 INTRO00:01:36 WHAT DRAWS YOU TO FASTMAIL?00:03:29 FASTMAIL VALUES & PHILOSOPHY00:08:49 FASTMAIL TARGET USER00:12:43 LACK OF NATIVE E2EE00:16:16 WILL EMAIL EVER BE PRIVATE?00:18:23 FASTMAIL E2EE OPTIONS00:23:43 FASTMAIL CLIENT OPTIONS00:26:18 FASTMAIL INTEGRATIONS00:29:49 BEING GOOD INTERNET CITIZENS00:33:13 BAD INTERNET CITIZENS00:38:26 JMAP & OTHER EMAIL PROTOCOLS00:48:15 REAL-WORLD BENEFITS OF JMAP00:53:07 ISSUES WITH GMAIL ON IOS00:56:06 LACK OF E2EE FOR EMAIL WITH ADP00:57:29 DOES JMAP MAKE E2EE EASIER?01:00:43 FASTMAIL + OPEN SOURCE01:10:48 PROTECTIONS AGAINST BAD ACTORS01:14:46 PHONE NUMBER REQUIREMENTS01:22:55 AUSTRALIAN JURISDICTION01:25:55 THE FASTMAIL TEAM01:28:45 PRODUCTIVITY-FOCUSED EMAIL CLIENTS01:34:27 FASTMAIL + IMAP01:35:49 WHY THE NAME "FASTMAIL"?01:38:27 IS JMAP WHY FASTMAIL IS SO FAST?01:42:03 FASTMAIL'S IDEAL AVATAR + FUTURE PLANS01:46:25 HOW TO FOLLOW RICARDO + FASTMAIL01:48:03 OUTRO—Keep Techlore Independent:• Become a Techlorian: https://discuss.techlore.tech/s• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/techlore• YouTube Memberships: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs6KfncB4OV6Vug4o_bzijg/join• Affiliate Links: https://techlore.tech/affiliates• All Support Methods: https://techlore.tech/support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Why Google Chrome Betrays Your Privacy (Firefox CTO Explains)
When you sign into Chrome, Google collects your entire browsing history to build behavioral profiles for targeted ads. In this interview, Firefox CTO Bobby Holley breaks down why Mozilla maintains Gecko as an independent engine, how Firefox approaches privacy differently from Google and Apple, and why the stakes for browser independence are higher than ever.Timestamps:00:00 INTRO01:24 CTO DAY IN THE LIFE03:34 STICKING WITH GECKO OVER CHROMIUM06:33 COMPETING ON PRIVACY09:06 PRIVACY IN FIREFOX21:03 INSPIRATION FROM THE TOR PROJECT22:57 WHAT USERS GAIN FROM FIREFOX26:56 THE BEST FIREFOX CONFIGURATION29:59 MANIFEST V2 VS. V3 + AD BLOCKING30:53 MAINTAINING MANIFEST V232:26 UBLOCK ORIGIN BY DEFAULT?33:46 FIREFOX'S APPROACH TO AI39:14 GECKO ON IOS?42:25 FEELINGS ABOUT THE DMA IN EUROPE43:53 WINDOWS DEFAULT BROWSER BEHAVIOR44:52 DMA ENGINE CHOICE PROVISIONS45:13 BEING THE DEFAULT BROWSER ON LINUX46:52 NEW THREATS TO PRIVACY50:33 HOW TO FOLLOW BOBBY & FIREFOX51:47 OUTRO—Keep Techlore Independent:• Become a Techlorian: https://discuss.techlore.tech/s• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/techlore• YouTube Memberships: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs6KfncB4OV6Vug4o_bzijg/join• Affiliate Links: https://techlore.tech/affiliates• All Support Methods: https://techlore.tech/support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Dumb Phones & Privacy: Digital Minimalism with Jose Briones
In this Techlore Talks episode, I sit down with Jose Briones to explore whether dumb phones really offer better privacy and how digital minimalism can transform your relationship with technology. Jose breaks down practical strategies for reducing screen time, the importance of device segmentation, and why mindset, not just hardware, matters most. Whether you're considering a dumb phone or looking to reclaim your focus, this conversation will challenge how you think about your devices.Techlore empowers individuals with practical digital privacy knowledge, security tools, and advocacy resources to protect your data and reclaim your digital identity.📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:• https://josebriones.org/• https://www.dumbphones.org/• https://www.youtube.com/c/josebriones• Jose's interview of Henry: https://josebriones.substack.com/p/building-better-digital-habitsTimestamps:00:00:00 INTRO00:01:24 DUMBPHONES + PRIVACY & DIGITAL RIGHTS00:03:56 WHY ARE DUMBPHONES BETTER FOR PRIVACY?00:05:48 DUMBPHONES VS. MINIMAL SMARTPHONES00:08:57 ADOPTING THE MINDSET00:13:41 ADJUSTING FOR ONLINE WORK00:18:21 HANDLING MISMATCHED EMOTIONS00:22:40 ARE OFFLINE ACTIVITIES IMPORTANT?00:26:12 FINDING A BALANCE WITH ONLINE WORK REQUIREMENTS00:30:16 DIGITAL MINIMALISM + HARDWARE00:35:21 DEVICES & WHERE TO START00:39:42 ENCRYPTED COMMUNICATION00:44:19 WHEN OUR CHOICES IMPACT OTHERS00:48:33 ARE WE ANTI-TECHNOLOGY?00:51:36 HENRY'S IDEAL PHONE00:54:41 CONTENT CREATION & CONSUMPTION00:57:44 HOW CAN PEOPLE FIND YOU?00:59:29 OUTRO—Keep Techlore Independent:• Become a Techlorian: https://discuss.techlore.tech/s• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/techlore• YouTube Memberships: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs6KfncB4OV6Vug4o_bzijg/join• Affiliate Links: https://techlore.tech/affiliates• All Support Methods: https://techlore.tech/support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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From Coreboot to Qubes: Secure Hardware Deep Dive with NovaCustom
Wessel Klein Snakenborg, founder of NovaCustom, joins me to discuss building privacy-focused laptops with CoreBoot firmware, Intel Management Engine disabling, and full Linux compatibility. We dive deep into their custom hardware approach, Qubes OS certification, supply chain security, and why they chose to compete directly with Big Tech on hardware quality while maintaining complete user control. Techlore empowers individuals with practical digital privacy knowledge, security tools, and advocacy resources. Discover how to protect your online data and regain control of your digital identity.📱 RESOURCES IN VIDEO:• https://novacustom.com/• https://doc.qubes-os.org/en/latest/index.htmlTimestamps:00:00 Introduction & What Nova Custom Does01:00 Company Origins & The Meaning Behind "Nova Custom"02:35 Extensive Hardware Customization Options03:40 Operating System Choices & Linux Focus04:40 CoreBoot Firmware & Security Features06:15 Target Audience & Market Positioning08:45 Security Features vs Other Linux Laptop Makers10:00 Intel Management Engine: Privacy vs Security12:00 Supply Chain Security & Anti-Tamper Solutions15:45 Global Expansion & Shipping Worldwide16:40 CoreBoot Benefits & Outsourcing Development19:20 Operating System Installation & No-OS Options21:45 Repairability & 7-Year Parts Guarantee23:20 Hardware Business Challenges & Manufacturing25:40 Future AMD Support & OpenSIL Framework27:45 ARM vs Intel Performance Comparisons33:00 Qubes OS Compatibility & Certification37:00 Review Unit Discussion: 16-inch vs 14-inch39:20 Desktop Environment Limitations in Qubes41:45 Custom Hardware Features & Laser Engraving47:20 BusKill Partnership & Security Accessories48:20 Future Plans: New Firmware & Product Expansion51:00 Favorite Privacy Tools & Secure Communication54:20 Contact Information & Where to Find Nova Custom57:00 Closing Thoughts & Support Information—Keep Techlore Independent:• Become a Techlorian: https://discuss.techlore.tech/s• Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/techlore• YouTube Memberships: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCs6KfncB4OV6Vug4o_bzijg/join• Affiliate Links: https://techlore.tech/affiliates• All Support Methods: https://techlore.tech/support Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Techlore Talks brings you in-depth conversations with the experts at the forefront of privacy, security, and digital rights.Hosted by Henry Fisher, founder of Techlore and long-time digital rights educator, each episode features meaningful discussions with the people building, researching, and advocating for digital freedom. From cybersecurity researchers and privacy tool developers to open-source advocates and digital rights activists—if they're shaping how we protect ourselves online, they're on this show.Topics include:• Privacy tools and technologies• Cybersecurity threats and defenses• Open-source software and development• Surveillance and digital rights• Encryption and data protection• Tech policy and advocacy• Digital sovereignty and freedomJust real conversations with real experts. New episodes released regularly. Subscribe now and join the community fighting for digital freedom. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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