How the CIA Owned an Encryption Company for 50 Years (And Why Your VPN Might Be Next)
For 50 years, 130 governments trusted Crypto AG to protect their most secret communications. Every single message was being read by the CIA and German intelligence. Operation Rubicon was the longest-running espionage operation in history. The CIA secretly bought a Swiss encryption company in 1970, installed backdoors in every device, and sold “secure” communications to governments worldwide. Nobody suspected a thing – until 2020.Now it’s happening again. But this time, they’re buying your VPN companies. Kape Technologies – an Israeli company founded by former adware criminals with ties to Unit 8200 (Israel’s NSA) – quietly bought ExpressVPN in 2021. They also own CyberGhost, PIA, and Zenmate. Plus all the VPN “review” sites that conveniently rank their products at the top.In this episode of The OPSEC Podcast, you’ll discover:Why Chinese VPNs like Turbo VPN are 51% owned by the Communist Party (and why they target American teenagers on TikTok)How Russian VPNs like Kaspersky are legally required to give the FSB access to all your trafficWhy “free VPNs” turn your computer into a botnet zombie (the Hola VPN scandal)What VPNs actually do vs. the anonymity BS they claim in their marketingThe only 3 VPN companies that pass the trust sniff test: ProtonVPN, Mullvad, and NordVPNA VPN does not equal automatic privacy. It’s outsourcing trust from one party to another. If you take trust from your ISP and give it to a malicious actor, you’re worse off than having no VPN at all.Free VPNs make YOU the product. Israeli companies inject adware. Chinese companies feed data to the CCP. Russian companies hand everything to the FSB.Check who owns the VPN – not just where the servers are located. Because if the CIA launched a VPN service promising “guaranteed privacy,” they’d sell exactly zero subscriptions. So why trust companies with the same intelligence agency connections?Your privacy is your responsibility. Do your due diligence or accept the consequences. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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Your Android Phone Is Volunteering You for Mass Surveillance: The Graphene OS OPSEC Fix
Courts can’t agree if geofence warrants are constitutional – but law enforcement is using them anyway. Your phone is volunteering you for mass surveillance operations right now.In 2024, one court declared geofence warrants “categorically unconstitutional” mass surveillance. Another court said they’re perfectly legal. When the law can’t agree on what’s legal, you need to take matters into your own hands.Google Play Services is spyware. It takes over your Android device, harvests all your data, and hands it to law enforcement in dragnet operations. The January 6th investigation proudly used geofencing to track everyone in the area – including innocent bystanders caught in the dragnet who had to defend themselves against crimes they didn’t commit.In this episode of The OPSEC Podcast, you’ll discover:•Why GrapheneOS is now 90-95% functional as a daily driver (the excuses are dead)•How sandboxed Google Play Services gives you control without sacrificing functionality•The Aurora Store’s tracker-counting feature that exposes which apps are spying on you•Why airplane mode on stock Android doesn’t actually turn off your cell tower beacon•The two-factor screen lock that stops you from checking texts while driving (inconvenience as a feature)If you don’t volunteer the information, they have no right to use it. Stock Android and iOS are designed to make you volunteer everything – your location, your patterns, your entire digital life.GrapheneOS gives you back control. The flashing process is now stupidly simple. The functionality is there. The only sacrifice is convenience – and convenience is a trap.Take the leadership role with your family. Build devices for your parents like Alan did. Show them the small differences. Be their tech support. Your care for their privacy is leadership in action.Remember: Your privacy is your responsibility. Your vulnerabilities are on you too. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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From Ukraine War Zones to Your Pocket: Why Signature Reduction Could Save Your Life
Russian soldiers are dying because stolen Ukrainian iPhones are broadcasting their every move. Your phone is doing the same thing to you right now.In the Russia-Ukraine conflict, troops are being hunted down through cell phone signatures. One Ukrainian soldier used Apple’s “Find My Device” to track Russian forces who stole his iPhone and earbuds. They thought they got free electronics – instead, they got a death sentence.Your daily life is no different. Every app, every search, every conversation near your phone creates a signature that’s being collected, analysed, and monetised.In this episode of The OPSEC Podcast, you’ll discover:Why the CIA calls your smartphone “the single best spying device ever invented”The 10-step signature reduction (SIGRED) strategy used by offensive cyber operationsHow your car’s “emergency service” is actually a location beacon you can’t controlWhy those “coincidental” ads after private conversations aren’t coincidences at allThe metadata in your photos reveals everything about your life and locationYou’re walking around with multiple tracking beacons in your pocket every single day. Your advertisement ID, GPS location, Wi-Fi connections, and app installations – they all create a signature that follows you everywhere.Convenience breeds weakness. Every easy login, every auto-connect, every smart device is another way for adversaries to track your patterns and predict your behaviour.The same signature reduction tactics that keep special forces alive can keep you invisible online. Stop broadcasting your life to corporate surveillance networks. Your signature is your vulnerability – and reducing it is your responsibility. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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The OPSEC Alias Playbook: Why Your Real Identity Should Never Touch the Internet
Every time you use your real name online, you’re volunteering to be tracked, profiled, and monetized. You never agreed to this system, but you’re trapped in it anyway.Companies have created fake rules that 99% of people would reject on a fundamental level: surrender all your personal data or you can’t use our services. But here’s the truth – unless there’s a legal requirement, they don’t need your real information.In this episode of The OPSEC Podcast, you’ll discover:How to build bulletproof online personas that can’t be traced back to youThe 3-4 alias categories that cover all your digital needs (and keep you organized)Why VoIP numbers and masked credit cards are your new best friendsHow data breaches become learning opportunities instead of disastersThe alias isolation techniques that prevent cross-contamination between identitiesYour convenience is their profit. Every newsletter signup, fitness tracker, and social media account is feeding a massive surveillance machine designed to strip away your privacy.Companies monetize your data as the default standard – so make up your own rules. Use AI-generated profiles, government building addresses, and public holiday birthdays. Get creative, have fun, and watch corporate data collectors lose your trail completely.Remember: We never subscribed to this system where we default give all our data to these companies.It’s time to go against the grain. Your privacy is your responsibility – and your aliases are your armor. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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$12.5 Billion Stolen in 2024: The 5-Layer OPSEC Strategy That Could Save Your Bank Account
In 2024, Americans lost $12.5 billion to financial fraud – a staggering 25% increase from the previous year. Your bank account structure is making you a target.Most people make the same fatal mistake: they use one checking account for everything. Income flows in, bills flow out, debit cards get compromised, and criminals drain everything while you sleep.In this deep-dive episode of The OPSEC Podcast, you’ll discover:Why your “monolith” bank account is a single point of catastrophic failureThe 5-step OPSEC process applied specifically to your financial accountsThe “Onion Strategy” – a 5-layer financial structure that isolates and protects your moneyHow Privacy.com masked credit cards give you complete control over every purchaseWhy debit cards should never touch the internet (and what to use instead)The non-negotiable multi-factor authentication rules for anything touching moneyYour current bank setup is probably wrong. One compromised account shouldn’t wipe out your entire financial life, but for most people, that’s exactly what happens.The criminals are getting smarter, the losses are getting bigger, and nobody’s coming to save you.Learn the same financial OPSEC strategies that protect intelligence professionals and high-value targets. Because in 2025, everyone with money is a high-value target.Stop being low-hanging fruit. Your financial survival depends on it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Welcome to The OPSEC Podcast - where operational security meets everyday life.I'm your host, Allen P. - former Navy aircrew, defense contractor, and cybersecurity professional with over 15 years of international intelligence operations experience. From the back of military aircraft to Intelligence Community-contracted programs, from Cyber Command to corporate security - I've seen what's possible when privacy and security break down.But here's the thing: nobody's coming to save you. The companies won't fix this for you. The government won't protect your privacy. Your security is your responsibility.Every two weeks, we'll dive deep into the world of operational security - not just as a professional practice, but as a way of life. We'll cover signature reduction, security operations, privacy strategies, and the OPSEC mindset that can protect you whether you're an intelligence professional, a corporate analyst, or someone who simply values their privacy and security.From digital tools and daily carry items to situational awareness and travel security - this is practical, actionable intelligence you can use today. Because in a world where your data is currency and your privacy is under constant attack, the best defense is being your own first line of security.Strong body, strong mind. Be the leader of your tribe. Welcome to The OPSEC Podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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