We live in a world where technology can offer benefits to our lives. Being ‘always connected’ is the lifestyle choice for many, where technology offers solutions to problems not previously considered, such as knowing where your friends are at all times. Does this work for you? Do you know just how connected you are to the world and anyone who cares to look? As the user embraces technology, technology embraces the user back by recording vast aspects of their life which is used to better understand who and what you are as a human being.
Consider, who taught you to use your mobile phone? Computer? Tablet? Smart home devices? You likely bought it for familiarity, functionality, convenience, style, Apple or Android ecosystem, or price - but did anyone actually teach you how to use it safely and fully understand what you are incorporating into your life? The short answer is usually no. These devices are incredibly powerful computers and provide a wide range of functions besides the obvious, many of which you may not have a need for.
When we purchase smart technology, many of the settings are already activated by default. Do you know what these settings are or where to locate them? And do you know that you can turn them off without affecting your device’s functionality? Default settings are to provide the full range of functionality for your mobile device; however, not all are necessary for the device to operate at a standard that suits your needs.
Besides providing functionality, these handy devices collect data and so do the apps we download onto them. So just how much data are these devices recording? The answer might surprise you. Across the devices and apps everything, including where you go, who you interact with, what you search for on the web, and how much time you spend at home, is being recorded. In fact, if you are a fully connected person, there is very little you do in life that isn’t recorded on technology, either within the device or linked back to corporate cloud services. And the reality is, you have given permission for this to happen.
So, should we care? That comes down to whether you’re comfortable with your unique personality DNA being stored by corporates in servers and/or data warehouses on the other side of the world. Because ultimately, this is where it can end up.
What’s important to understand is that we, as consumers, have a choice about what data is recorded in the first place. You have the authority to go through your phone and other devices and turn off various settings.
Here are five things to consider scaling back.
1. Microphone
You know when you’re talking about something and then suddenly it pops up as an advertisement on Google? Maybe you’re talking about taking a holiday to Bali, and then suddenly, you’re getting ads for flights to Denpasar? It’s because you’ve got your microphone turned on, and these devices and/or apps can listen to you. Facebook can listen to you – simply because you’ve given it permission to do so. So, take a look in your privacy settings. See what apps are currently using your microphone – it might surprise you. Whilst you are there, look also at the apps that have access to your photos and location. You can forbid their access, or if it is a useful function, restrict access to services only whilst you are using the app.
2. Location services
If you have location services turned on for various apps, then your phone is tracking where you are, every second of the day. Many apps send signals out to identify exactly where you are at any moment in time. You can see which apps are using location services by heading into your settings. The reality is, most of these apps don’t need to know your location, but if you haven’t asked it not to track you, then it’s keeping an eye on you.
It's important to check if your camera is recording your location. Unless you’re on holidays and specifically want to record a location you are at, this probably isn’t a wise idea. When we take photos at home and post these on the internet, the data including location data can be uploaded with it. Some social media sites strip this data, but others don’t. That means that if hackers or criminals really wanted to find your home address – after you’ve posted a photo of your dog in the backyard – they can do so.
3. Significant locations
There’s a section in your phone called significant locations. If you have this turned on, your phone is recording the locations you spend most of your time at. So, the exact GPS coordinates of where you live, work, and shop are recorded. If you lose your phone, that information may be accessible – right down to the details of the times you generally arrive and leave these places. Whilst phone developers protect this data, it keeps a lot of this information stored on the phone, and the reality is, phones can be hacked, and apps can also leak information. Do you really need this information being recorded and stored? If not, this is a function you can turn off.
4. Bluetooth and Wi-Fi
If you walk around with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi turned on, then you are leaving your signature everywhere you go. These signals are constantly searching for other devices to connect with. Keeping these turned off when you don’t need them will save your battery and minimise your digital fingerprint.
5. Home assistant devices
There’s no denying the Internet of Things has changed the way we live – and in many cases for the better. An elderly or disabled person can now say “Goodnight, Google” and lock their houses down, close their doors, draw their blinds, and turn their lights on and off without physically having to do so. But let’s not forget that smart houses, smart cars, and smart cities are recording data.
These devices can also be hacked and stolen. Smart televisions alone store enormous amounts of data including email addresses, passwords, social media accounts and even bank details. People throw away smart TVs and sell them, but how many people are actually logging out of their accounts before they get rid of this device? So, before you sling your smart TV on Facebook Marketplace, log out of your accounts and perform a factory reset – just like you would a mobile phone or computer before selling it.
Graeme Edwards is a Senior Teaching Fellow in Cyber and Fraud Threats at the Bond Business School