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Strava reveals military bases
 

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DPotter
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 953
Location: Portland, Maine

1/29/18 9:33 AM

Strava reveals military bases

https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/strava-fitness-tracking-map-reveals-military-bases-movements-war-zones-n841871


Oops

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Tim123
Joined: 01 Apr 2004
Posts: 252
Location: Adelaide

1/30/18 4:16 PM

I'm not sure if it's a Strava issue, the military personnel / Strava users revealed the bases. Who thinks it's a good idea to wear GPS trackers at a secret base???

Only thing I'm not sure about, is if all these activities were "private" but Strava added them to the heatmap anyway.

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

1/30/18 7:37 PM

I use strava, I quit wearing a Fitbit because of other security issues. I also have a 1k bubble on my mapping around my office and home.

Only an idiot would track their runs while deployed to a classified location. It is not a strava issue, it is user issue. Their are stupid people out there, tons of them.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

1/30/18 11:01 PM

Only thing I'm not sure about, is if all these activities were "private" but Strava added them to the heatmap anyway.[quote]
If one is on deployment in hostile territory, would one be so naive to upload one's location in "private" mode and hope nobody crack the security of Strava? I suppose some people are too trusting.

But on the other hand, if a lot of soldiers are running inside the secured zone, it isn't a secret. There's nothing so terribly unusual to see a bunch of tracks in areas known to have a large concentration of US troops. Is the media making too big a deal on something that's really just a common knowledge?


Last edited by April on 1/31/18 5:38 PM; edited 1 time in total

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KerryIrons
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 3234
Location: Midland, MI

1/31/18 3:42 PM

Patrol routes

Don't know if this has actually happened, but at least one issue I heard raised was what if a soldier had Strava turned on while doing a patrol route. Stupid thing to do but it could reveal the patrol route to the unfriendlies.

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Tim123
Joined: 01 Apr 2004
Posts: 252
Location: Adelaide

1/31/18 5:35 PM

I assume the bad guys already know where the bases are, but as mentioned, I think it more gives away layouts within those sites, areas with most foot traffic etc, I guess that info could potentially be used for an attack or intelligence gathering, patterns of movement etc

either way, user error, not Strava

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

1/31/18 5:42 PM

but...

I don't use Strava nor fitbits. So this is more a question...

Do these devices run in "opt in" node for tracking movement, or "opt out" mode?

Google map, for example, operate on "opt out" mode. And you can only opt out of using it entirely. You can't stop it from uploading your track while still use the app.

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ErikS
Joined: 19 May 2005
Posts: 8337
Location: Slowing boiling over in the steamy south, Global Warming is real

1/31/18 5:59 PM

I used a Fitbit Blaze for quite some time.

With that device you opt in to start tracking using your phone GPS just like starting it on your phone or doing a Garmin upload. Any soldier who activates their Strava before starting a patrol is one of the dumbest people ever known. Even Forrest Gump would not do that.

Prior to a patrol, most get a scrub for security issues. OPSEC and PERSEC are taken seriously in all services.

Services do use COS GPS receivers, the most common are the arm/watch style Garmin Forerunner series. I suspect that is where folks are uploading their stuff because they are using the features on the watches. A EOD troop that works for me was issued one just a month or so ago and they use them for taking GPS hits when working with maps.

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Tim123
Joined: 01 Apr 2004
Posts: 252
Location: Adelaide

1/31/18 8:25 PM

@April

April, if you use the Strava app on a mobile phone, it will upload to Strava at the completion of the activity. If you use another device like a Garmin, you can either manually upload the activity to Strava, or have your Garmin and Strava accounts linked so that the upload to Strava happens automatically.

In the case of the Strava app and Garmin devices, they don't track an activity or daily movement unless you manually start and stop it yourself, there is no background tracking like what Google Maps does.

On a side note: I was quite surprised recently, I know Google Maps tracks activity (if you allow it) but we recently went on a driving holiday. I later reviewed the location tracking, it had driving times and distances, where we stopped for fuel, where we ate, where we shopped, places we visited, how long we stayed etc etc and has since been asking for reviews of those places. It's kinda nice to look back on and scary all at the same time.

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DPotter
Joined: 12 Jan 2004
Posts: 953
Location: Portland, Maine

2/3/18 8:01 AM

Just to be clear - I wasn't faulting Strava. Just found it an interesting "unintended" consequence of connected life. BBC had an interview with the guy (kid) who brought the issue forward. I think he did it as a project for his Bachelors in CompSci.


It was sort of neat to go to the Stava heatmaps and zoom in on remote places in the middle east.

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April
Joined: 13 Dec 2003
Posts: 6593
Location: Westchester/NYC

2/3/18 11:16 AM

On the ski forum, people are finding other people's "secret stash" left and right!

Even I found a few "side country" routes of my often-visited mountain. I can't say I'm not tempted.

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