Location sharing a security threat
Kaspersky Lab warns that while location-based services are a popular trend on social networking platforms, it can increase users’ security risk profiles immensely.
The problem, warns Stefan Tanase, senior security researcher at Kaspersky Lab’s EEMEA global research and analysis team, is that many people fail to see the consequences of the vast amount of personal data that they put out on the Web due to being part of a social media network.
Facebook introduced a location sharing service just last week.
Continues Tanase; “If we consider that it is estimated that more than a quarter of Facebook users access the site via mobile devices, these users are ideal candidates for such location-based services. Obviously, there are a number of benefits from using this type of service while interacting with your friends; however the security implications are substantial in that other people might be able to track your movements as well.”
Of course, the question is how can tracking your movements affect your online security?
According to Kaspersky there have been known cases when thieves break into a house after seeing that the owners were on vacation through the use of a social networking web site.
“Criminals usually seek personal data for identity theft. Providing location-based information gives them additional information to further recreate your persona,” adds Tanase. “Criminals used to be more reliant on social engineering to get personal information, but with social networks we see the trend of criminals being able to access publicly available information from the Internet – which gives them an edge – yet despite such security concerns, I think we are going to see more and more such features.”
Concludes Tanase; “Some simple yet crucial advice then: do not post your location online if you don’t want people to know where you are and be careful whom you befriend on social networks. And bear in mind that the data you post on social networks could become public one day. Consider everything you post as potentially public and potentially a security risk.”
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