Yes. Any more questions?
The question was being asked on this New Scientist article
Remember it is not ‘smart’ at all. It is just a programmable device which has been programmed to perform certain functions. These functions usually involve aspects of your life you would rather were kept private and you only use this device for convenience.
However, like all modern conveniences there is the capability that the tool can be used by someone else, with or without your permission and every bit of data you have on there can be extracted by a third party. You may not even be aware it has happened as the device can be hacked whilst still in your possession if it is not set up securely or the device has a built in backdoor. Backdoors are written in by programmers so they can access the systems when they need to. Sometimes without the software company even knowing. A hacker could even use your Smartphone for his bad deeds and the trail comes back to you.
So to be safe you tidy up. You delete some files and only keep what you want. Sadly, deleting files usually does not delete the data but simply deletes the pointers. This is how normal file recovery works. But even worse, with the right equipment you can actually retrieve data that has been deleted. Plod and our security services have this capability as well as private corporations.
As more and more functions are added to Smartphone’s and other such devices their use becomes almost compulsory. It also means that the uses others can put it to makes it desirable for them to do so and the trail stops with you.
In addition to hackers you also have the added worry about Plod. Using these devices they can go data mining. Linking you to others and if you happened to drive down a street four weeks ago where something happened then you better have a good memory. They will take it away and you will be without your Smartphone for a long time and they take them away on suspicion of terrorism for looking at them funny nowadays.
Encryption is not much help either. Plod can jail you for refusing to turn over the decryption keys. So work out if the data you are trying to hide is worth a few years. Some will be, some won’t be. Plus they may crack it themselves if they think you are worth the effort and you have not been careful with the key or the methodology.
So the answer is never keep anything recorded. Remember though that it is not the Smartphone that is the problem. You can still be ‘ratted out’ by a piece of paper with information on it. But a Smartphone allows you to amass a lot of data some of which you will be unaware about. All of which you will have difficulty finding and deleting securely.
Technology. A double edged sword.
Will your smartphone rat you out?
Yes. Any more questions?
The question was being asked on this New Scientist article
Remember it is not ‘smart’ at all. It is just a programmable device which has been programmed to perform certain functions. These functions usually involve aspects of your life you would rather were kept private and you only use this device for convenience.
However, like all modern conveniences there is the capability that the tool can be used by someone else, with or without your permission and every bit of data you have on there can be extracted by a third party. You may not even be aware it has happened as the device can be hacked whilst still in your possession if it is not set up securely or the device has a built in backdoor. Backdoors are written in by programmers so they can access the systems when they need to. Sometimes without the software company even knowing. A hacker could even use your Smartphone for his bad deeds and the trail comes back to you.
So to be safe you tidy up. You delete some files and only keep what you want. Sadly, deleting files usually does not delete the data but simply deletes the pointers. This is how normal file recovery works. But even worse, with the right equipment you can actually retrieve data that has been deleted. Plod and our security services have this capability as well as private corporations.
As more and more functions are added to Smartphone’s and other such devices their use becomes almost compulsory. It also means that the uses others can put it to makes it desirable for them to do so and the trail stops with you.
In addition to hackers you also have the added worry about Plod. Using these devices they can go data mining. Linking you to others and if you happened to drive down a street four weeks ago where something happened then you better have a good memory. They will take it away and you will be without your Smartphone for a long time and they take them away on suspicion of terrorism for looking at them funny nowadays.
Encryption is not much help either. Plod can jail you for refusing to turn over the decryption keys. So work out if the data you are trying to hide is worth a few years. Some will be, some won’t be. Plus they may crack it themselves if they think you are worth the effort and you have not been careful with the key or the methodology.
So the answer is never keep anything recorded. Remember though that it is not the Smartphone that is the problem. You can still be ‘ratted out’ by a piece of paper with information on it. But a Smartphone allows you to amass a lot of data some of which you will be unaware about. All of which you will have difficulty finding and deleting securely.
Technology. A double edged sword.