Over the last 2-3 months, large software makers such as Microsoft have been releasing tons of fixes for vulnerabilities in their apps and operating systems. Did their software suddenly get a lot worse? No. They’re using the latest AI tools to find these bugs that humans missed and that have been lurking in their software for months or even years – and they’re fixing them. That’s great news… but these fixes won’t do you any good unless you install them. Bad guys are using these same tools to exploit these bugs. There’s never been a better time to update all your devices’ software.

In other news: a hidden car device leaves many cars vulnerable to hacking; most fitness wearables don’t encrypt users’ data end-to-end; Iran is tracking US military phones; CBP accuses citizen of wiping phone using “duress” password; US says Iran is hacking critical infrastructure; US also warns that Russia and China are hacking small office routers; US judge denies broad “stringray” warrant in Ohio; LG to ban proxy apps on their TVs; Maine librarians teach patrons how to remove AI features.

Article Links

A Device Hidden in Cars Across the US Leaves Them Vulnerable to Hacking and Paralysis. Patch It Now: https://www.wired.com/story/a-device-hidden-in-cars-across-the-us-leaves-them-vulnerable-to-hacking-and-paralysis-patch-it-now
Most fitness wearables lack end-to-end encryption and don’t disclose government data demands, says EFF: https://this.weekinsecurity.com/most-fitness-wearables-lack-end-to-end-encryption-and-lack-transparency-reports
Financial Times: US military smartphones targeted through roaming and ad tech: https://harrigan.house.gov/media/in-the-news/financial-times-us-military-smartphones-targeted-through-roaming-and-ad-tech
US accuses American of allegedly wiping his phone using a ‘duress’ password during border search: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/24/us-accuses-american-of-allegedly-wiping-his-phone-using-a-duress-password-during-border-search
US government says Iran-linked hackers are disrupting American water and energy providers: https://techcrunch.com/2026/07/23/us-government-says-iran-linked-hackers-are-disrupting-american-water-and-energy-providers
The US government warns that Russia state hackers are coming after your router: https://arstechnica.com/security/2026/07/the-us-government-warns-that-russia-state-hackers-are-coming-after-your-router
U.S. judge denied feds a month-long warrant to snoop on the phones of thousands of Ohio residents: https://this.weekinsecurity.com/us-judge-denied-feds-month-long-warrant-to-snoop-on-the-phones-of-thousands-of-ohio-residents
LG to Ban Residential Proxies from Smart TV Apps: https://krebsonsecurity.com/2026/07/lg-to-ban-residential-proxies-from-smart-tv-apps
These Maine librarians are helping patrons resist AI and Big Tech: https://www.bangordailynews.com/2026/07/02/midcoast/midcoast-culture/maine-librarians-are-helping-patrons-resist-ai-joam40zk0w
Tip of the Week: https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/update-all-the-things/

Further Info

Digital Citizen, Phase 1: https://fdsd.me/phase1
Countdown to FDSD500!! https://fdsd500.com
Get your FDSD500 merch!! https://fdsd.me/merch
Zero-Day documentary: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5446858/
EFF’s Rayhunter: https://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2025/03/meet-rayhunter-new-open-source-tool-eff-detect-cellular-spying
This Week in Security: https://this.weekinsecurity.com/
My book: https://fdsd.me/book
My newsletter: https://fdsd.me/newsletter

0:00:07: Intro
0:00:25: Phase 1 reminder
0:04:09: Quick news bites
0:05:54: News rundown
0:07:35: Hidden card device vulnerable to hacks
0:15:00: Most fitness wearables lack E2EE
0:19:19: Iran tracking military smartphones
0:26:58: US accuses citizen of wiping phone with “duress” password
0:33:15: US Gov’t claims Iran attaching infrastructure
0:38:03: Russia attacking US routers
0:42:37: Judge denies “Stingray” warrant
0:49:09: LG TV to ban proxy network apps
0:53:57: Maine librarians help patrons remove AI
1:00:54: Tip of the Week
1:10:18: Reminders
1:11:17: Patron podcast preview
1:11:49: Looking ahead

Article Links

Further Info

Table of Contents