In this episode of The Gate 15 Interview, Andy Jabbour talks with Matt Mitchell, “a hacker and Tech Fellow at The Ford Foundation. Matt is working with the BUILD and Technology and Society teams at Ford Foundation to develop digital security strategy, technical assistance offerings, and safety and security measures for the foundation’s grantee partners. Matt was recently named by WIRED magazine as one of the 25 ‘innovators who are using technology to lead society through this period of global uncertainty and pointing the way to a safer future.’ called the WIRED25.” In 2017, Matt was listed by VICE’s MOTHERBOARD as a HUMAN OF THE YEAR, for his work protecting marginalized communities from surveillance. Read more about Matt in this Medium post. Photo by Nick Lee, via Medium. Matt on Twitter. Matt on LinkedIn.
In the discussion we address:
- Matt’s background
- Current projects
- Privacy as a right
- Privacy as security
- And more!
Please enjoy this episode of The Gate 15 Interview podcast on Anchor, Spotify, Apple, Google, as well as other locations accessible via the Anchor link or almost anywhere you listen to your favorite podcasts.
“Backdoors… they don’t work…”
Matt Mitchell, in The Gate 15 Interview, recorded 21 Apr 2021
A few references mentioned in or relevant to our discussion include:
- Matt Mitchell Is Arming Underserved Communities With Anti-Surveillance Tools, Vice, 14 Feb 2017
- Ford Foundation, BUILD
- Ford Foundation, Cybersecurity Assessment Tool
- Nigerian Tech Hub Update: It’s Funded, Built, Educating, and… by Ronnie Tokazowski, @iHeartMalware, 08 Apr 2021
- Can you fight BEC popularity in Nigeria by steering youth to legitimate IT jobs? by Catalin Cimpanu, @campuscodi, on The Record, by Recorded Future, @TheRecord_Media, 18 Apr 2021
- Zero Trust: Enable a remote workforce by embracing Zero Trust security, Microsoft
- William Coffee, NSA 2011 Hall of Honor Inductee, African American Honoree. “In April 1946, William D. Coffee was awarded the Commendation for Meritorious Civilian service for his wartime leadership in exploiting critical enciphered messages. During a time of harsh racial discrimination, he excelled and became the acting supervisor of a segregated office that made impressive contributions to the nation’s cryptologic achievements.”
- CryptoHarlem
- Wikipedia: CryptoParty
- On Bug Bounties: Google Project Zero will give a 30-day grace period before disclosing security issues, Kim Lyons, @SocialKimLy, The Verge, @verge, 17 Apr 2021
- The do’s and don’ts of bug bounty programs with Katie Moussouris (@k8em0), by Zack Whittaker, @zackwhittaker, TechCrunch, @TechCrunch, 07 Apr 2021
- DON’T PANIC. Making Progress on the “Going Dark” Debate, The Berkman Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University
“One: the companies want to surveil the people. Two: the organizations, the companies, don’t have people’s best interests at heart…”
Matt Mitchell, in Vice, 14 Feb 2017
The Gate 15 Interview is a monthly interview between Gate 15’s founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour and guests from throughout the homeland security risk management community addressing a wide range of all-hazards topics and issues. Read more about Gate 15’s full podcast menu at our Podcast page. You can subscribe and enjoy all the Gate 15 Podcasts on Anchor, Apple, Spotify, Google, as well as other locations accessible from the Anchor link. Week-to-week, you can hear and learn more about our all-hazards threats, risks, mitigation and other issues impacting homeland security risk management from our team as well as our regular and special guests. The full podcast menu includes:
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- The Gate 15 Interview, is a monthly interview between Gate 15’s founder and Managing Director, Andy Jabbour and guests from throughout the homeland security risk management community addressing a wide range of all-hazards topics and issues.
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