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Wired magazine
Senior writer for Wired magazine and author of This Machine Kills Secrets: How WikiLeakers, Cypherpunks, and Hacktivists Aim to Free the World’s Information; former tech reporter for Forbes magazine
PROFILE
Andy Greenberg
Guest
FROM Andy Greenberg
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Implications of 3D printing plastic guns On Tuesday, a federal judge in Seattle issued a nationwide injunction on DIY gunmaker Cody Wilson’s plans to publish blueprints for 3D-printed guns online. Wilson had already posted the blueprints online 5 years ago for a for a single-shot handgun and he says the plans have been downloaded at least 100,000 times. The guns are plastic, so they can go right through metal detectors. They don’t have serial numbers, so they can’t be traced. There’s been litigation between Wilson and the federal government since 2013. A month ago, the Trump administration decided to let Wilson go ahead with his plans, but the judge on Tuesday said no.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Flaws in Intel chips put everything on your devices at risk for hacking Security researchers have announced two bugs in computer chips that make nearly every computer or smartphone on the planet vulnerable to hacking. If the bugs are exploited, hackers could spy on data on your computer, on your phone, and even some data stored in the cloud. The two flaws are being called Spectre and Meltdown.
To the Point
The FBI Wants Apple to Cast Light on 'The Dark Web' The dispute pitting law enforcement against cyber security is dividing members of Congress — and veterans of US intelligence. FBI Director James Comey went to Capitol Hill this week to explain his demand that Apple provide a so-called "back door" to the iPhone of the San Bernardino terrorist Sayed Farook. One surprising opponent is retired General Michael Hayden, who led the CIA and directed the National Security Agency's wiretaps without warrants. He's now a security consultant in the private sector, and he's siding with Silicon Valley against the FBI. We also hear why so-called "back doors" to encryption are not just an issue of an individual's right to privacy but a real danger to American security.
To the Point
Building Your Own Untraceable AR-15 'Ghost Gun' Is Easy Gun control advocates — and gun lovers — talk about "ghost guns" that are made at home and can't be traced by law enforcement. Andy Greenberg made in his office at Wired. It's a metal AR-15, that required no waiting period, no background check — and no serial number. This summer he wrote extensively about it in Wired and he told us the story, beginning with just what he means by "ghost gun."
To the Point
Building Your Own Untraceable AR-15 'Ghost Gun' Is Easy Gun control advocates — and gun lovers — talk about "ghost guns" that are made at home and can't be traced by law enforcement. Andy Greenberg made his own "ghost gun" in his office at Wired magazine. It's a metal AR-15, that required no waiting period, no background check—and no serial number. He's written extensively about it in Wired .
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
Popcorn Time Chipping Away at Box Office Returns If you don’t feel like going out to see a movie tonight, you could just stay home and fire up Netflix. Or, if you don’t have a Netflix account and you’re not concerned with those pesky anti-piracy laws, you could just use the new app Popcorn Time and watch a current movie for free. Millions of people are already using Popcorn Time after just a year online, and apparently it’s growing by 100,000 downloads a day. We find out more about the app and what it could mean for the film industry. Screen grab from Popcorn Time, the movie torrenting app. Movie available on Popcorn Time, the movie torrenting app.
Press Play with Madeleine Brand
The New Silk Roads More than 400 web addresses selling illegal drugs were shut down in a major international crackdown that spanned 17 countries. One of the sites taken down was the Silk Road 2; its alleged operator is facing charges of narcotics trafficking, computer hacking and conspiracy. We look at the latest in the investigation.
To the Point
Are 'Dark Networks' a Threat or a Haven Online? Revelations about the government’s electronic surveillance have raised alarms about privacy. Today's Wall Street Journal reports that the National Security Agency’s capacity is even broader than has reported before—enabling it to reach " roughly 75% of all US Internet traffic ."Is there any way to use the Internet secretly? Yes, there is. It's the Darknet, available through software that allows anonymous browsing—and, increasingly—provides opportunities for organized crime. On Silk Road, for example, customers can find LSD, cocaine and heroin as if they were shopping on Amazon — anonymously. Why hasn't the government cracked down? Are there legitimate reasons for Internet users to conceal their identities?
Which Way, L.A.?
WikiLeaks and 'Enforced Transparency' WikiLeaks’ latest “ megadump ” of information has caused distress and embarrassment worldwide, especially at the US State Department where Secretary of State Clinton says the documents “allegedly” originated. Publication in five newspapers around the world has only begun, and staffs of reporters and checkers have been assigned to determine what’s real and what’s not.
To the Point
Can Anyone Keep a Secret Any More? WikiLeaks' latest " mega-dump " of information has caused distress and embarrassment worldwide, especially at the US State Department where Secretary of State Clinton says they "allegedly" originated. Publication in five newspapers around the world has only begun, and staffs of reporters and checkers have been assigned to determine what's real and what's not. After shaking up international diplomacy, WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange says upcoming revelations might bring down a major American bank. Can Assange be stopped? Is WikiLeaks destroying the trust crucial to US diplomacy, or do documents leaked so far show State Department officials just doing their jobs? What about Hillary Clinton ordering diplomats to spy on their counterparts? Has WikiLeaks uncovered an unsavory kind of business as usual?
To the Point
Airport Full-Body Scanner Technology Used to Search Cars Courthouses and airport security checkpoints aren't the only places where x-ray scanners are being deployed. A company in Massachusetts is selling them to police departments for use in moving vehicles on city streets. Z-Backscatter 's x-ray vision is a powerful technology—capable of seeing through walls, clothing and much more. Andy Greenberg is a staff writer for Forbes magazine.
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To the Point
Who's to blame for the opioid crisis? Some of the lawyers who took on Big Tobacco are now going after Big Pharma. It’s all about the deadly epidemic of opioid use. Are the drug companies to blame? What about the users? Later, on today’s Talking Point: making sense of Britain’s upset election.
Left, Right & Center
President Trump: US to withdraw from the Paris Climate Accord Trump says he was elected to serve Pittsburgh, not Paris.
To the Point
The Trump agenda: where's the beef? President Trump says big things are happening. After celebrating a House bill on health care, he doesn’t yet have Senate agreement. With James Comey’s public testimony scheduled tomorrow, the President today tweeted his selection of a new FBI Director. Is the Chief Executive all style and no substance? Later, terror attacks in Iran and conflicting claims about who’s behind them.