I Hate Technology Blog
Perilous Photos
So the iPhone in your pocket is the most used camera in the world. I wonder what George Eastman (the brains behind Kodak) would have to say.
Cameras in phones are great, and it is very impressive how they are being used in positive ways to update your Facebook account, share information to business partners, and enhance your overall brand.
But of course, for every improvement, there is a dark side, too.
Remember that photos are data and they have interesting tidbits of information that can be used against you. Location, location, location Did you know that every time you snap a picture, you automatically embed the exact time and GPS coordinates of your location? Sound innocuous? This information can be used by corporate spies to identify your headquarters, gain access to your location, and even steal trade secrets. It happens more frequently than you think. Why buy an expensive product if you can steal the underlying technology and do it yourself?
Military vs terrorist
GPS embedded photographs are important pieces of information for military operations. US military personnel are now strictly regulated about how and when they can post images even to personal websites. Why? In 2007, insurgents were able to see and view the delivery and exact coordinates of brand new Apache AH-64 helicopters after US soldiers posted the pictures online. The coordinates were used to direct a mortar attack which destroyed four helicopters. And this was nearly ten years ago. Imagine the capabilities now.
Blackmail
Worse, predators are using online photos, or photos acquired from hacking into cell phones, or even hacking into the SnapChat app for nefarious purposes. SnapChat is widely used by youth to send risqué photos that are supposed to expire in seconds. But those photos can be kept forever via workarounds or hacking into the system. Youth thinking the data is temporary are finding out that the photos are being used against them, coercing them into providing more sexually explicit photos. In fact, criminals are using the phone location data to find and blackmail youth, and even arranging to meet up with them in person to solicit sexual acts.
Be careful with your photos. Want to learn how to keep your photos secure and remove geo-location information tags? PC Results can help.
About the Author:
David Kalish is the Director of Business Development for PC Results, Inc., an Information Technology Solutions Provider serving Upstate and Western New York. David tries to be careful with his photos, which is why he doesn’t post many updates on his personal page, and will often strip GPS data from business photos before posting them online.
If your business needs help with managing online photo security, give PC Results a call. We can help take the sting out of technology and let you get back to work.
References:
http://time.com/106319/heres-what-chinese-hackers- actually-stole- from-u- s-companies/
http://www.defensetech.org/2012/03/15/insurgents-used-cell-phone-geotags-to-destroy-ah-64s-in-iraq/
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/30/ohio-university-snapchat-extortion_n_4516816.html
