DigitalCulture.LA

Shortly after New Years we were hit with two security flaws that affect microprocessors called Meltdown and Spectre. These hardware flaws allow programs to steal data being processed on a computer. Both have both been around for quite some time and it’s unclear to what extent they have already been exploited. Desktop, laptop, and cloud computers may be affected by Meltdown, as for Spectre, it’s all of the above, and mobile. My guest this week is Dan Kaminsky, Chief Scientist at White Ops, a cybersecurity firm. Dan is one of the seven Recovery Key Shareholders who possess the ability to restore the DNS root keys, aka the keys to restore the internet. We talk about Meltdown and Spectre, Intel’s response, and whatever you do, don’t download the dancing fish… but first, our need for speed and the introduction to Meltdown and Spectre.

Right now the FCC is considering a proposal to roll back the net neutrality protections in the Open Internet Order, thereby allowing ISPs, the gatekeepers of the internet, to effectively control what you have access to and how quickly. The FCC, led by chairman Ajit Pai, released the final draft of their plan named "Restoring Internet Freedom," which would reverse a 2015 ruling that classifies ISPs as if they were telecommunication services and instead have them be classified as information services. The FCC is forbidden from imposing neutrality obligations on information services and this proposal gives significant authority back to the Federal Trade Commission and many fear that the FTC does not have the bandwidth to properly regulate. This change could allow ISPs to experiment with so-called "fast lanes" for internet traffic, where some apps and services are prioritized over others. My guest this week is Peter Eckersley, the Chief Computer Scientist for the Electronic Frontier Foundation, which is an international non-profit digital rights group that has fought for our rights online for over 25 years. Peter was on the show back in April to discuss how to hide from your ISP and I am joined by Peter again to talk about what the FCC’s changes mean and how we can fight for net neutrality.

My guest this week is MAKE IT IN LA and the host of the Art of Manufacturing podcast Krisztina "Z" Holly, who is trying to help makers become manufacturers. I spoke with Z about LA manufacturing, the fear of automation, and what it takes to MAKE IT IN LA.