Technology
Secure Your Mobile Device
In an era of digital privacy concerns, it’s crucial to safeguard our mobile devices. Let’s dive into the world of image metadata, app permissions, passcode security, device access history, and more.
Alex ADNewgate
In an era of digital privacy concerns, it’s crucial to safeguard our mobile devices. Let’s dive into the world of image metadata, app permissions, passcode security, device access history, and more.
Did you know that when you take photos with your mobile device, it can store location and other “metadata” in the image file? First off, what is metadata? Metadata summarizes basic information about data, making finding & working with particular instances of data easier.
Luckily, we have the option to prevent location and metadata disclosure. I will use an iPhone as an example:
- Open the Settings app.
- Scroll down and tap on Privacy.
- Select Location Services.
- Scroll down to find the Camera app.
- Choose “Never” or “While Using” to disable geotagging.
By turning off geotagging, your photos won’t include location information when shared online, safeguarding your personal data.
Example of what your photo may contain in information: In the first photo, taken by me in a zoo the other day, you can click on the “i” icon to see all data contained in that picture. When clicked, you get what’s in the second photo; The metadata, including geolocation.
Again in iPhones, app permissions play a crucial role. Be EXTRA selective with app permissions, empowering you to control how your personal data is accessed. Go to Settings and tap on Privacy. Review the permissions requested by each app under the respective categories.
If an app asks for unnecessary permissions like microphone, camera, or location, deny those permissions. Consider using alternative apps with more privacy-focused policies. Being mindful of app permissions helps you control how apps access your personal data.
As I mentioned in thread #3 Part 4/5, do some research on who owns the platform. Based on that, review the permissions in those apps.
Location history on your iPhone can be both a useful feature and a potential privacy concern. Manage your location tracking effectively.
- Open the Settings app and tap on Privacy.
- Select Location Services.
- Scroll down and choose System Services.
Tap on Significant Locations to view and manage location history. Regularly review and clear your location history to avoid long-term tracking. Evaluate the benefits and risks before enabling location history, and only allow access to specific apps that genuinely require it.
Consider the trade-off before enabling location history on your device. If you decide to use it, limit location tracking to specific apps that truly require it. Regularly review and clear your location history to avoid long-term tracking.
Remember, your privacy is valuable, so only enable it if the benefits outweigh the risks.
Protecting your device with a strong passcode or PIN is paramount in maintaining your digital security. The key for it to be secure: REGULARLY CHANGE IT. Let’s talk more about Face ID, Touch ID, and Encryption of this “information”:
Biometric data, such as facial recognition patterns or fingerprints, is typically stored in a secure enclave on the device’s hardware. This enclave is separate from the device’s main storage and is specifically designed to protect sensitive information.
The biometric data is encrypted within the enclave, making it extremely difficult for unauthorized access. Biometric authentication methods perform local processing on the device itself. For example, with Face ID, facial recognition calculations are done on the device’s secure enclave.
Only a mathematical representation of your face, known as a “Face ID token,” is used for authentication. Similarly, Touch ID processes the fingerprint data locally and stores it securely within the device.
Apple, for instance, has stated that biometric data captured by Face ID or Touch ID is not accessible by Apple itself. The data remains on the device and is not sent to or stored on Apple servers.
The company has implemented strict policies to protect user privacy and prevent access to biometric data. But then again, the CIA repeatedly said that they do not spy on US citizens. Who knows nowadays?
Many free online tools are available out there to analyze a photo for its metadata. Keep in mind that also videos contain metadata, as well as documents. Remove Metadata: You can also use apps to remove all metadata, like ViewExif. Do your own research!
