PSA Newsletter 18: Privacy, Security, Automation!
Never Trust Mobile Providers, A Late Crowdstrike Take, and Reolink Recommendations...
Privacy
AT&T recently made public a massive theft of customer data from nearly all current and former customers between May 1 and October 31, 2022. Phone numbers of all call and text interactions from May 1,2022 to October 31, 2022 were included in the affected data set, which was stolen from a 3rd party cloud provider contracted by AT&T. This also includes data from MVNOs like Boost, Consumer Cellular, and Cricket.
Anyone who uses mobile-based 2FA or MFA codes should be particularly concerned. With the information gained from this breach, malicious actors can easily compile a list of targets for SIM swap or other mobile attacks, with the goal of gaining access to sensitive accounts. As always, I recommend using a pair of hardware keys, such as Yubikeys for any MFA prompts. Best practice is to have one on you and another stored in a safe place as a backup. There are simply too many points of failure in text-based MFA to recommend it any longer. [1][2]
Security
On July 19th, 2024, 8.5 million Windows PC's and Servers were sent into reboot loops due to a faulty update sent out by a Microsoft security partner, CrowdStrike. This affected several industries including travel, healthcare, and other critical sectors. Many were left asking how this could happen while ignoring a few obvious factors:
- Cloud providers have overtaken on-premise servers and data centers, each with their own patch and vetting schedules.
- Microsoft granted CrowdStrike what looks like unfettered access to the kernel, the core of its operating systems, as a result of a European Commission agreement, and finally
- Complete reliance on Microsoft in the data center
In summary: The Crowdstrike outage was a problem that most IT Graybeards saw or could see coming a mile away. When you outsource the management and visibility of your entire infrastructure and let programs run in kernelspace, these kinds of outages are inevitable. A staggered patching schedule and mixed operating system environments may not solve all these issues, but they'll go a long way. Come to think of it: a DR plan wouldnt hurt either.
Automation
If you're looking to get started with Home video cameras and are looking for a more privacy-focused option than ring or blink, take a look at Reolink. An Argus PT Ultra Pan/Tilt/Zoom camera sending its video to a Reolink Home Hub is a great place to start. Bonus: The Home Hub integrates with Synology Video Station and Home Assistant, which is my new favorite home automation platform.[4][5]
