Women's Society of Cyberjutsu (WSC) SoCal Chapter Operations Lead .
A big fan of open-source software. Passionate about cybersecurity - especially learning about blue teaming activities
You don't use open source software because it's better (it usually isn't).
You don't use open source software because it's freer (it only sometimes is).
You don't use open source software because it's got better politics (it isn't always).
You use open source software because *it is the only option*. In the long run, if it isn't open source, it doesn't exist.
image source: keithstack.com
I would recommend Ecosia as a search engine, Waterfox as a browser, and Lumo as an AI chatbot if you’re fixed on using AI.
Waterfox is Firefox with all privacy settings on. Simple enough.
Ecosia is a German-based search engine company that uses profits for replanting trees and reforestation. They use several resources for search results, so understand it’s not 100% based on pushing full privacy. I just figure they’re doing good with their money.
Lumo is the Proton-based AI that’s Mistral at the heart (French-based ai company focused on privacy) with some other tools under proton’s belt too.
Combined, I think this gives everyone/anyone a potent level of security/privacy with out-of-the-box use and no special tweaks or settings required.
You could go one step further and use 9.9.9.9 for DNS either at the browser level or gateway level for the whole home!
Merry Christmas to everybody, except that dude who works for Elastic, who decided to drop an unauthenticated exploit for MongoDB on Christmas Day, that leaks memory and automates harvesting secrets (e.g. database passwords)
CVE-2025-14847 aka MongoBleed
Exp: https://github.com/joe-desimone/mongobleed/blob/main/mongobleed.py
This one is incredibly widely internet facing and will very likely see mass exploitation and impactful incidents
Impacts every MongoDB version going back a decade.
Shodan dork: product:"MongoDB"
Hollowed-out center of a redwood #tree.
News: Waymo robot taxis fail to manage SF power outage causing widespread gridlock
https://missionlocal.org/2025/12/sf-waymo-halts-service-blackout/
The question we should be asking is what are the penalties for creating such a citywide menace?