Explaining Cybersecurity to My Dad: What is this DopeScope thing anyway?
Our CEO Gene Bransfield attempts to explain his invention in a relatable way.
Dad: So what is this DopeScope thing, anyway?
Me: Oh, the DopeScope is a hand-held, directional Wi-Fi and Bluetooth scanner.
Dad: You sell many of these?
Me: Thousands.
Dad: Really? Wow.
Me: Yup.
Dad: …So people actually pay for something called a "DopeScope”? I mean, I get that people pay for dope – I went to college – and I'm old enough that I get scoped from time to time, and I have to pay for that, but putting the two words together just sounds weird. Who thought up a name like that?
Me: It sounded cool after a couple of drinks...
Dad: Well, you're an OK technology guy, but you're obviously not in marketing. So what’s in it?
Me: Mainly, an ESP32. We also created a custom carrier board, added an OLED display. We used an Arduino IDE to program it.
Dad: All Greek to me.
Me: Well, the ESP32 is from Taiwan, and Arduino is Italian; no Greek anywhere.
Dad: Cute. So how do I use this thing anyway?
Me: Here, let me turn it on for you and you can look through it. This is a Wi-Fi scan.
Dad: What’re all those numbers and things?
Me: From the left, you see Signal Strength, Encryption Type, Channel and SSID or MAC address.
Dad: Why would anyone want to use something like that?
Me: Lots of reasons. Most people use it to look and see if there are rogue Wi-Fi Access Points on their network and then track those down.
Dad: Track them down? How?
Me: We designed it to be directional. There’s a reflector behind the antenna and you hold the device up to your head which attenuates signals from behind. Then you look at the signal strength and you turn your head left to right and you’ll see the signal strength increase and decrease depending on where the target access point is.
Dad: Huh. Interesting. What’s this orange bunch of numbers?
Me: If it’s orange and has a bunch of hex numbers, then that’s a hidden Wi-Fi access point.
Dad: What!? Hidden Access Point? In my house?!??! IT’S THE RUSSIANS!!! They finally tracked me down! I knew those new neighbors looked funny! They’re gonna use it to send special signals and make me communist! Where is it!!?!?! We gotta get rid of it!!
Me: Calm down! Let’s use the DopeScope to track it down. Just like I showed you.
Dad: How?
Me: Use the number all the way on the left – the Signal Strength. The higher it gets, the closer you are to the target.
Dad: Why is the number negative?
Me: Science.
Dad: So the closer the number gets to zero, the louder the signal is, right?
Me: That’s how numbers work!
Dad: This is kinda like hide and seek.
Me: Yup.
Dad: Signal is strongest over here. I’m pointing at my TV Streamer.
Me: Ah! It’s coming from your Roku.
Dad: The Russians hacked my TV Streamer?
Me: Says here on the Internet that the Roku creates a Wi-Fi network to talk to its remote control.
Dad: Why would Roku do that?
Me: Probably so you can hide the Roku behind the TV and still use it.
Dad: Oh. So it’s not the Russians?
Me: Probably not. I think they have better things to do than to go after your personal Roku.
Dad: Ha! They haven’t got me yet.
Me: So since random Wi-Fi Access Points scare you, do you want to get rid of the Roku?
Dad: Don’t you touch it! I use that thing all the time! That’s one of the only pieces of modern technology that I actually find useful.
Me: It’s that important?
Dad: TV is very important to old people.
Me: You need a better hobby.
Dad: So I’ve been told. Anyway – that’s a cool device. What else do people use it for?
Me: Well, people use it for figuring out the best place to be to conduct a Wi-Fi penetration test. You can also use it to see if there’s any strange Bluetooth devices where they shouldn’t be. Someone recently told me they used it to find their kid’s lost Nintendo Switch.
Anyone else have their kids misplaced electronics in the house? Used @WarCollar DopeScope to find a missing Nintendo Switch today. That was pretty fun. pic.twitter.com/TeRFipFVwE
— d1dymu5 (@d1dymu5) September 6, 2023
Me: The coolest thing I ever heard is a guy in law enforcement told me he uses it during raids on child exploitation cases because the perpetrator usually hides his Wi-Fi equipment behind drywall. They use the DopeScope to find it.
Dad: Wow! First responders use it for real-world stuff?
Me: Yup. I hear the military uses it, too.
Dad: For what?
Me: Military stuff. I don’t know, they don’t have to tell me.
Dad: Real world stuff, huh? That’s gotta make you feel good.
Me: It does indeed.
Dad: Why do you think they chose your DopeScope over everything else?
Me: It does a specific job, and it does it well. Plus, the ease-of-use factor is huge. For example, I just taught you how to use it in about 2 minutes and suddenly you were tracking down your rogue Roku devices on your home network.
Dad: Huh. Yeah. That was kind of easy.
Me: Plus the next best thing is a laptop with a yagi atenna, and this is much less expensive, easier to use, and much easier to carry around
Dad: I guess that makes sense. …You wanna watch some TV?
Me: On your communist Roku?
Dad: Roku’s not communist. The Russians are – and you said they weren’t on my Roku.
Me: I said they probably have better things to do than be on your Roku.
Dad: You wanna watch Matlock?
Me: …again?
Dad: It’s that or Old British Comedies, History Channel, Laugh-In… This thing’s amazing!
Me: Alright, whatever you want to watch.
Dad: You mind getting me a beer?
Me: Seriously?
Dad: Let’s see if your DopeScope can help you find the fridge!
Me: Nah. Your fridge is too old.
Dad: Say what now?
Want more? Check out Explaining Cybersecurity to My Dad “Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)” and “VPNs and the Perils of Public Wi-Fi”!
