Digital Post

2022 - 6 - 13

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Image courtesy of "The Washington Post"

An Indianapolis homicide fuels criticisms of digital tracking devices (The Washington Post)

Welcome to The Cybersecurity 202! I've spent a lot of time with reporters at bars but somehow only this weekend learned about how the Chicago Sun-Times ...

The fifth hearing will focus on Trump’s efforts to pressure state officials and election officials to change the results of the election, the Journal reported. More than 2,000 U.S. hospitals and clinics use software made by the company Phreesia to streamline check-ins at doctor’s offices, according to the company. Users are allowed to decline to share their information for advertising purposes, but the company wouldn’t tell Geoff how many patients say no. “Some of those attempts have been aided by like-minded election officials, raising concerns about insiders as a growing threat to election security.” It is probably fixable: At a minimum don't report to the user locations where the user themselves haven't been. But, as with the apps that identify trackers offered by Samsung and Tile, this puts the onus on the victim who may have no reason to suspect he or she is being tracked. Republican election lawyer Benjamin Ginsberg and former federal prosecutor B.J. “BJay” Pak will testify at the hearing, which begins at 10 a.m. today. This is just the latest scandal for surreptitious tracking and listening technology. According to police, Morris is accused of running over Smith several times with a car, per the Indianapolis Star. He was pronounced dead at the scene. I've really changed my views on AirTags. It used to be "eh, its so useful for other things..." But privacy advocates have long warned that AirTags and similar products are frequently used to track unsuspecting people. Welcome to The Cybersecurity 202!

Are Digital Tracking Devices Enabling Stalking and Homicides? (Crime Report)

Gaylyn Morris, arrested and accused of murder, allegedly told witnesses that she was tracking her boyfriend Andre Smith with an Apple AirTag because she ...

An alleged homicide in Indianapolis raises difficult questions about digital trackers marketed for convenience but sometimes used for stalking, reports the Washington Post. Gaylyn Morris, arrested and accused of murder, allegedly told witnesses that she was tracking her boyfriend Andre Smith with an Apple AirTag because she suspected him of cheating on her. However, innocuous tracking technology can potentially be used for nefarious purposes, most often coming in the form of apps that are surreptitiously installed on the victim’s phone or another device rather than physical objects — a category critics have dubbed “stalkerware.” While these apps often have legitimate purposes, the legitimate activity can largely be a veneer. According to police, Morris is accused of running over Smith several times with a car after using the AirTag to locate Smith at a local pub where he was with another woman.

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