Cards and contactless payments leave an extremely detailed digital footprint that can be used to track individuals while travelling. However, do we think about the implications of our social media use during our trips from a safety perspective (location security)?
The woes of various celebrities have been well publicized in the past. Sporting stars whose homes have been robbed whilst on vacation and Russian soldiers who are advised not to take selfies whilst on operations. The evolution of the modern, “digital” traveller comes with hidden risks; apps that make our lives so simple can sometimes telegraph our absence from home, and our presence in places where it may be better to remain anonymous.
Next time you post a selfie, consider how your location may be revealed:
* Hashtag’s;
* Visual ID of the actual pic;
* The geolocation that is stored in the device you are using, the iPhone or android phone;
* Third-party product or app that taps into the original Social Media app.
In the search box of Instagram, type in a popular place name, e.g. #everestbasecamp and you’ll be able to see the public pictures that have been posted from people all over the world who have categorized their image with that hashtag location. Now type in #raqqa and you will a variety of combinations in the search drop down list on the theme of the City of Raqqa, picking any of those will display hundreds of pictures.
Consider the types of hashtag you are using when posting to Instagram, if your hashtag has a location attached to it, be aware that you are going to be associated with that place, even more so if there are fewer people in the area.
So, if the good guys are looking at whose posting, there’s a chance the bad guys are as well.
For more information on our social engineering/digital privacy services contact us on 01684 377980.