{"version":"1.0.0","segments":[{"startTime":0.24,"endTime":4.08,"body":"Welcome back to Tech Brood. I'm your host, Greg Doig. And we're looking"},{"startTime":4.08,"endTime":7.8,"body":"at a fine line between the tech that empowers us and the"},{"startTime":7.8,"endTime":11.6,"body":"threats that target us. In this episode, we've got a packed"},{"startTime":11.6,"endTime":15.36,"body":"show from a massive FBI warning about the router in"},{"startTime":15.36,"endTime":18.96,"body":"your living room to the next generation of Bluetooth and"},{"startTime":18.96,"endTime":22.16,"body":"the highlights from Google I O 2026."},{"startTime":22.64,"endTime":26.36,"body":"We're also exposing a nasty grocery scam that's hitting social"},{"startTime":26.36,"endTime":29.8,"body":"media. So if you're ready, let's go. We recently"},{"startTime":29.88,"endTime":33.32,"body":"Talked about the FCC's decision to ban foreign made"},{"startTime":33.32,"endTime":36.2,"body":"routers from being imported into the United States."},{"startTime":36.92,"endTime":40.68,"body":"That was a forward looking story. A policy move about"},{"startTime":40.68,"endTime":43.399,"body":"which routers you'll be allowed to buy in the future."},{"startTime":44.04,"endTime":47.76,"body":"Today's episode is the other side of that coin. Today we're talking"},{"startTime":47.76,"endTime":51.52,"body":"about the routers people already own and a joint warning"},{"startTime":51.52,"endTime":55.36,"body":"from the FBI, the NSA, and the Department of Justice"},{"startTime":55.36,"endTime":58.44,"body":"that frankly should be on every news channel in the country."},{"startTime":59.43,"endTime":62.91,"body":"In April, those three agencies issued a coordinated red"},{"startTime":62.91,"endTime":66.75,"body":"alert. Russian military intelligence, specifically"},{"startTime":66.75,"endTime":70.47,"body":"a GRU unit you may have heard of in the past"},{"startTime":70.55,"endTime":74.35,"body":"called APT 28, also known as fancy"},{"startTime":74.35,"endTime":77.75,"body":"Bear, has been hijacking home and small office"},{"startTime":77.75,"endTime":81.59,"body":"routers across at least 23 US states. At the"},{"startTime":81.59,"endTime":85.27,"body":"peak of the campaign late last year, more than 18,000"},{"startTime":85.35,"endTime":89.15,"body":"compromised routers across 120 countries were quietly"},{"startTime":89.15,"endTime":92.69,"body":"phoning home to Russians servers. And here's how"},{"startTime":92.69,"endTime":96.29,"body":"serious this is. The Department of Justice went to a federal"},{"startTime":96.29,"endTime":100.09,"body":"court and got authorization to remotely push fixes"},{"startTime":100.09,"endTime":103.89,"body":"onto compromised routers inside the United States. The"},{"startTime":103.89,"endTime":107.57,"body":"government had to ask a judge for permission to clean up your hardware"},{"startTime":107.81,"endTime":111.41,"body":"because the threat was that significant. And even after that"},{"startTime":111.41,"endTime":115.09,"body":"operation, the DOJ said publicly, quote,"},{"startTime":115.41,"endTime":119.24,"body":"the threat is not fully neutralized. So how does"},{"startTime":119.24,"endTime":122.96,"body":"this attack actually work? Let me break it down in plain English."},{"startTime":123.12,"endTime":126.72,"body":"Your router has a kind of address book. When you type a website"},{"startTime":126.8,"endTime":130.522,"body":"name into your browser, such as chase.com,"},{"startTime":130.798,"endTime":134.52,"body":"gmail.com or whatever it is, the router looks up the"},{"startTime":134.52,"endTime":138.32,"body":"real address of that website and takes you there. That's its job."},{"startTime":138.88,"endTime":142.52,"body":"What these hackers did was rewrite the address book. So you"},{"startTime":142.52,"endTime":145.76,"body":"type chase.com and you go to a page that looks"},{"startTime":145.76,"endTime":149.49,"body":"exactly like Chase's webpage. Same logo,"},{"startTime":149.49,"endTime":153.21,"body":"same color, same login fields, but it's actually a"},{"startTime":153.21,"endTime":156.61,"body":"copy hosted by the attackers. You type in your password,"},{"startTime":156.77,"endTime":160.61,"body":"they capture it. You type in your two factor code, they capture that"},{"startTime":160.61,"endTime":164.409,"body":"too, in real time and use it to log into the real Chase before"},{"startTime":164.409,"endTime":168.17,"body":"the code expires. You don't see a Warning, you don't see a weird"},{"startTime":168.17,"endTime":171.81,"body":"URL, at least not one most people would notice the"},{"startTime":171.81,"endTime":175.25,"body":"attack happens before your browser even reaches the actual website."},{"startTime":176.26,"endTime":179.98,"body":"Now you might be thinking, okay, which routers? The two models that"},{"startTime":179.98,"endTime":182.18,"body":"have been hit hardest are the TP Link,"},{"startTime":182.26,"endTime":185.7,"body":"WR841N and"},{"startTime":185.7,"endTime":189.46,"body":"Ubiquiti Edge routers. These are not obscure devices."},{"startTime":189.54,"endTime":193.38,"body":"The TP Link in particular is one of the best selling budget routers"},{"startTime":193.38,"endTime":197.1,"body":"in the world. It's in millions of homes and coffee shops and small"},{"startTime":197.1,"endTime":200.54,"body":"offices. But honestly, this isn't really about two"},{"startTime":200.54,"endTime":204.34,"body":"specific brands. It's about a category or older. Routers that don't"},{"startTime":204.34,"endTime":208.1,"body":"get firmware updates anymore. Routers that still have their factory"},{"startTime":208.1,"endTime":211.86,"body":"default password. Routers that have remote management turned on because"},{"startTime":211.86,"endTime":215.54,"body":"somebody plugged them in and walked away. Here's what the"},{"startTime":215.54,"endTime":218.98,"body":"FBI is telling you to do, and I want you to pay close attention to"},{"startTime":218.98,"endTime":222.02,"body":"Step one because it's the part most people get wrong."},{"startTime":222.66,"endTime":226.1,"body":"Step one A reboot is not enough."},{"startTime":226.58,"endTime":229.96,"body":"The FBI was explicit about this. Unplugging and"},{"startTime":229.96,"endTime":233.72,"body":"replugging your router will not remove this malware. You need a full"},{"startTime":233.72,"endTime":237.24,"body":"factory reset. On most routers. That means holding the"},{"startTime":237.24,"endTime":240.64,"body":"reset button on the back of the device for 10 to 30 seconds."},{"startTime":240.96,"endTime":244.52,"body":"Keep holding until the lights flash. That wipes the"},{"startTime":244.52,"endTime":248.28,"body":"firmware back to its original state. Step 2 Update"},{"startTime":248.28,"endTime":252.0,"body":"the firmware Once you've reset the router, log into its admin"},{"startTime":252.08,"endTime":255.6,"body":"page either through a web browser or the manufacturer's app,"},{"startTime":255.99,"endTime":259.31,"body":"and go check for firmware updates. Install whatever the"},{"startTime":259.31,"endTime":262.91,"body":"manufacturer offers. If your router is so old that the"},{"startTime":262.91,"endTime":266.55,"body":"manufacturer doesn't make updates for it anymore, that's your sign."},{"startTime":266.87,"endTime":270.23,"body":"Replace it. Next step Change the admin"},{"startTime":270.31,"endTime":274.03,"body":"password. And I want to be specific here. This is not your WI"},{"startTime":274.03,"endTime":277.63,"body":"fi password. This is the password you use to log into the"},{"startTime":277.63,"endTime":281.35,"body":"router settings. A lot of the routers ship with the admin login"},{"startTime":281.35,"endTime":285.12,"body":"set to Admin and Password or admin and"},{"startTime":285.12,"endTime":288.72,"body":"admin. If you've never changed yours, please do it today."},{"startTime":289.04,"endTime":292.68,"body":"Make it long, make it unique, and store it in a password"},{"startTime":292.68,"endTime":296.08,"body":"manager. Another step Turn off remote management."},{"startTime":296.56,"endTime":299.76,"body":"Look in your router settings for anything labeled remote access,"},{"startTime":300.4,"endTime":303.6,"body":"remote administration, or WAN management."},{"startTime":303.92,"endTime":307.72,"body":"That's WAN and switch it off. Unless you have"},{"startTime":307.72,"endTime":311.28,"body":"a very specific reason to log into your router from outside your home,"},{"startTime":311.74,"endTime":315.34,"body":"you don't need that feature. And leaving it on is one of the biggest"},{"startTime":315.34,"endTime":318.62,"body":"doors attackers walk through and another step to follow."},{"startTime":319.1,"endTime":322.94,"body":"Replace end of life hardware. If your router is more than five or"},{"startTime":322.94,"endTime":326.22,"body":"six years old or the manufacturer has stopped issuing security"},{"startTime":326.3,"endTime":329.74,"body":"updates. It's time. I know nobody wants to spend"},{"startTime":329.74,"endTime":333.38,"body":"$150 or more on a new router, but the cost of a"},{"startTime":333.38,"endTime":337.18,"body":"drained bank account is a lot higher. So this is one of"},{"startTime":337.18,"endTime":340.74,"body":"those situations where doing nothing is genuinely a"},{"startTime":340.74,"endTime":344.41,"body":"choice. And it's a bad one. Your router is the front"},{"startTime":344.41,"endTime":348.05,"body":"door to every device in your house. Your phone, your laptop, your kids,"},{"startTime":348.05,"endTime":351.73,"body":"tablets, your smart tv, every camera, every thermostat. If"},{"startTime":351.73,"endTime":355.41,"body":"they're smart devices, the FBI is standing on your porch"},{"startTime":355.41,"endTime":359.25,"body":"telling you the lock has been picked. It should only take 20 minutes"},{"startTime":359.25,"endTime":362.97,"body":"or less to reset, update, change the password, turn off remote"},{"startTime":362.97,"endTime":366.81,"body":"access. That's it. That's the whole assignment. If you found this"},{"startTime":366.81,"endTime":370.47,"body":"helpful, share it with somebody who isn't going to hear it from anywhere else. If"},{"startTime":370.47,"endTime":373.98,"body":"you a parent, a neighbor, a friend whose router has been blinking in the corner"},{"startTime":373.98,"endTime":377.38,"body":"since 2019. So, as always, when on the"},{"startTime":377.38,"endTime":381.02,"body":"Internet and using devices connected to it, hey,"},{"startTime":381.1,"endTime":384.54,"body":"let's be careful. Let's just get right into it. A"},{"startTime":384.54,"endTime":387.9,"body":"sophisticated Facebook scam is circulating right now,"},{"startTime":387.9,"endTime":391.3,"body":"impersonating discount supermarket Aldi to steal"},{"startTime":391.3,"endTime":395.1,"body":"victims payment information. And it's worth knowing exactly"},{"startTime":395.1,"endTime":398.61,"body":"how it works. Welcome back. I'm your host Greg"},{"startTime":398.61,"endTime":402.09,"body":"Doig. The attack starts with a post from a fake or"},{"startTime":402.09,"endTime":405.65,"body":"compromised account. Folks see tone personal story"},{"startTime":406.05,"endTime":409.69,"body":"Someone's husband loves steak. There's a secret deal for people over"},{"startTime":409.69,"endTime":413.41,"body":"40 a $10 meat box. Classic social"},{"startTime":413.41,"endTime":417.17,"body":"engineering. Manufactured trust Fake exclusivity,"},{"startTime":417.33,"endTime":420.69,"body":"artificial urgency. The link is dropped in the"},{"startTime":420.85,"endTime":424.7,"body":"comments, not the post itself. A deliberate tactic"},{"startTime":424.7,"endTime":428.22,"body":"to dodge automated platform scanning. Here's where it gets"},{"startTime":428.22,"endTime":431.98,"body":"technical. That link routes through a URL shortener, then"},{"startTime":431.98,"endTime":435.5,"body":"to a device fingerprinting script which filters out security"},{"startTime":435.58,"endTime":439.34,"body":"researchers and bots before finally landing victims"},{"startTime":439.34,"endTime":443.18,"body":"on a convincing Aldi clone site. The domain's wrong, but"},{"startTime":443.18,"endTime":446.38,"body":"most people don't check the page applies pressure"},{"startTime":446.38,"endTime":449.77,"body":"immediately. One spot left, two minutes to complete."},{"startTime":450.09,"endTime":453.73,"body":"A short survey builds sunk cost momentum. Then"},{"startTime":453.73,"endTime":457.41,"body":"victims win a prize and are forwarded to a real"},{"startTime":457.41,"endTime":460.97,"body":"payload, a payment form requesting full name, address,"},{"startTime":461.13,"endTime":464.81,"body":"phone number and card details dressed up as a"},{"startTime":464.81,"endTime":468.57,"body":"small delivery fee. The site even auto submits if it"},{"startTime":468.57,"endTime":472.17,"body":"detects browser saved autofill data. No final click"},{"startTime":472.17,"endTime":475.63,"body":"required. Similar campaigns have been flagged, targeting"},{"startTime":475.63,"endTime":479.07,"body":"Woolworths customers in Australia and South Africa."},{"startTime":479.71,"endTime":482.67,"body":"This is a templated multinational operation."},{"startTime":483.39,"endTime":487.19,"body":"So Here are your three things to remember. 1 Legitimate"},{"startTime":487.19,"endTime":490.83,"body":"retailers don't hide deals in Facebook comments. 2."},{"startTime":490.91,"endTime":494.35,"body":"Always verify the domain before entering any personal data"},{"startTime":494.67,"endTime":498.51,"body":"and three if you've already submitted your details, call your bank"},{"startTime":498.51,"endTime":501.98,"body":"immediately and request a card freeze Bluetooth"},{"startTime":501.98,"endTime":505.62,"body":"6.0 the next wireless Leap welcome back"},{"startTime":505.62,"endTime":509.22,"body":"tech enthusiasts. Greg Doig here with a fresh tech tip for you."},{"startTime":509.54,"endTime":513.18,"body":"If you've ever hunted for lost earpods under the couch or dealt with"},{"startTime":513.18,"endTime":516.9,"body":"laggy Bluetooth audio During a game, Bluetooth 6"},{"startTime":516.9,"endTime":520.62,"body":"is about to make your life noticeably better. The new standard"},{"startTime":520.62,"endTime":523.74,"body":"is rolling out now and it brings some genuinely useful"},{"startTime":523.74,"endTime":527.38,"body":"upgrades. First up, the Star Feature Channel"},{"startTime":527.38,"endTime":531.19,"body":"Sounding. This lets devices measure distance and direction with"},{"startTime":531.19,"endTime":535.03,"body":"up to about 10 centimeter accuracy. Think precise"},{"startTime":535.03,"endTime":538.59,"body":"Find my tracking for small items like earbuds or keys."},{"startTime":538.91,"endTime":542.67,"body":"No more guessing, your phone could literally point you right to them."},{"startTime":543.15,"endTime":546.67,"body":"It also boosts security for things like digital car keys,"},{"startTime":546.83,"endTime":550.47,"body":"making relay attacks much harder. This is huge for"},{"startTime":550.47,"endTime":554.2,"body":"proximity based unlocking and asset tracking. And"},{"startTime":554.2,"endTime":557.64,"body":"on the audio side, Bluetooth 6 improves the Isochronis"},{"startTime":557.64,"endTime":561.32,"body":"adaptation layer, which is abbreviated ISOAL."},{"startTime":562.12,"endTime":565.92,"body":"It breaks up data packets smarter, reduces latency, and makes"},{"startTime":565.92,"endTime":569.72,"body":"transmission more reliable. Gamers and movie watchers will"},{"startTime":569.72,"endTime":573.44,"body":"notice tighter lip sync and less annoying delays combined"},{"startTime":573.44,"endTime":577.0,"body":"with better multi device switching, your headphones can seamlessly hop"},{"startTime":577.0,"endTime":580.38,"body":"between your phone, laptop and TV without"},{"startTime":580.38,"endTime":584.06,"body":"manual fiddling. Other wins include smarter saving"},{"startTime":584.06,"endTime":587.7,"body":"power, lower overall energy use for longer battery"},{"startTime":587.7,"endTime":591.5,"body":"life, and stronger interference resistance in crowded environments."},{"startTime":591.98,"endTime":595.14,"body":"It builds features like AuraCast for public audio"},{"startTime":595.14,"endTime":598.82,"body":"broadcasting too. The bottom line? Bluetooth"},{"startTime":598.82,"endTime":602.62,"body":"6 won't revolutionize your world overnight, but it quietly fixes"},{"startTime":602.62,"endTime":606.38,"body":"pain points we've lived with for years. More precise,"},{"startTime":606.62,"endTime":610.42,"body":"lower latency and more efficient, it's the kind of upgrade"},{"startTime":610.42,"endTime":613.94,"body":"that just works better in the background. Keep an eye on new gear"},{"startTime":613.94,"endTime":617.62,"body":"labels and when upgrading, Bluetooth 6 support is worth"},{"startTime":617.62,"endTime":621.34,"body":"considering. So stay connected smarter and"},{"startTime":621.34,"endTime":625.18,"body":"get devices with Bluetooth 6 when available. Google"},{"startTime":625.18,"endTime":629.02,"body":"just dropped some massive updates at IO 2026"},{"startTime":629.18,"endTime":632.86,"body":"and it's clear they're going all in on making AI actually do"},{"startTime":632.86,"endTime":636.47,"body":"things for you, not just chat with you. Welcome back"},{"startTime":636.47,"endTime":640.31,"body":"tech enthusiasts. Gemini Omni this is the big one."},{"startTime":640.55,"endTime":644.23,"body":"It's a multimodal beast that can take basically any input and"},{"startTime":644.23,"endTime":647.91,"body":"turn it into something new. It's starting with video, showing"},{"startTime":647.91,"endTime":651.67,"body":"off some seriously impressive world understanding and"},{"startTime":651.75,"endTime":654.95,"body":"editing skills. Next up, Gemini"},{"startTime":654.95,"endTime":658.59,"body":"3.5 Flash this is the speedster of the new"},{"startTime":658.59,"endTime":662.32,"body":"family. It's it's designed to be fast and action oriented,"},{"startTime":662.48,"endTime":666.24,"body":"meaning it's built to execute tasks rather than just process"},{"startTime":666.32,"endTime":670.16,"body":"info. And Google is moving away from simple chatbots"},{"startTime":670.16,"endTime":673.92,"body":"and toward agents that can actually get stuff done. Google"},{"startTime":673.92,"endTime":677.4,"body":"Anti Gravity this is their new platform that lets pretty much"},{"startTime":677.4,"endTime":680.92,"body":"anyone build their own AI agents. You don't need to be a"},{"startTime":680.92,"endTime":683.84,"body":"hardcore dev to start building tools that take action"},{"startTime":684.56,"endTime":688.28,"body":"and you're going to see these agents popping up in everything. Think"},{"startTime":688.28,"endTime":691.92,"body":"smarter, Search, a daily brief in the Gemini app, and a"},{"startTime":691.92,"endTime":695.04,"body":"universal cart that makes shopping way more intelligent."},{"startTime":695.68,"endTime":699.04,"body":"The vibe this year is definitely less taking more doing."},{"startTime":699.44,"endTime":702.96,"body":"Google is trying to turn Gemini into a proactive assistant"},{"startTime":703.12,"endTime":706.88,"body":"that lives across your phone, your glasses, and even"},{"startTime":706.88,"endTime":710.4,"body":"YouTube. Well, that's it for this episode. We went"},{"startTime":710.4,"endTime":713.88,"body":"from restarting your router to the new world of Gemini"},{"startTime":713.88,"endTime":717.6,"body":"Omni and the message is clear. Stay updated or stay"},{"startTime":717.6,"endTime":721.12,"body":"vulnerable. Your choice. If you found today's episode"},{"startTime":721.12,"endTime":724.84,"body":"helpful, do us a favor and hit the share button in your podcast app. Wherever"},{"startTime":724.84,"endTime":728.6,"body":"you listen to this and send it to the one person you know who is"},{"startTime":728.6,"endTime":732.4,"body":"still using admin as their router password, you"},{"startTime":732.4,"endTime":736.04,"body":"just might save their bank account and more. And wherever"},{"startTime":736.04,"endTime":739.76,"body":"you're at out there on that Internet, as always, hey, let's be careful"},{"startTime":739.76,"endTime":742.4,"body":"out there and we'll catch you in the next episode."}]}