U.S. soldiers are accidentally leaking intel through fitness apps
- 6 years ago
SAN FRANCISCO — Information about location and staffing of U.S. military bases around the world has been revealed by a fitness-tracking company.
The data was released by Strava in a data map that indicates all the activity tracked by users of the fitness app, the Guardian reported.
The Global Heat Map published by Strava uses satellite information to plot the location and movements of its users over a two-year period by lighting up areas of activity.
The app can be used on smartphones or fitness trackers to see running popular routes in cities, or track people in remote areas.
Military analysts discovered over the weekend the data also reveals sensitive information about U.S. soldiers on active service.
Nathan Ruser, a researcher at the Institute for United Conflict Analysts, first discovered the oversight.
"If soldiers use the app like normal people do, by turning it on tracking when they go to do exercise, it could be especially dangerous," Ruser said.
In locations like Afghanistan, Djibouti and Syria, Strava users are almost all foreign military personnel, meaning their bases stand out brightly.
Strava apps and devices can have their location services turned off. The company issued a statement urging users to visit their website to make sure they fully understand the privacy settings.
The data was released by Strava in a data map that indicates all the activity tracked by users of the fitness app, the Guardian reported.
The Global Heat Map published by Strava uses satellite information to plot the location and movements of its users over a two-year period by lighting up areas of activity.
The app can be used on smartphones or fitness trackers to see running popular routes in cities, or track people in remote areas.
Military analysts discovered over the weekend the data also reveals sensitive information about U.S. soldiers on active service.
Nathan Ruser, a researcher at the Institute for United Conflict Analysts, first discovered the oversight.
"If soldiers use the app like normal people do, by turning it on tracking when they go to do exercise, it could be especially dangerous," Ruser said.
In locations like Afghanistan, Djibouti and Syria, Strava users are almost all foreign military personnel, meaning their bases stand out brightly.
Strava apps and devices can have their location services turned off. The company issued a statement urging users to visit their website to make sure they fully understand the privacy settings.