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The investigation revealed how targeted advertising reveals military secrets.
U.S. military bases in Europe are under threat due to leaks of location data collected for targeted advertising. The investigation found that U.S. companies that legally collect data for advertising actually provide the ability to track the movements of military and intelligence personnel. This poses risks to U.S. national security.
The data collected, which includes billions of coordinates, allowed researchers to establish the routes and day-to-day activity of the U.S. military. For example, employees' devices were recorded inside classified facilities, such as the former NSA intelligence signal base, military training areas, and bases with nuclear weapons storage facilities. At one such base, Büchel Air Base, data from 189 devices was recorded, which made it possible to find out details about the routes and schedules of employees.
At the heart of the problem is mobile advertising identifiers, which are used to personalize ads. These unique codes are collected using software built into mobile apps. The data is shared with brokers, who then analyze, process, and resell it. One such company is Florida-based Datastream Group, which in 2023 provided researchers with a sample data containing 3.6 billion device coordinates in Germany over a period of 59 days.
The study showed that device movement data can be used to identify vulnerabilities. In particular, they allow you to determine entry points, security routes, peak hours and periods when objects remain the least protected. This creates significant risks, including the possibility of terrorist attacks, blackmail of employees or leaks of strategically important information.
At the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, which supports U.S. drone operations, 164,223 signals from nearly 2,000 devices were recorded. Similar data was collected at other facilities, including training areas for the military. Some devices have been seen not only at military bases, but also in catering establishments, shops and even establishments with a dubious reputation, which increases the likelihood of their owners being compromised.
Senator Ron Wyden said that the data sales industry poses a direct threat to national security. According to him, the sale of military data violates not only security principles, but also the rights of American citizens. Wyden has asked the Pentagon and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to tighten oversight of such data, but has yet to receive a response. The FTC is preparing to file lawsuits against data collection companies to classify U.S. military bases as protected facilities. However, specific steps still remain at the planning stage, which is criticized by experts.
Military experts emphasize that the problem is not limited to high-ranking officials. Data about technical personnel or maintenance personnel can be used to access important systems. A single USB drive connected to a vulnerable device can cause serious damage.
Despite the Pentagon's awareness of such threats, the situation has not changed much since 2016. Moreover, the data leak continues due to the lack of strict regulation. A report declassified last year said data bought from brokers could be used for blackmail, harassment and other abuses. However, the actions of Congress and government structures remain insufficient.
In addition, the investigation revealed that such data can be obtained by almost anyone. The study found that data brokers do little to no due diligence on buyers. In one case, researchers were even offered to bypass identity verification for an additional fee.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the data reveals not only the movements of individuals, but also vulnerabilities in the protection of strategically important sites, which poses a serious risk to both military personnel and their families. Experts and human rights activists are calling for urgent legislative changes to prevent further leaks and strengthen the protection of personal data.
Source
U.S. military bases in Europe are under threat due to leaks of location data collected for targeted advertising. The investigation found that U.S. companies that legally collect data for advertising actually provide the ability to track the movements of military and intelligence personnel. This poses risks to U.S. national security.
The data collected, which includes billions of coordinates, allowed researchers to establish the routes and day-to-day activity of the U.S. military. For example, employees' devices were recorded inside classified facilities, such as the former NSA intelligence signal base, military training areas, and bases with nuclear weapons storage facilities. At one such base, Büchel Air Base, data from 189 devices was recorded, which made it possible to find out details about the routes and schedules of employees.
At the heart of the problem is mobile advertising identifiers, which are used to personalize ads. These unique codes are collected using software built into mobile apps. The data is shared with brokers, who then analyze, process, and resell it. One such company is Florida-based Datastream Group, which in 2023 provided researchers with a sample data containing 3.6 billion device coordinates in Germany over a period of 59 days.
The study showed that device movement data can be used to identify vulnerabilities. In particular, they allow you to determine entry points, security routes, peak hours and periods when objects remain the least protected. This creates significant risks, including the possibility of terrorist attacks, blackmail of employees or leaks of strategically important information.
At the Ramstein Air Base in Germany, which supports U.S. drone operations, 164,223 signals from nearly 2,000 devices were recorded. Similar data was collected at other facilities, including training areas for the military. Some devices have been seen not only at military bases, but also in catering establishments, shops and even establishments with a dubious reputation, which increases the likelihood of their owners being compromised.
Senator Ron Wyden said that the data sales industry poses a direct threat to national security. According to him, the sale of military data violates not only security principles, but also the rights of American citizens. Wyden has asked the Pentagon and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to tighten oversight of such data, but has yet to receive a response. The FTC is preparing to file lawsuits against data collection companies to classify U.S. military bases as protected facilities. However, specific steps still remain at the planning stage, which is criticized by experts.
Military experts emphasize that the problem is not limited to high-ranking officials. Data about technical personnel or maintenance personnel can be used to access important systems. A single USB drive connected to a vulnerable device can cause serious damage.
Despite the Pentagon's awareness of such threats, the situation has not changed much since 2016. Moreover, the data leak continues due to the lack of strict regulation. A report declassified last year said data bought from brokers could be used for blackmail, harassment and other abuses. However, the actions of Congress and government structures remain insufficient.
In addition, the investigation revealed that such data can be obtained by almost anyone. The study found that data brokers do little to no due diligence on buyers. In one case, researchers were even offered to bypass identity verification for an additional fee.
The problem is exacerbated by the fact that the data reveals not only the movements of individuals, but also vulnerabilities in the protection of strategically important sites, which poses a serious risk to both military personnel and their families. Experts and human rights activists are calling for urgent legislative changes to prevent further leaks and strengthen the protection of personal data.
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