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It's what Bruce Schneier calls Security Theater, or movie plot threats, with a dash of "beware, the enemy is always listening", and self-proclaimed security exp

It's what Bruce Schneier calls Security Theater, or movie plot threats, with a dash of "beware, the enemy is always listening", and self-proclaimed security experts to hint at vague threats from terrorists. It's true that there are privacy issues with geotagging, facebook profiles. But the military and the para-military need their FUD to keep the money flowing.

dillona 14y ago
You don't think there are people out there who shouldn't have their position known to the world in real time?
klodolph 14y ago
Really? It's security theater to disable geotagging? 1. The first part talks about disabling geotagging for deployed soldiers in classified locations, and gives an example where geotagging allegedly led to a morter attack and materiel losses, 2. The second part talks about disabling geotagging at home if you are worried about your safety. These are not hypothetical risks: imagine an ex-boyfriend with a constant stream of your GPS coordinates through social media.
- abolibibelot 14y ago
  Ok, I'll give the first point a maybe. As to the second point, the risk is overblown (but yes, geotagging is stalker heaven). But, when to make a point, the expert says: "Do you really want everyone to know the exact location of your home or your children's school?" Sweetnam said. We're in the "who will think of the children?" territory (for another take on geotagging threats, for civilian this time: http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2012/02/dumb_risk_of_th.html http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2012/02/dumb_risk_of_t...) Two third of the article are not about the alleged helicopter incident, they're about ramping up the paranoia in the besieged homeland.
- matthewowen 14y ago
  His comment isn't wholly unjustified. If you take a photograph of helicopters in a military base, it is plausible (possibly even likely) that someone familiar with the area could figure out their location purely by looking at the photo - based on the background content of the photograph. The point you could make is that if you're worried about people figuring out where you are, you probably shouldn't publish photos of your location on the internet.
projectileboy 14y ago
In the article, the author gives a specific example of how geotagged photos led to an attack that destroyed four helicopters (which are spendy). There are lots of examples of security theater in our society; this isn't one of them. Seems like a very real concern, for military personnel in particular.

dillona 14y ago

You don't think there are people out there who shouldn't have their position known to the world in real time?

klodolph 14y ago

Really? It's security theater to disable geotagging? 1. The first part talks about disabling geotagging for deployed soldiers in classified locations, and gives an example where geotagging allegedly led to a morter attack and materiel losses, 2. The second part talks about disabling geotagging at home if you are worried about your safety. These are not hypothetical risks: imagine an ex-boyfriend with a constant stream of your GPS coordinates through social media.

abolibibelot 14y ago
Ok, I'll give the first point a maybe. As to the second point, the risk is overblown (but yes, geotagging is stalker heaven). But, when to make a point, the expert says: "Do you really want everyone to know the exact location of your home or your children's school?" Sweetnam said. We're in the "who will think of the children?" territory (for another take on geotagging threats, for civilian this time: http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2012/02/dumb_risk_of_th.html http://www.schneier.com/blog/archives/2012/02/dumb_risk_of_t...) Two third of the article are not about the alleged helicopter incident, they're about ramping up the paranoia in the besieged homeland.
matthewowen 14y ago
His comment isn't wholly unjustified. If you take a photograph of helicopters in a military base, it is plausible (possibly even likely) that someone familiar with the area could figure out their location purely by looking at the photo - based on the background content of the photograph. The point you could make is that if you're worried about people figuring out where you are, you probably shouldn't publish photos of your location on the internet.

projectileboy 14y ago

In the article, the author gives a specific example of how geotagged photos led to an attack that destroyed four helicopters (which are spendy). There are lots of examples of security theater in our society; this isn't one of them. Seems like a very real concern, for military personnel in particular.