Untappd could pose a military security threat

Friendly reminder: when you check in your hazy, make sure the carrier in port is not in the background

 

Can’t the same be said for any social media site?

 

So true. Any time a person posts where they are on social media, it lets everybody know where they are not. If somebody posts pics at Disney World, it grants open invitation to their home to those with nefarious intent.

That said, I am a little surprised that there are not rules about posting your Miller Lite or Slushie pic on a military base.

 

The issue is location tracking in addition to (or even more than) the content of photos. (You'd think someone at a CIA training facility would know that... )

Tapping into a beer rating app allowed researchers to track military and intelligence personnel, including some who checked in at a military base that hosts a CIA training facility known as “the farm.”

They're taking "sensitive military documents" to a bar???

Users of Untappd, a smartphone app for beer lovers, also posted photos that showed debit cards, military ID cards, locations of fighter jets and possibly sensitive military documents

 

My take is that those employed in a sensitive industry should know better for one. Second, their superiors should have a very active policy on social media and the do's and don'ts of using it.
Common sense goes a long long way so I blame the user for this, they should know better.
Cheers

 

Yep... The the easiest part of a complicated system to exploit is the person. Cyber security is a human behavior/knowledge issue as much or more than a tech issue.

 

I think If you lived on base there would be photo restrictions and locations on your phone if you were proper have them turned off?

 

But setting your profile to private defeats the purpose of an app designed and promoted to tell everyone what and where you're drinking.

 

True, but I was responding to the recommendation to set your profile to “private”

Location tagging can be disabled, but changing to private prevents sharing anything with anyone not designated as a friend.

 

Military personnel ran into an issue in 2017 when Strava updated their heat map. It so happens Strava added the ability to run between the two updates, thus adding thousands of solider's personal data to the heat maps since they didn't opt out. Compared to the surrounding areas of military bases and the cyclical routines on-base, these bases were 'glowing' on the map due to the number of uploaded activities within a certain area. It provided roadways and jogging routes - anywhere a cyclist/runner/hiker covered during their activity.

With that said, it appears even our government has let some social medias slip through the gaps.

I'd still be cautious. It just takes one person following you with a weak password to act as a gateway for someone to view your content without your permission. For the average person, this is probably of little concern, but if you're in an industry where there is value in knowing your location, interests, weaknesses, schedule - it doesn't act as a very secure barrier.

 

Depends on the base and location inside the base.

 

I never post locations, my brother does, every time he does I say , I see your not home , I’m going to come steal your TV set. It’s silly to post locations.

 

You can also lie about where you’re at. A ‘friend’ will check into out of distro beers at a brewery/bottle shop and watch people come try to find it there.

 

One big thing folks need to remember is that they never actually know when people are home or not. If I post a beer from a place I was at who is to say I am there or at home updating my logs.
There are many times I don't post a beer while out due to not having time to do so and I post them later in the day when home, so its hard to really pinpoint where people are in real time. What I think the main culprit is with this story is it shows locations or pictures show things folks can use to determine where they are at and if your job is such that you cannot divulge that then red flag. I know when I am on a trip or out of town I never post locations or even beers I drink because I don't want others to know I am out of town. I typically will note the items and post them once back home.

 

Could be a serious security breach by being a beer ticker

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2...ficials-tracked-with-beer-ratings-on-untappd/

 

Not a regular on Untapped, but isn't a big part of the shared experience the location?