JOIN USNSA offers tips on how to reduce mobile phone location data exposure
Worldwide several governments are scrutinizing top technological companies over user data protection and storage protocols. In the recent past, some including India and the US, citing security concerns have gone ahead banning several mobile applications.
Though legitimate apps, particularly on Google Play and Apple App Store, follow guidelines set by the platform owners, there are a lot of bad actors, who sneak-in malware-laced apps into them or most of the time, trick naive mobile owners to go unsecured websites and make them download shady apps.
Even the world's richest person on earth Jeff Bezos fell victim to state-sponsored cybercriminals and was tracked and personal information was stolen through a spy tool infected via WhatsApp message. Since then, the Facebook-owned company has fixed the security loophole.
Must read | Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos' phone 'hacked'
But, with each passing day, cybercriminals are developing more sophisticated methods to prey on mobile phone owners. If you are worried about getting tracked all the time, the US government-run National Security Agency (NSA) has offered tips on how to protect the mobile phone from getting spied and also thwart location data leak.
"Users with location concerns should be extremely careful about sharing information on social media. If errors occur in the privacy settings on social media sites, information may be exposed to a wider audience than intended. Pictures posted on social media may have location data stored in hidden metadata. Even without explicit location data, pictures may reveal location information through picture content," NSA said.
Here are some of the key recommendations of NSA to reduce location data exposure:
---NSA says Bluetooth and Wi-Fi modem in the phone can help hackers find location data even if the phone's cellular and Global Positioning System (GPS) is switched off. So, turn off the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi when not in use.
---Disable location services settings on the device. Disable radios when they are not actively in use: disable Bluetooth and turn off Wi-Fi if these capabilities are not needed.
---Use Airplane Mode when the device is not in use. Also, ensure Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are disabled when Airplane Mode is engaged.
Apps should be given as few permissions as possible:
---Set privacy settings to ensure apps are not using or sharing location data.
---Avoid using apps related to location if possible, since these apps inherently expose user location data. If used, location privacy/permission settings for such apps should be set to either not allow location data usage or, at most, allow location data usage only while using the app. Examples of apps that relate to the location are maps, compasses, traffic apps, fitness apps, apps for finding local restaurants, and shopping apps.
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Disable advertising permissions to the greatest extent possible:
---Set privacy settings to limit ad tracking, noting that these restrictions are at the vendor’s discretion.
---Reset the advertising ID for the device on a regular basis. At a minimum, this should be on a weekly basis.
Get the latest news on new launches, gadget reviews, apps, cyber security, and more on personal technology only on DH Tech.