<p>Holiday shopping season is here! And that must mean that it’s time again for my annual Best & Worst Gift Guide! But this time I’ve recruited some top minds from Consumer Reports to lend their expertise and enlighten us with their tech gift-giving strategies! Yael Grauer, Stacey Higginbotham and Jeff Landale join me for a round table discussion of how to give tech gifts that won’t ruin the security and privacy of your recipients!</p>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Interview Notes</h1>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li><strong>$10 off Consumer Reports!! </strong><a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/fdsd/"><strong>https://www.consumerreports.org/fdsd/</strong></a><strong> </strong></li>
<li>Consumer Reports: <a href="https://www.consumerreports.org/">https://www.consumerreports.org/</a> </li>
<li>Cyber Readiness Report: <a href="https://innovation.consumerreports.org/new-report-2025-consumer-cyber-readiness/">https://innovation.consumerreports.org/new-report-2025-consumer-cyber-readiness/</a> </li>
<li>Security Planner: <a href="https://securityplanner.consumerreports.org/">https://securityplanner.consumerreports.org/</a> </li>
<li>Vulnerability Disclosure Programs: <a href="https://innovation.consumerreports.org/who-ya-gonna-call/">https://innovation.consumerreports.org/who-ya-gonna-call/</a> </li>
<li>Give Dragon Coupons! <a href="https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/give-the-gift-of-security-and-privacy/">https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/give-the-gift-of-security-and-privacy/</a> </li>
<li>Library Freedom Project: <a href="https://libraryfreedom.org/">https://libraryfreedom.org/</a> </li>
<li>Yael on spyware and iPhone 17: <a href="https://innovation.consumerreports.org/apples-new-iphone-memory-protections-safeguards-devices-against-sophisticated-attacks/">https://innovation.consumerreports.org/apples-new-iphone-memory-protections-safeguards-devices-against-sophisticated-attacks/</a> </li>
<li>Yael interview (Security Planner): <a href="https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2025/02/17/security-planner/">https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2025/02/17/security-planner/</a> </li>
<li>Stacey interview (software tethering): <a href="https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2024/11/11/cutting-the-software-tether/">https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2024/11/11/cutting-the-software-tether/</a> </li>
<li>iVerify interview: <a href="https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2023/11/13/securing-your-smartphone/">https://podcast.firewallsdontstopdragons.com/2023/11/13/securing-your-smartphone/</a> </li>
</ul>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Further Info</h1>
<ul class="wp-block-list">
<li>All my Best & Worst guides: <a href="https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/category/best-worst-gifts/">https://firewallsdontstopdragons.com/category/best-worst-gifts/</a> </li>
<li>My book: <a href="https://fdsd.me/book">https://fdsd.me/book</a> </li>
<li>My newsletter: <a href="https://fdsd.me/newsletter">https://fdsd.me/newsletter</a> </li>
<li>Support the mission: <a href="https://fdsd.me/support">https://fdsd.me/support</a> </li>
<li>Give the gift of privacy and security: <a href="https://fdsd.me/coupons">https://fdsd.me/coupons</a> </li>
<li>Get your Firewalls Don’t Stop Dragons Merch! <a href="https://fdsd.me/merch">https://fdsd.me/merch</a> </li>
</ul>
<h1 class="wp-block-heading">Table of Contents</h1>
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<li>0:00:15: Intro</li>
<li>0:02:18: What is your tech gift giving philosophy?</li>
<li>0:08:37: What are some worrying tech trends?</li>
<li>0:17:41: What are your tech gift horror stories?</li>
<li>0:22:09: What are your thoughts on giving tech gifts to kids?</li>
<li>0:29:52: What gifts are on your naughty list?</li>
<li>0:42:31: What’s on your nice tech gift list?</li>
<li>0:54:51: How should you handle receiving a bad gift?</li>
<li>1:07:06: Any other hot tips or advice?</li>
<li>1:11:08: What are some great non-tech gifts?</li>
<li>1:17:40: How can Consumer Reports help here?</li>
<li>1:20:39: Wrap-up</li>
<li>1:22:35: Dealing with phone spyware</li>
<li>1:24:35: Newsletter info</li>
<li>1:24:51: IoT vulnerability programs</li>
<li>1:25:04: Give Thanks</li>
<li>1:25:37: Patron podcast preview</li>
<li>1:26:28: Other gift ideas</li>
<li>1:27:27: EasyOptOuts and PayPal</li>
<li>1:28:12: Looking ahead</li>
</ul>
