#bvsd — Public Fediverse posts

I'm a member of the Boulder Valley School District's "District Accountability Committee" or DAC. Each school in the district has a representative that meets once a month at district headquarters to hash out policy, budget, and other recommendations to the school board.

At last night's DAC meeting, during the Q&A period following our Superintendent's briefing (in which he brought up the ongoing problem of kids vaping in school bathrooms), I mentioned an amazing talk I saw at this past @defcon #DEFCON33 called "Unmasking the Snitch Puck: The creepy IoT surveillance in the school bathroom" - video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCnojaEpF2I

You see, New Vista High School, which just opened a brand new building, has installed these devices, called a Halo 3C Smart Sensor, in all the bathrooms and elsewhere inside the school building, and has made a measurable impact reducing the number of vaping-in-school incidents. But, as I told superintendent Anderson, the sensor itself brings along with it some seriously problematic security vulnerabilities, in addition to the undocumented capabilities that the researchers in the talk exploited.

The superintendent's response to that made the whole room bust out laughing: "Andrew, you never fail to bring to my attention things that scare the hell out of me" - to which I responded, literally my job, Rob. It's why they call it "Threat Research" my guy.

This is why every community board, council, committee, etc. needs a thoughtful hacker present, to relay important information like this to policy implementers and policy makers who just don't keep up with this space.

#BVSD #schoolboard #edtech #edpolicy #techpolicy #Boulder #COpolitics

I'm a member of the Boulder Valley School District's "District Accountability Committee" or DAC. Each school in the district has a representative that meets once a month at district headquarters to hash out policy, budget, and other recommendations to the school board.

At last night's DAC meeting, during the Q&A period following our Superintendent's briefing (in which he brought up the ongoing problem of kids vaping in school bathrooms), I mentioned an amazing talk I saw at this past @defcon #DEFCON33 called "Unmasking the Snitch Puck: The creepy IoT surveillance in the school bathroom" - video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCnojaEpF2I

You see, New Vista High School, which just opened a brand new building, has installed these devices, called a Halo 3C Smart Sensor, in all the bathrooms and elsewhere inside the school building, and has made a measurable impact reducing the number of vaping-in-school incidents. But, as I told superintendent Anderson, the sensor itself brings along with it some seriously problematic security vulnerabilities, in addition to the undocumented capabilities that the researchers in the talk exploited.

The superintendent's response to that made the whole room bust out laughing: "Andrew, you never fail to bring to my attention things that scare the hell out of me" - to which I responded, literally my job, Rob. It's why they call it "Threat Research" my guy.

This is why every community board, council, committee, etc. needs a thoughtful hacker present, to relay important information like this to policy implementers and policy makers who just don't keep up with this space.

#BVSD #schoolboard #edtech #edpolicy #techpolicy #Boulder #COpolitics

I'm a member of the Boulder Valley School District's "District Accountability Committee" or DAC. Each school in the district has a representative that meets once a month at district headquarters to hash out policy, budget, and other recommendations to the school board.

At last night's DAC meeting, during the Q&A period following our Superintendent's briefing (in which he brought up the ongoing problem of kids vaping in school bathrooms), I mentioned an amazing talk I saw at this past @defcon #DEFCON33 called "Unmasking the Snitch Puck: The creepy IoT surveillance in the school bathroom" - video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCnojaEpF2I

You see, New Vista High School, which just opened a brand new building, has installed these devices, called a Halo 3C Smart Sensor, in all the bathrooms and elsewhere inside the school building, and has made a measurable impact reducing the number of vaping-in-school incidents. But, as I told superintendent Anderson, the sensor itself brings along with it some seriously problematic security vulnerabilities, in addition to the undocumented capabilities that the researchers in the talk exploited.

The superintendent's response to that made the whole room bust out laughing: "Andrew, you never fail to bring to my attention things that scare the hell out of me" - to which I responded, literally my job, Rob. It's why they call it "Threat Research" my guy.

This is why every community board, council, committee, etc. needs a thoughtful hacker present, to relay important information like this to policy implementers and policy makers who just don't keep up with this space.

#BVSD #schoolboard #edtech #edpolicy #techpolicy #Boulder #COpolitics

I'm a member of the Boulder Valley School District's "District Accountability Committee" or DAC. Each school in the district has a representative that meets once a month at district headquarters to hash out policy, budget, and other recommendations to the school board.

At last night's DAC meeting, during the Q&A period following our Superintendent's briefing (in which he brought up the ongoing problem of kids vaping in school bathrooms), I mentioned an amazing talk I saw at this past @defcon #DEFCON33 called "Unmasking the Snitch Puck: The creepy IoT surveillance in the school bathroom" - video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCnojaEpF2I

You see, New Vista High School, which just opened a brand new building, has installed these devices, called a Halo 3C Smart Sensor, in all the bathrooms and elsewhere inside the school building, and has made a measurable impact reducing the number of vaping-in-school incidents. But, as I told superintendent Anderson, the sensor itself brings along with it some seriously problematic security vulnerabilities, in addition to the undocumented capabilities that the researchers in the talk exploited.

The superintendent's response to that made the whole room bust out laughing: "Andrew, you never fail to bring to my attention things that scare the hell out of me" - to which I responded, literally my job, Rob. It's why they call it "Threat Research" my guy.

This is why every community board, council, committee, etc. needs a thoughtful hacker present, to relay important information like this to policy implementers and policy makers who just don't keep up with this space.

#BVSD #schoolboard #edtech #edpolicy #techpolicy #Boulder #COpolitics

I'm a member of the Boulder Valley School District's "District Accountability Committee" or DAC. Each school in the district has a representative that meets once a month at district headquarters to hash out policy, budget, and other recommendations to the school board.

At last night's DAC meeting, during the Q&A period following our Superintendent's briefing (in which he brought up the ongoing problem of kids vaping in school bathrooms), I mentioned an amazing talk I saw at this past @defcon #DEFCON33 called "Unmasking the Snitch Puck: The creepy IoT surveillance in the school bathroom" - video here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCnojaEpF2I

You see, New Vista High School, which just opened a brand new building, has installed these devices, called a Halo 3C Smart Sensor, in all the bathrooms and elsewhere inside the school building, and has made a measurable impact reducing the number of vaping-in-school incidents. But, as I told superintendent Anderson, the sensor itself brings along with it some seriously problematic security vulnerabilities, in addition to the undocumented capabilities that the researchers in the talk exploited.

The superintendent's response to that made the whole room bust out laughing: "Andrew, you never fail to bring to my attention things that scare the hell out of me" - to which I responded, literally my job, Rob. It's why they call it "Threat Research" my guy.

This is why every community board, council, committee, etc. needs a thoughtful hacker present, to relay important information like this to policy implementers and policy makers who just don't keep up with this space.

#BVSD #schoolboard #edtech #edpolicy #techpolicy #Boulder #COpolitics

UPDATE (11:40am): BPD found the person who the "reporting party" reported; that person was not armed, and is wearing a workout vest. The original reporter verified that the person police found is the person he reported. So, no weapon found, police are starting to wind down the search. Just another day in paradise.

#boulder police are conducting a sweep at #BVSD #Fairview high school in Boulder, looking for a person reported to be seen in the area holding "something that looks like a gun" - massive police presence, and air units are sweeping the area, school and the neighborhood is on lockdown, no injuries reported. Live stream of Boulder Police available from https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/ctid/247
#Colorado #COpolitics #FairviewHS

UPDATE (11:40am): BPD found the person who the "reporting party" reported; that person was not armed, and is wearing a workout vest. The original reporter verified that the person police found is the person he reported. So, no weapon found, police are starting to wind down the search. Just another day in paradise.

#boulder police are conducting a sweep at #BVSD #Fairview high school in Boulder, looking for a person reported to be seen in the area holding "something that looks like a gun" - massive police presence, and air units are sweeping the area, school and the neighborhood is on lockdown, no injuries reported. Live stream of Boulder Police available from https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/ctid/247
#Colorado #COpolitics #FairviewHS

UPDATE (11:40am): BPD found the person who the "reporting party" reported; that person was not armed, and is wearing a workout vest. The original reporter verified that the person police found is the person he reported. So, no weapon found, police are starting to wind down the search. Just another day in paradise.

#boulder police are conducting a sweep at #BVSD #Fairview high school in Boulder, looking for a person reported to be seen in the area holding "something that looks like a gun" - massive police presence, and air units are sweeping the area, school and the neighborhood is on lockdown, no injuries reported. Live stream of Boulder Police available from https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/ctid/247
#Colorado #COpolitics #FairviewHS

UPDATE (11:40am): BPD found the person who the "reporting party" reported; that person was not armed, and is wearing a workout vest. The original reporter verified that the person police found is the person he reported. So, no weapon found, police are starting to wind down the search. Just another day in paradise.

#boulder police are conducting a sweep at #BVSD #Fairview high school in Boulder, looking for a person reported to be seen in the area holding "something that looks like a gun" - massive police presence, and air units are sweeping the area, school and the neighborhood is on lockdown, no injuries reported. Live stream of Boulder Police available from https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/ctid/247
#Colorado #COpolitics #FairviewHS

UPDATE (11:40am): BPD found the person who the "reporting party" reported; that person was not armed, and is wearing a workout vest. The original reporter verified that the person police found is the person he reported. So, no weapon found, police are starting to wind down the search. Just another day in paradise.

#boulder police are conducting a sweep at #BVSD #Fairview high school in Boulder, looking for a person reported to be seen in the area holding "something that looks like a gun" - massive police presence, and air units are sweeping the area, school and the neighborhood is on lockdown, no injuries reported. Live stream of Boulder Police available from https://www.broadcastify.com/listen/ctid/247
#Colorado #COpolitics #FairviewHS

Last night I attended the #Boulder BVSD school district's District Accountability Committee meeting. I am the representative to my kids' high school at the DAC, that advises the school board on policy matters. It's a commitment I made to staying involved in local school operations, regardless of the outcome of the election last year.

The DAC is considering updates to policies surrounding the searches of and interrogations of students on school grounds. The DAC policy subcommittee made several positive changes that strengthen the protections this policy gives to students, who under these kind of circumstances are obviously in a power-imbalance situation.

But there was one change that I couldn't abide, and when I brought it up, it started a nearly hourlong debate in which many other DAC representatives chimed in with their own concerns.

The change was to give schools the permission to search students' mobile devices and laptops. It was a one-line insertion into an existing policy that gives school officials permission to search student lockers.

I made the point that phones/laptops often contain highly sensitive, personal information that falls outside the scope of any legitimate investigation, and that the language was overbroad and failed to take into account the need for student data privacy and limiting the scope of the search, and raises significant civil rights issues.

Another DAC member raised the issue that the policy seems to lay the responsibility for students maintaining the security of their devices on the students, even when an adult has access to those devices, which seemed weirdly out of sync.

Yet another DAC member was concerned that there was no guidance about how such searches would be conducted, and under what circumstances. Doesn't changing a policy like this lead to potential 'fishing expeditions' on specious evidence or even just allegations of misbehavior without evidence?

In the end, the DAC thought this policy would sail through and be passed along to the BVSD board for their approval next week. I think the policy needs significant rework and there's no way the board should pass it in its current form. I will speak at the school board meeting next week to get that point across, because the way it looks right now, I would not want my name connected to this policy.

#COpolitics #BVSD #SchoolBoard #policy #electmorehackers #4thAmendment #PolicyHackers #education #USPol

Last night I attended the #Boulder BVSD school district's District Accountability Committee meeting. I am the representative to my kids' high school at the DAC, that advises the school board on policy matters. It's a commitment I made to staying involved in local school operations, regardless of the outcome of the election last year.

The DAC is considering updates to policies surrounding the searches of and interrogations of students on school grounds. The DAC policy subcommittee made several positive changes that strengthen the protections this policy gives to students, who under these kind of circumstances are obviously in a power-imbalance situation.

But there was one change that I couldn't abide, and when I brought it up, it started a nearly hourlong debate in which many other DAC representatives chimed in with their own concerns.

The change was to give schools the permission to search students' mobile devices and laptops. It was a one-line insertion into an existing policy that gives school officials permission to search student lockers.

I made the point that phones/laptops often contain highly sensitive, personal information that falls outside the scope of any legitimate investigation, and that the language was overbroad and failed to take into account the need for student data privacy and limiting the scope of the search, and raises significant civil rights issues.

Another DAC member raised the issue that the policy seems to lay the responsibility for students maintaining the security of their devices on the students, even when an adult has access to those devices, which seemed weirdly out of sync.

Yet another DAC member was concerned that there was no guidance about how such searches would be conducted, and under what circumstances. Doesn't changing a policy like this lead to potential 'fishing expeditions' on specious evidence or even just allegations of misbehavior without evidence?

In the end, the DAC thought this policy would sail through and be passed along to the BVSD board for their approval next week. I think the policy needs significant rework and there's no way the board should pass it in its current form. I will speak at the school board meeting next week to get that point across, because the way it looks right now, I would not want my name connected to this policy.

#COpolitics #BVSD #SchoolBoard #policy #electmorehackers #4thAmendment #PolicyHackers #education #USPol

Last night I attended the #Boulder BVSD school district's District Accountability Committee meeting. I am the representative to my kids' high school at the DAC, that advises the school board on policy matters. It's a commitment I made to staying involved in local school operations, regardless of the outcome of the election last year.

The DAC is considering updates to policies surrounding the searches of and interrogations of students on school grounds. The DAC policy subcommittee made several positive changes that strengthen the protections this policy gives to students, who under these kind of circumstances are obviously in a power-imbalance situation.

But there was one change that I couldn't abide, and when I brought it up, it started a nearly hourlong debate in which many other DAC representatives chimed in with their own concerns.

The change was to give schools the permission to search students' mobile devices and laptops. It was a one-line insertion into an existing policy that gives school officials permission to search student lockers.

I made the point that phones/laptops often contain highly sensitive, personal information that falls outside the scope of any legitimate investigation, and that the language was overbroad and failed to take into account the need for student data privacy and limiting the scope of the search, and raises significant civil rights issues.

Another DAC member raised the issue that the policy seems to lay the responsibility for students maintaining the security of their devices on the students, even when an adult has access to those devices, which seemed weirdly out of sync.

Yet another DAC member was concerned that there was no guidance about how such searches would be conducted, and under what circumstances. Doesn't changing a policy like this lead to potential 'fishing expeditions' on specious evidence or even just allegations of misbehavior without evidence?

In the end, the DAC thought this policy would sail through and be passed along to the BVSD board for their approval next week. I think the policy needs significant rework and there's no way the board should pass it in its current form. I will speak at the school board meeting next week to get that point across, because the way it looks right now, I would not want my name connected to this policy.

#COpolitics #BVSD #SchoolBoard #policy #electmorehackers #4thAmendment #PolicyHackers #education #USPol

Last night I attended the #Boulder BVSD school district's District Accountability Committee meeting. I am the representative to my kids' high school at the DAC, that advises the school board on policy matters. It's a commitment I made to staying involved in local school operations, regardless of the outcome of the election last year.

The DAC is considering updates to policies surrounding the searches of and interrogations of students on school grounds. The DAC policy subcommittee made several positive changes that strengthen the protections this policy gives to students, who under these kind of circumstances are obviously in a power-imbalance situation.

But there was one change that I couldn't abide, and when I brought it up, it started a nearly hourlong debate in which many other DAC representatives chimed in with their own concerns.

The change was to give schools the permission to search students' mobile devices and laptops. It was a one-line insertion into an existing policy that gives school officials permission to search student lockers.

I made the point that phones/laptops often contain highly sensitive, personal information that falls outside the scope of any legitimate investigation, and that the language was overbroad and failed to take into account the need for student data privacy and limiting the scope of the search, and raises significant civil rights issues.

Another DAC member raised the issue that the policy seems to lay the responsibility for students maintaining the security of their devices on the students, even when an adult has access to those devices, which seemed weirdly out of sync.

Yet another DAC member was concerned that there was no guidance about how such searches would be conducted, and under what circumstances. Doesn't changing a policy like this lead to potential 'fishing expeditions' on specious evidence or even just allegations of misbehavior without evidence?

In the end, the DAC thought this policy would sail through and be passed along to the BVSD board for their approval next week. I think the policy needs significant rework and there's no way the board should pass it in its current form. I will speak at the school board meeting next week to get that point across, because the way it looks right now, I would not want my name connected to this policy.

#COpolitics #BVSD #SchoolBoard #policy #electmorehackers #4thAmendment #PolicyHackers #education #USPol

Last night I attended the #Boulder BVSD school district's District Accountability Committee meeting. I am the representative to my kids' high school at the DAC, that advises the school board on policy matters. It's a commitment I made to staying involved in local school operations, regardless of the outcome of the election last year.

The DAC is considering updates to policies surrounding the searches of and interrogations of students on school grounds. The DAC policy subcommittee made several positive changes that strengthen the protections this policy gives to students, who under these kind of circumstances are obviously in a power-imbalance situation.

But there was one change that I couldn't abide, and when I brought it up, it started a nearly hourlong debate in which many other DAC representatives chimed in with their own concerns.

The change was to give schools the permission to search students' mobile devices and laptops. It was a one-line insertion into an existing policy that gives school officials permission to search student lockers.

I made the point that phones/laptops often contain highly sensitive, personal information that falls outside the scope of any legitimate investigation, and that the language was overbroad and failed to take into account the need for student data privacy and limiting the scope of the search, and raises significant civil rights issues.

Another DAC member raised the issue that the policy seems to lay the responsibility for students maintaining the security of their devices on the students, even when an adult has access to those devices, which seemed weirdly out of sync.

Yet another DAC member was concerned that there was no guidance about how such searches would be conducted, and under what circumstances. Doesn't changing a policy like this lead to potential 'fishing expeditions' on specious evidence or even just allegations of misbehavior without evidence?

In the end, the DAC thought this policy would sail through and be passed along to the BVSD board for their approval next week. I think the policy needs significant rework and there's no way the board should pass it in its current form. I will speak at the school board meeting next week to get that point across, because the way it looks right now, I would not want my name connected to this policy.

#COpolitics #BVSD #SchoolBoard #policy #electmorehackers #4thAmendment #PolicyHackers #education #USPol

@pluralistic Thank you, Cory, for giving me my first topic to bring to public comment at the next #Boulder Valley School District board meeting of the new school year.

#BVSD is a longtime user of #RevTrak and, even though voters in #Colorado voted to fund free school lunches statewide for every child, the school districts still use payment processors to handle payment of other kinds of school fees, like field trips and lab fees.

I'm grateful the #CFPB turned their attention to this during the summer, so we can organize opposition to the district renewing contracts with these companies.

@pluralistic Thank you, Cory, for giving me my first topic to bring to public comment at the next #Boulder Valley School District board meeting of the new school year.

#BVSD is a longtime user of #RevTrak and, even though voters in #Colorado voted to fund free school lunches statewide for every child, the school districts still use payment processors to handle payment of other kinds of school fees, like field trips and lab fees.

I'm grateful the #CFPB turned their attention to this during the summer, so we can organize opposition to the district renewing contracts with these companies.

@pluralistic Thank you, Cory, for giving me my first topic to bring to public comment at the next #Boulder Valley School District board meeting of the new school year.

#BVSD is a longtime user of #RevTrak and, even though voters in #Colorado voted to fund free school lunches statewide for every child, the school districts still use payment processors to handle payment of other kinds of school fees, like field trips and lab fees.

I'm grateful the #CFPB turned their attention to this during the summer, so we can organize opposition to the district renewing contracts with these companies.

@pluralistic Thank you, Cory, for giving me my first topic to bring to public comment at the next #Boulder Valley School District board meeting of the new school year.

#BVSD is a longtime user of #RevTrak and, even though voters in #Colorado voted to fund free school lunches statewide for every child, the school districts still use payment processors to handle payment of other kinds of school fees, like field trips and lab fees.

I'm grateful the #CFPB turned their attention to this during the summer, so we can organize opposition to the district renewing contracts with these companies.

@pluralistic Thank you, Cory, for giving me my first topic to bring to public comment at the next #Boulder Valley School District board meeting of the new school year.

#BVSD is a longtime user of #RevTrak and, even though voters in #Colorado voted to fund free school lunches statewide for every child, the school districts still use payment processors to handle payment of other kinds of school fees, like field trips and lab fees.

I'm grateful the #CFPB turned their attention to this during the summer, so we can organize opposition to the district renewing contracts with these companies.

I haven't seen much about this, but I saw a data breach notification come from the local K-12 school district (#BVSD) this morning, and then someone else who lives in a neighboring district (#SVVSD) mentioned that they had also seen a breach notification from their school district.

This is the notification. It says, in part, that this was "a nationwide data incident affecting over 350 school districts and higher education organizations across the US"

Does anyone have more information on these school data breaches/intrusions that seem to have been much larger than previously thought?

#databreach #schoolboard #Boulder #StVrain #colorado #infosec #schoolbreach

I'm at this little known company today to talk about how my team @SophosXOps helped solve a ransomware problem earlier this year that threatened organizations around the world. Getting real stuff done to help protect people and defend the public is what I do! Boulder Strong! #BVSD #SchoolBoard #Boulder #Microsoft #BlueHat

Hey, hacker fam. Quick update on what's going to be a big week.

Tomorrow I'm flying out to Bellevue and Wednesday I'm speaking at #BlueHat about the work @SophosXOps has done helping #Microsoft protect all Windows users from a very devious attack.

After I return, I'm in full-swing campaign mode running for the #BVSD #SchoolBoard. I've been doing door-knocking and meet-and-greet for days. Yesterday I spent hours giving out water to marathon runners here in #boulder

Next week though - I'll be participating in a candidate forum hosted by BVSD and you will be able to watch it live from anywhere because it will be broadcast by #livestream on BVSD's Youtube channel (https://www.youtube.com/@bouldervalleyschooldistric5781/streams). October 18 from 6pm-7:30pm MDT (UTC -6)

You can read up now on the forum and ** you can even submit questions.**

If you work in #infosec or fight #malware like me, I'd like you to submit questions to the forum. You can send in questions about #ChatGPT or any other subject, as long as it pertains to public education in some way. The link to submit questions and get more information (including a detailed look at my platform) is here: https://www.impactoneducation.org/event/2023-bvsd-board-of-education-candidate-forum/

I try not to clutter up the infosec feed with this stuff, so for more, follow @andrewbrandt

Together, we're going to #ElectMoreHackers

The most surprising thing about this #BVSD #SchoolBoard #election is that, in previous years, they have barely received any attention from the press or the public.

The feedback I receive every time I tell people I am running for office this year? It has been overwhelmingly "Thank you for doing this" or "I'm so grateful" or "I really appreciate that you're running"

Normally candidates get asked to do two forums. This year, four (and possibly a fifth).

Also, I just found out I'll be speaking at #Microsoft #BlueHat next month, and at #SAINTCon two weeks later.

So, apologies if I reply late 😅​

I am not sure how writing meaningless nothings is supposed to help these children. The district does not have a good track record. If they want to do something, they should a) shutter schools that repeatedly fail at this stuff and b) provide some training for their educators at schools that are mediocre at this stuff.

#BVSD is terrible for both autistic and dyslexic kids.

https://boulderreportinglab.org/2024/06/16/bvsd-takes-step-toward-adopting-groundbreaking-neurodiversity-policy-for-schools/

Last October, while in the home stretch of an off-year campaign for elected office, a political candidate's inbox received a series of email-borne attacks. @SophosXOps investigated both the business email compromise (BEC) and the phishing emails the candidate received.

https://news.sophos.com/en-us/2024/06/13/election-phishing-campaign/

#politics #COpolitics #phishing #spam #BEC #BVSD #SchoolBoard #ElectMoreHackers

Ironically, one of the candidates targeted in the attacks was X-Ops researcher @threatresearch, who investigated the attacks while the campaign was still underway. #COpolitics #BVSD #Boulder

@rayckeith Here's the link to the original story...

https://energynews.us/2020/10/16/this-arkansas-school-turned-solar-savings-into-better-teacher-pay/

...which was derived from a report by Generation 180, a group that advocates for solar PV installations in public schools.

https://generation180.org/resource/brighter-future-a-study-on-solar-in-us-schools-2020/

#EdTech #Solar #solarpunk #BVSD

#BVSD #Boulder is currently experiencing a district-wide internet outage.

School operations and dismissal procedures will continue as normal.

Check our Emergency Communications webpage for updates: https://www.bvsd.org/parents-students/be-ready/emergency-information

Well I didn't win my election, but my interest in #SchoolBoard policy is not going away.

Tonight, immediately after the new board members are sworn in, I will be presenting a public comment to #BVSD about their use of #GoGuardian, a technology that presents itself as a monitoring tool to ensure that kids visit age- and developmentally-appropriate websites on their school-issued laptops.

In October, the #EFF published a report about the privacy-invading and false-positive-prone tool. https://redflagmachine.com/research/

The report highlights key problems about the software misidentifying benign websites with run-of-the-mill, unharmful content as potentially harmful or containing explicit content. Poetry by the Bronte sisters, the text of George Bernard Shaw’s Pygmalion, and even the text of Romeo and Juliet set off red flags. So did words in the Texas driver’s handbook, and health information websites. These false positive warnings are touted by GoGuardian not as a bug but as a desirable feature of the product.

My concern here is that routine use of GoGuardian sends two very damaging messages to students: It normalizes routine surveillance, and it tells students that they cannot be trusted to use their computers responsibly.

I will be giving public comment to the new board asking them to direct school administrators to investigate the district's contract with GoGuardian, and to seek out a less invasive, more accurate method of protecting children who use computers.

If you wish, you can watch the board proceedings on their youtube livestream, starting at 6pm MST (UTC-7). The link is https://www.youtube.com/@bouldervalleyschooldistric5781/streams

#Boulder #COPolitics #EdTech

#Voted.

And yes I voted for @andrewbrandt for #BVSD #SchoolBoard, and also my friend and colleague at #CUDenver Jorge Chavez!

And heads up, Boulder County folks - in case you were not aware, there is an anti-vax person running for school board. And they are a biochemist! Do your research!

It's less than 24 hours until the end of this election campaign. Win or lose, by tomorrow at this time, it will be over. And I have to say, I'm very grateful for that. It has been exhausting and thrilling and every emotion to every extreme throughout this campaign. As awful as it sounds, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

Today I canvassed #CU #Boulder students outside the UMC building. A lot of my fellow candidates were there. One thing I learned as a candidate is that no matter what vitriol is thrown around online, when people are face to face, the dynamic changes. #BVSD #SchoolBoard

A friend sent me this generative AI illustration of a hacker-educator with a mohawk, but I think it looks like a playing card face card. Jack...er, Hack of the suit of...blue avocados? LOL! Also: SCHOOOIL!😂 #BVSD #SchoolBoard #ElectMoreHackers #Boulder

I've just posted my latest #Boulder #BVSD #SchoolBoard candidate newsletter. If you're not on my mailing list, check it out here: https://mailchi.mp/e442db061909/election-day-is-upon-us-sko-bvsd

I've just posted my latest #Boulder #BVSD #SchoolBoard candidate newsletter. If you're not on my mailing list, check it out here: https://mailchi.mp/e442db061909/election-day-is-upon-us-sko-bvsd

I've now confirmed that at least one additional #BVSD #SchoolBoard candidate in this election received the same gift card #scam attempt.

Hi folks. Yesterday I posted on my other Mastodon account about a pretty stupid gift card #scam that was sent to an email address I use as a political candidate for my run for #SchoolBoard (https://toot.bldrweb.org/deck/@andrewbrandt/111326617529695469)

Tonight, I received a more ominous, targeted #spearphishing email against that same campaign address.

It appears to be some form of Adobe e-signature message. The text content was weird and off.

The email has a file attachment that, if you double-click it, opens a browser window and displays a form that looks like a login dialog box. The login box is a #phishing attack, designed to steal credentials that you enter into it.

What was distinctive about this is the fact the attackers customized the login form so it has my campaign logo embedded within the form. It also pre-populated the username field with the email address that they sent the original email to. It was not generic; This was targeted.

The form will permit you to enter data into the password field three times, appearing to fail each time, and then redirects you back to your own website. It collects the IP address you were using at the time you submitted the form, and any of the passwords you submitted, and sends them to a #Telegram bot account.

I have captured the network traffic of the phishing attempt, in which I entered bogus data, and have identified the owner of the Telegram bot account and other identifiable information. I'll be reporting it to Telegram for shutdown as soon as possible.

I guarantee, if this is happening to me -- a relative nobody in my lowly, local school board race -- it is happening all over the country to political candidates of any stature.

There is less than one week until election day in the United States. Colorado voters already have their ballots and can turn them in by dropping them in a ballot collection box anytime between now and election day.

Just another reason why we need to #ElectMoreHackers

Also, once again: nice try, losers. Keep going. You're sure to hit pay dirt at some point. :ablobcateyeroll:​

#Boulder #BVSD #COpolitics

Big night tonight with a #BVSD #SchoolBoard candidate forum sponsored by the League of Women Voters and a school-focused charity, Impact on Education.

The forum will be livestreamed (https://www.youtube.com/@bouldervalleyschooldistric5781/streams) and you still have an opportunity to submit questions for the candidates. (All times are Mountain, UTC-6)

More info and the submission link is here: https://www.impactoneducation.org/event/2023-bvsd-board-of-education-candidate-forum/

Ballots are being sent to voters this week. We're in the home stretch. With your help spreading the word and your support, we're going to #ElectMoreHackers !

BrandtForBVSD.co

Big update on my #SchoolBoard campaign for #BVSD tonight! https://mailchi.mp/fb8bb389fb8a/a-massive-boost-into-the-final-weeks

My campaign for #BVSD was endorsed by the #Boulder Weekly today! https://issuu.com/boulderweekly/docs/10122023_dv/11

Another box ticked on the "becoming a candidate" checklist. I'll have my answers to their survey questions published on #Ballotpedia very soon. #BVSD #SchoolBoard #Boulder

Hey #Boulder, #LouisvilleCO, #LafayetteCO, #SuperiorCO, #Nederland, #Erie, #Broomfield cats. We're having a #SchoolBoard candidate meetup tomorrow from 4-6:30 in Louisville. Meet four candidates for #BVSD, bring friends, ask questions, drink beer. Sounds like a great after-work event to me!

https://www.evite.com/event/0257TXW543SYJQYCSEPOLVYZCG4H2A

This is a particularly funny, subtle bit of cyberactivism in opposition to a hard-right takeover of a rural school district west of Colorado Springs.

Woodland Park is a model for how reactionaries can sabotage a #SchoolBoard and a cautionary tale.

Someone has linked Google Maps searches for "Woodland Park School District RE-2" (the district's official name in state records) to a photograph showing a burned out forest.

Brilliant! And a completely valid description of the way that board has decimated their public education system.

We must never let this happen #BVSD.
https://www.advocate.com/politics/colorado-school-right-wingers

This was a really hard video to watch. I literally got choked up.

A wave of #swatting attacks targeting high #schools around the country has been going on for at least a year. Authorities tracked the source back to a #VoIP service, who in turn figured out that the calls were probably originating in #Ethiopia. The same caller, speaking in heavily accented English. Each call followed a similar script. The caller triggered armed responses every single time.

#BVSD was called twice. I was on #lockdown for hours in #Boulder. This is no prank. It is straight up #terrorism.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/10/04/school-swatting-hoax-active-shooter/

Proud to have been invited to participate in my third candidate forum at #OutBoulderCounty last night. We discussed equity and inclusion in the public schools and why #BVSD is so great...and must do better in the future.

The fact that we've been invited to five (possibly six, will know soon) candidate forums is an indication that nobody in #Boulder is taking the #BVSD #SchoolBoard race for granted this year. We have ten candidates running for four seats, a great group of people I've gotten to know.

Diversity of backgrounds really matters on a board, which is why we need to #ElectMoreHackers

At last night's #EFAA fundraiser, the economic disparities between wealthy and working class was on full display. Maserati, BMW, and lots of high-end Teslas in the parking lot. Statistics like this one: EIGHT HUNDRED children without permanent housing enrolled in #BVSD this school year. The number of people in need of food, rental, utilities assistance DOUBLED since 2019. Families with full employment needing food donations. There is a vast gap between the rich and poor in #Boulder county. The #SchoolBoard at least can try to raise the bar for kids. Please help me win so I can make this happen

Librarians in public schools in Charlotte County, Florida, were instructed by the school district superintendent to remove all books with #LGBTQ characters or themes from school and classroom libraries.

#SchoolBoard #elections matter, people.

#Boulder #BVSD

https://popular.info/p/florida-school-district-orders-librarians

It's happening.gif 👐 #BVSD #SchoolBoard #boulder

Hi folks. I wanted to share a bit of news about something outside of the world of #infosec that I'm getting involved in: I'm officially a candidate running for school board in the town where I live, Boulder, Colorado. The election is this November!

I won't be posting about education policy topics on this account; I've set up a separate Mastodon account on the server used by many locals in #Boulder: @andrewbrandt and using that account as the main one for my campaign. I hope you will follow me there if you care about compassionate, supportive schools that are not hostile to the #LGBTQ community.

I've also set up a campaign website where I'll be trying to reach #Boulder county voters at https://brandtforbvsd.co/

This is a bit of a reach for me. I haven't ever run for...well, anything, before. I am looking for people who can help me run my campaign, including folks who might know a thing or two about the #VAN system for reaching registered voters. I'd also welcome references to people who can help me craft visuals for the website and for things like campaign yard signs.

I've been extremely humbled by the support I've already received from many current and former #BVSD board members, and hope to continue the challenging (and unpaid) work of helping to manage a wonderful and well run school district with a nationally-renowned superintendent.

Most importantly, I believe that, as a hacker, I have a unique opportunity to help guide the local public school system as it faces unprecedented challenges in the form of emerging technologies like #ChatGPT and other large language models and #AI platforms, as well as trying to navigate the tricky waters of internet safety and data privacy for school-age kids.

If you believe, as I do, that we need to do a better job as a society at helping the next generation deal with these thorny issues, I hope you'll support my campaign and follow me on this journey. Thanks for reading! Please boost for reach.

#schoolboard #Boulder #LouisvilleCO #LafayetteCO #SuperiorCO #elections

Hello! Great news for a Friday: I have yard signs available now for my #BVSD #SchoolBoard campaign. If you want your very own, please visit https://BrandtForBVSD.co/hackers and fill out the form at the bottom of the page. #Boulder #LafayetteCO #Superior #broomfield #LouisvilleCO