Tuesday Sweep: 7 August 2018

Your weekly reminder to back up your data, update software and otherwise pay attention to your digital environment. (Oh, and to head to the CRASH Space meeting…)

• On the blog
• On the repo
• See all the zones

Rolling back to the beginning, Zone 01, connectivity.

I made the mistake of thinking I was ready for a beer before I typed this and I’ve been draining Tod’s attention with my “wow, like, low hierarchy networks are hard, for like… EVERYTHING”  rambling thoughts not even halfway through happy hour. So to spare y’all the worst of it I leave you 2 links… extrapolate at will.

• Machines: 14 LoRa FAQs Answered
• People: Governing The Commons: The Evolution of Institutions for Collective Action

Jump in Here

• Welcome. If you haven’t been following along, it’s okay. You’re not behind, you’re just where you are.
• Need a instant pick me up? Jump straight to our Easy Wins.
• There are more recommendations under Start Here.
• Feeling more ambitious? Just wait for the Learn section!

Sweep

Weekly Basics

• Check that backup systems are actually running. (more)
• Update main computer(s), phone(s) and tablet(s). (more)
• Clean out and reset wallet/purse/laptop bag/vehicle. (more)
• Spend some time adding passwords to your password manager and updating flagged passwords. (more)
• Wipe down your main devices, physically! (more)
• What neglected inbox will you check today? (more)

This Week’s Focus:

Zone 01:  Connectivity

• Any new ISP choices available to you? Hassled your elected officials lately about that? Have fun researching alternatives! (more)
• If you’ve rolled your own VPN, update it. (more)
• Reboot your router at the least, reset it if possible.  (more)
• Double check firewall settings (more)
• Update antivirus software (more)
• Make sure HTTPs everywhere is fully enabled. (more)
• If applicable, re-image sacrificial devices (more)
• Spend a little time learning how the internet works. (more)

Learn

News and Updates

Where do you scan for news, include a politics update!

• Defcon, BlackHat, B-Sides
• California: No Police Surveillance Without a Public Process
• Need help understanding how people remain devoted to people (or websites) that represent a very real threat? Allow me to recommend “Terror, Love and Brainwashing: Attachment in Cults and Totalitarian Systems” by Alexandra Stein. A quote about Disorganized Attachment: “So, when the child feels threatened by the caregiver, he or she is caught in an impossible situation: both comfort and threat are represented by the same person –the caregiver. The child experiences the unresolvable paradox of seeking to simultaneously flee from and approach the caregiver. “
• If the Reddit Thing is making you freak, a reminder: No 2FA at all < SMS 2FA < Google Voice No. 2FA <  Authentication apps or Physical Authentication
• Data as Labor
• Terminal-based task manager
• When the data and the story challenge each other – It’s not conservative speech that’s punished at universities.
• Gig economy 101—“I came to this bar in a Lyft, should I feel guilty about that?”
• experimental peer-to-peer root DNS
• PoC||GTFO, Volume 2
• The Oxygen of Amplification (PDF)
• The Cognitive Biases Tricking Your Brain works nicely with Measuring the Rationality of Security Decisions
• I’m a long time subscriber to Consumer Reports and I’m happy they review digital products with marks for privacy and security concerns!

Engage

We are a community. You are a welcome part of it.

• Did you learn something cool in your sweep? Make something? Share it!
• Speak up
• Give
• Like going to conferences? Maybe one is coming up!
• Show up at CRASH Space.

Relax

In the title image, click through to see the lovely animation “Evening light” by Osamu Taniguchi, @akisute0701