How to Secure Your Phone for a Protest
There is also facial-recognition software to be concerned about, but to be honest, this is one of those things that I have kind of accept
Lastly, there are X-ray vans. They do exactly what you think: they scan people as they walk by. The Atlantic reported on this kind of equipment last year. I don't know if it will be in the field at the inauguration, but it's just a reminder that there's more than one kind of surveillance.
Tools of the Trade
While the tools of the surveillance state and the criminally minded are many and manifold, there's a simple way to defeat many of them: turn off your phone. While we tend to marvel at how cell phones send signals to satellites, phones actually rely on terrestrial antennas that can be overwhelmed when lots of people cram into a relatively small area. At many major events, wireless providers will often bring in mobile cellular infrastructure to try and serve the throngs.
With that in mind, the best way to keep from being observed is to simply never be on the grid in the first place. Turn off your phone when you head toward the march, and leave it off until you're headed home. Make arrangements in advance with your friends and visitors to meet at easily found locations that require little knowledge of the area. Print out maps of where you intend to be, since data may end up being a scarce commodity even after the protest begins to disperse.
And although everyone is always concerned about Big Brother, remember that loss and theft are often the biggest threat to cell phones. Always lock your phone with a secure passcode (that means more than just four digits!), and consider enabling fingerprint unlocking on your phone if it's supported. While police may be able to compel you to use your fingerprint to unlock a phone, it will stymie a would-be crook who stumbles across your device. Also consider activating the Find My iPhone or Android Device Manager features. While they won't work when your phone is turned off, the
When I tell people that their best defense is just to switch off their phones, they always seem disappointed. But it's true. However, if you're concerned about surveillance you should start thinking long term. Start using encrypted services today to protect yourself from attackers and spies of all stripes.
First and foremost, encrypt your communications. The excellent Signal app for Android and iPhone lets you send encrypted messages to other Signal users. The app and its protocol are open source, so you can trust that it has been carefully examined for potential flaws, and have been endorsed by many security experts. The app looks and works just like your existing messaging client, and on Android can actually serve as a full-on SMS client replacement. You can also use it to make encrypted VoIP calls. For more, check out PCMag's roundup of Signal tips.
Messages sent through WhatsApp and Facebook Messenger's "Secret Conversations" mode (below) use the same Signal technology. You may have an easier time staying in touch using these, since they are far more popular than apps like Signal. I recommend against using mesh messaging services like FireChat, partly because I haven't been impressed with their performance but also because you never know who might be listening.
Also, the iPhone uses end-to-end encryption when sending messages between you and other iPhone users. So, whenever you see the blue bubble around text, you can rest assured that if the message is intercepted it cannot be read. Apple has done a great job securing its mobile devices, to the point that the FBI and US intelligence agencies have complained that it is too powerful. The stuff you've heard about the San Bernardino shooter's phone being cracked is separate from this. Everything I have seen for the last decade or so indicates that the Apple's iPhone-to-iPhone messaging is excellent.
Keep in mind that this isn't true if you're messaging a non-iPhone user (the green message bubble pe
No comments:
Post a Comment