The Discussion:
Dennis started us off talking about how current smart phones cannot be truly turned off and how they do upload what they overhear to advertisers. Devices constantly “check in” to a nearby cell tower. Just turning of a phone doesn’t prevent tracking, and removing the battery is not an option on most models. Pat did mention that using a Faraday cage is the only way to be sure that a phone will not be tracked when not in use.
We then talked about alternate operating systems for phone, and andronix which provides the ability to install Linux on android devices. That would certainly provide more privacy than the other options.
Tailscale was mentioned as a viable method to access network services remotely. For example, it would allow secure access to a home network when traveling with a laptop. Carl found this guide to setup, configure, and use tailscale.
We then considered the usage of old equipment. For example dd-wrt can update and extend the life of various routers. The danger is in using equipment that is no longer supported and/or cannot be updated. Security vulnerabilities of various sorts and “baked in” passwords make these an easy target. The best policy: if you can’t update it, take a hammer to it.
Richard mentioned that SEMCO will host a special session, and talked about their new meeting location. We talked about this and various Discord servers until time ran out. So next time, the assignment is to bring in a list of your favorite groups to use as resources.