Internet Security - Smart Phones

This newsletter started after I read an interesting article on how cell phone users are tracked by their location and sent location-aware targeted sales messages to their phone. Last month I covered web browsing security.
Internet Security - Web Usage

This is the article that started me thinking about being tracked when I have my cellphone with me and on:
[link no longer active]

Since then I have seen other articles that developed this concept further. Smartphone apps are tracking and selling your location data faster than most people realize:
https://www.theblaze.com/news/2018/03/04/smartphone-apps-are-tracking-and-selling-your-location-data-often-without-you-realizing-it

From an Internet article about the Austin Texas bombings:
He was wearing a hat and wig, reportedly, so no facial identification was possible, but police were able to use cell phone tower data to identify everyone who was in the area with a cell phone turned on.
[link no longer valid]

From another source about the Austin Texas bombings:
The bomber apparently turned his phone on hours before the cops caught up to him last night, helping them zero in on where he was.

From another article:
Conversion Zones are the most powerful tool for tracking online to offline conversions in mobile advertising. By tracing a virtual Conversion Zone around a physical location, advertisers can measure the amount of physical traffic driven to the location that have previously been served their ad. From a 2016 article:
[link not responding]

I have no recommendations other than to be careful in choosing smartphone apps and paying attention to broadcasting your location.

Feedback, comments and suggestions always appreciated.

Colin

--------------------------------------

Colin Gilboy
Publisher - 4specs
Contact us