Be highly vigilant! Weaponization of smartphone location data on the battlefield

For soldiers on the battlefield , Opening a smartphone is considered to be the same as lighting a cigarette , Because doing so will leak personal position signals , May be acquired by the enemy . For all that , Smartphones have played a meaningful role in the recent conflict , Including Russia's invasion of Ukraine , These devices have been used to communicate in case of radio failure , Spread live footage against propaganda , And keep in touch with family and friends to maintain morale . How to Collect competitor's smartphone location data and shield your own data may mean the difference between victory and failure .

  How to get smart phone location data

For countries in a state of war / region , Cellular networks that monitor conflict areas provide the most comprehensive view of mobile device activity . But before the conflict begins , The country can identify interested mobile phones , Including equipment belonging to soldiers .

Because location data of mobile applications is usually sold to commercial data brokers , Then repackage and sell to individual customers , So a country can access such a database , Then pick out the mobile phones that may belong to soldiers . These equipment will be carried out regularly at known bases or other military facilities ping. You can even track your mobile phone to its home address , Then reference the public information to identify the owner of the device .

A country can also use information obtained from one or more data leaks to inform devices of interest .2021 Year of T-Mobile The vulnerability indicates that , How much customer data do mobile operators have , Including the unique identifier of the mobile phone （IMEI） And its SIM Card identifier （IMSI）.

Spies can also physically monitor known military sites , And use what's called IMSI Catcher's equipment （ It's essentially a fake cell phone tower ） Collect phone data from nearby mobile phones . As report goes , The Kremlin did this in Britain ,GRU Officials gathered near some of Britain's most sensitive military sites .

When the mobile phone of interest appears on the monitored mobile network , The country can pay close attention to the location of equipment and other cellular data . The presence of two or more such devices at close range indicates that a task may be in progress .

In addition to monitoring cellular networks , Countries in a state of war can also be used on the battlefield IMSI The catcher collects phone data , In order to locate and identify the equipment . You can triangulate the signal strength of the nearby mobile phone signal tower or the target device GPS The system goes on ping To determine the location . Russia's Leer-3 The electronic warfare system consists of two IMSI The catcher's drone and a command truck , Can be in 3.7 Locate up to... Within miles 2000 Telephone .

In order to fight these positioning UAVs , Hostile countries may interfere with drones GPS The signal , Use radio transmitters to prevent drones from receiving GPS The signal . The country can also try GPS cheating , Use the radio transmitter to destroy the accuracy of the UAV's position report . In order to combat this deception , Deployed on the battlefield for verification GPS Signal system . From a larger point of view ,GPS Data corruption has forced some countries to establish their own geographic positioning systems . For the United States ,M-Code It is only for military use GPS The signal , More accurate , It also provides anti-interference and anti deception functions .

Spyware is a more targeted method to obtain location data . It can be through cellular network （ Update via malicious carrier ） Or through IMSI Catcher delivery . It is not uncommon for operators to impersonate single women on social media websites to lure soldiers to download malicious applications . As report goes , Hamas has repeatedly used this tactic against Israeli soldiers . This kind of spyware can capture the real-time location of the device and other functions .

Risks of captured smartphone location data

In all signals sent by smart phones during normal operation , Location data may be the most valuable in combat . Unlike captured dialog or call metadata , Location data can be operated immediately . Location data can reveal troop movements 、 Supply routes and even daily life . A troop build-up at a particular location may indicate an important location . Aggregated location data can also reveal the association between different groups .

The obvious risk faced by soldiers is , Enemies can use their location data to guide targeted attacks against them . It is worth noting that , As report goes , A Russian general and his staff were killed in an air strike in the early weeks of the invasion , Because his phone was intercepted by Ukrainians and geolocated .

In addition to the fatal blow , Location data can be used to provide information for a country's strategy . for example , Russia 2017 Telephone data collection over Poland and the Baltic States showed military experts that drone flights , The country is trying to monitor the level of troops at the new NATO base , See if there are more troops there than the alliance has publicly disclosed .

Smart phone location data countermeasures

In response to capturing location data from soldiers' smartphones , It is understandable that many countries prohibit these devices from appearing on the battlefield . for example , stay 2019 year , The Russian parliament unanimously voted to ban the armed forces on duty from using smartphones and tablets .

However , Banning soldiers who have never experienced a world without smartphones from using mobile devices has its limitations . Since the beginning of the invasion , Russian commanders have confiscated their subordinates' private phones for many times , Because they are afraid that they will unknowingly disclose the location of their troops .

If there is no complete ban , Soldiers may be encouraged to pay attention to their SIM card . Ukrainian soldiers are advised to obtain SIM card , This helps protect the identity of the device . During the war in Afghanistan , Some senior Taliban leaders play SIM Roulette , Distribute randomly and frequently SIM Card to avoid American pursuers .

Soldiers are also advised to block their real location when using smartphones . for example , Ukrainian soldiers were instructed to walk at least 1,600 Feet away , In order to make a phone call , It's best to go to an area with many civilians . Soldiers can also use Faraday protective shells to cover their direction of travel , First move in the wrong direction , Then put the phone into the protective case . It's safer to use Faraday's protective sleeve than to turn off your phone , Because turning off the power supply itself is a signal , May cause additional scrutiny , And the mobile phone may have been hacked , It seems to be closed , In fact, it is still opening and transmitting signals to the enemy .

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