Cell Phone Fingerprinting - GPS Tells WHO You Are

Can you be identified only by where you take your phone? Yes, according to a new study, which finds it's not very hard at all.

While most of us are free to go wherever we want, our daily and weekly movement patterns are pretty predictable. We go to work, to school, to church, to our neighborhood gym, grocery store or coffee shop, and we come home -- all quietly tracked by the GPS in our phone.

Click to enlarge.

And with nothing more than this anonymous location data, someone who wanted to badly enough could easily figure out who you are by tracking your smartphone. Patterns of our movements, when traced on a map, create something akin to a fingerprint that is unique to every person.
 
"Four randomly chosen points are enough to uniquely characterize 95% of the users (ε > .95), whereas two randomly chosen points still uniquely characterize more than 50% of the users (ε > .5). This shows that mobility traces are highly unique, and can therefore be re-identified using little outside information."

Those are the findings of a report by researchers from MIT and elsewhere, published this week in the journal Scientific Reports. (more)

How to secure your Android phone - 14 Tips

via Gary Sims, Spybusters and SpyWarn...
Tip #1 – Never leave your phone laying around where uninvited guests can access it.
Tip #2 – Use a lock screen.
Tip #3 – Set a PIN to protect purchases on Google Play.
Tip #4 – Install a phone location app / security app with an anti-theft component.
Tip #5 – Don’t install apps from dodgy third party sites.
Tip #6 – Always read the reviews of apps before installing them.
Tip #7 – Check the permissions. Does the "game" really need to send SMS messages?
Tip #8 – Never follow links in unsolicited emails or text messages to install an app.
Tip #9 – Use an anti-virus / anti-malware app.
Tip #10 – Don’t root your phone unless absolutely necessary.
Tip #11 – If your device has valuable data on it, use encryption.
Tip #12 – Use a VPN on unsecured Wi-Fi connection.
Tip #13 – Read "Is My Cell Phone Bugged?"
Tip #14 – Use SpyWarn (freemium) periodically to help determine if your phone has been infected with spyware.
(more)

World's Smallest GSM Cell Phone Eavesdropping Bug

from, Is My Cell Phone Bugged?

A cousin to the ZombiePhone is the GSM micro-bug. These are miniaturized cell phones made specifically for covert eavesdropping! Like ZombiePhone bugs but without normal cell phone features, these are tiny, creepy, robotic, cell phone bugs often hidden in such everyday objects as power strips and lighting fixtures.
 

Their tiny size is possible because they do not have keypads, ringers, displays, or smart-phone features. When called from any other phone, they become eavesdropping bugs automatically.
 

Shown with wall charger and USB cable.

Groupe Spécial Mobile (GSM) is the name of the world’s most popular cellular telephone standard. GSM micro-bugs work on this standard, which means they can work in almost anywhere on Earth where there is cellular telephone service. Like normal cell phones whose features are set to Auto-Answer and No Ring, GSM bugs are equally hard to detect because they sleep most of the time. The thing that awakens them is the call from the eavesdropper. 

Some models also awaken when they hear sound being made near them. Some awaken when they sense vibration or light. Should you awaken one, it will silently call the eavesdropper.

If you feel you are being eavesdropped on and you are sure your cell phone is free of spyware, a GSM bug may be the culprit.
 

Bug microphones are much more sensitive than most people realize. The microphones in GSM micro-bugs are very sensitive and can capture sound from large areas like bedrooms, offices, and vehicles. Ideally, bugs are placed as close to the sound source as possible, but the rule of thumb when searching is: If your ear can hear it, so can the bug.

Ever wonder where all these bugs come from? This link is the first step to solving the mystery.

"Is My Cell Phone Bugged?" interview on KZSB – AM 1290

If you are in the Santa Barbara, CA area Tuesday, tune in to  KZSB – AM 1290. You will hear Mike Williams interview me about eavesdropping spyware on smartphones and other mobile communications privacy issues. This new book, Is My Cell Phone Bugged? Everything you need to know to keep your mobile communications private is the topic of the interview.

The program starts at 10:00 AM (PST) and will be rebroadcast Tuesday evening at 9:00 PM and again on Saturday at 1:00 PM. The feed is also available at newspress.com. Once the show has been recorded I will post the link. ~Kevin