Fitness-Tracking App Reveals Locations of Secret Army Bases (theguardian.com)

Coisiche shared this story from the Guardian: Sensitive information about the location and staffing of military bases and spy outposts around the world has been revealed by a fitness tracking company. The details were released by Strava in a data visualisation map that shows all the activity tracked by users of its app, which allows people to record their exercise and share it with others. The map, released in November 2017, shows every single activity ever uploaded to Strava -- more than 3 trillion individual GPS data points, according to the company. The app can be used on various devices including smartphones and fitness trackers like Fitbit to see popular running routes in major cities, or spot individuals in more remote areas who have unusual exercise patterns.

However, over the weekend military analysts noticed that the map is also detailed enough that it potentially gives away extremely sensitive information about a subset of Strava users: military personnel on active service... In locations like Afghanistan, Djibouti and Syria, the users of Strava seem to be almost exclusively foreign military personnel, meaning that bases stand out brightly. In Helmand province, Afghanistan, for instance, the locations of forward operating bases can be clearly seen, glowing white against the black map.
One analyst analyst predicted that after this discovery, "A lot of people are going to have to sit through lectures come Monday morning."

Another military analyst told the Guardian "U.S bases are clearly identifiable" -- though he added that the map "looks very pretty."

Comments

"One analyst analyst...."

[macraig]

I have never before heard of analysts being tasked with analyzing other analysts. Thank you for making me aware of this new occupational opportunity.

Re:"One analyst analyst...."

[TWX]

I believe the industry term is meta-analysis. It actually makes sense that it exists, as there's far too much information for one analyst or one team to analyze, especially when it crosses disciplines. At some point analysis has to trust on the other of other analysis.

It's probably in the interest of the higher-level analyst to be a natural skeptic though, since it's always a good idea to at least spot-check the work of others that one is reliant on.

Where have my eyes gone?

[Harlequin80]

Cause god knows spotting a military base with a shit load of military hardware in it and a dirty great big barbwire fence is impossible without these fitness apps.

Re:Where have my eyes gone?

[ragahast]

Sure, but this shows where many of them are all at once, for free, with GPS coordinates. People run on the roads mostly, so it also gives a road map of the base. Go zoom in on some of those random hotspots in podunk Afghanistan, it's pretty weird.

Re:Where have my eyes gone?

[RightwingNutjob]

The problem isn't spotting the base, anyone with an internet connection can look at satellite photos. The problem is outlining the patrol and supply routes. Not just for military, I might add. If you're an aid worker in some third world hole and the only one in town using this fitness app, and you take the same route to work every day, so it's nice and bright on the map, then you just bought yourself an invitation to get targeted for robbery or or kidnapping.

Re:Where have my eyes gone?

[dwillden]

A road map that any local who wishes already has. These bases are not secret, they are not hidden, they use local nationals employees for many general labor services, Further on average there are not massive numbers all at one spot on any base's running routes. There will be more runners at sunrise and sunset as it's cooler but not to dark to safely see, but they don't usually group together.

This is being blown out of proportion by people who don't understand what they are even talking about. Yes it is of some degree of concern, I would expect the devices to become restricted on smaller forward bases, but mostly this is not an issue. A local national working on base can generate the same information with his mark one eyeballs and he doesn't need a computer or internet access to do so.

Smart Phone app

[FeelGood314]

If you are in a sensitive area and you have a smart phone turned on then you aren't smart enough to be allowed in a sensitive area. If we are near people who potentially want to kill me and you turn your fucking position broadcasting device on beside me, I will turn it off after I take it off of your recently deceased body.

Re:Smart Phone app

[Nkwe]

If you are in a sensitive area and you have a smart phone turned on then you aren't smart enough to be allowed in a sensitive area. If we are near people who potentially want to kill me and you turn your fucking position broadcasting device on beside me, I will turn it off after I take it off of your recently deceased body.

True. I would amend the above to say "phone" instead of "smart phone" to be even more accurate. If the area is that sensitive, your probably don't want the cellular provider tracking you either. Even a non-smart cellular phone with no applications is giving up your location constantly.

Re:Smart Phone app

[mapkinase]

I wonder what the Napoleon army, or Genghis Khan army, or Alexander the Great army, or Hitler army did before invention of iPhone for their fitness.

Finess apps is a fad for rich idiots. Army does not need apps, it already has the greatest app of all - Sergeants.

Why?

[fluffernutter]

Why would anyone in a military base in a sensitive location be allowed to have an app that tracks your location? Why would they turn it on?

Re:Why?

[Harlequin80]

Because the location isn't sensitive. These bases aren't hidden, they are fortified forward operating positions.

What is inside the base is sensitive, what information there is sensitive, what force composition is there is sensitive.

Re:Why?

[geekmux]

Because the location isn't sensitive. These bases aren't hidden, they are fortified forward operating positions.

What is inside the base is sensitive, what information there is sensitive, what force composition is there is sensitive.

Yes, which you can start to discern the sensitive information once you start getting more pieces of the puzzle. How many people work there, day/night movements, shift change times, supply routes, etc.

Long ago, the military used to be concerned about these things we called Essential Elements of Friendly Information (EEFIs). Gather enough of them together, and you can start to figure out very sensitive or classified information. EEFI was later called "Critical Information". I guess now that includes "anonymized" data that comes from a fitness app. I sure as shit hope the innocence gets lost real quick around data mining like this.

Re:Dumbasses

[bradley.uffner2292]

This could happen regardless of "radio silence". Strava can log your route even when not actively broadcasting your location. It could be uploaded months, or even years later.

Re:BWA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA!!!!

[bigwheel]

This can be a problem for anyone -- if you allow it.

If you leave from home for runs/rides, someone can easily see where you live, and learn the patterns of when you are won't be home. For that reason, even the freeware version of strava provides some privacy options:
1) Allows to make your records private, or available only by request
2) Provides a way to hide certain areas (such as start/stop location) from followers.
3) Plus the normal stuff, such as hiding real name and not allowing followers.

But then again, even a photo taken from your phone contains GPS information and timestamp if you don't specifically disable it.

Re:And this is why...

[PPH]

Not just the military. What happens when a whole bunch of vehicles start showing up at some remote skunk works site? You don't think that foreign intelligence services have advertising company fronts? They can buy phone and vehicle location data and mine it for the travel patterns of known technical experts.

Re:Local storage

[careysub]

Ditto. In evaluating smart phone apps for diet and exercise I found that a majority of them require, as a first step to using the app, creating a personal account on a website/server. That automatically moved them to the reject pile.