My last iPhone was a 3GS about 4 years ago... Completely forgot about that.
Incidentally, the paper was co-authored by another shrieking hysterical loon who probably derrived her understanding of the issue exclusively from alex jones. I'm really glad you guys are here to offer some level headed no nonsense perspective on the matter
Wi-Fi Positioning Systems:
Beware of Unintended Consequences
In this paper, we explore the identity and privacy issues that could arise from the unintended uses of the MAC address. Since the MAC address was designed to be persistent and unique over the lifetime of a Wi-Fi device, in a WPS, it identifies Wi-Fi devices that are closely associated with individuals – not only stationary routers, but personal laptops and mobile phones. When a unique identifier may be linked to an individual, it often falls under the definition of “personal information” through that data linkage and carries with it a host of regulatory responsibilities. The associated privacy issues range from lack of knowledge or consent of the mobile device owner for the use of the unique identifier, the possibility of unauthorized disclosure to third parties, or potential uses for secondary purposes.
The following observations and suggestions are made:
• Privacy is predicated on providing individual mobile device users with personal control, alongside openness and transparency on the part of the provider;
• In no case should the MAC address of an individual’s mobile device be collected or recorded without the individual’s consent; Privacy by Design is now the International Standard for privacy and should be considered at the outset, for a doubly-enabling outcome; therefore, engineers should use Privacy by Design as a standard to ensure that privacy is embedded into the architecture of various technologies and systems;
• When designing technical architecture, the potential for possible unintended uses should form part of a privacy threat/risk analysis;
• We must research and think creatively to find ways to embed privacy into Wi-Fi protocols that can randomize MAC addresses or ensure privacy through a proxy-like method of assigning addresses. Innovative solutions will be required to change the existing model of using persistent MAC addresses that remain uniquely bound to a mobile device.
http://www.identityblog.com/wp-content/images/2011/06/beware_of_unintended_consequences.pdf
An SPD diagram of the mesh network shows its information heading to institutions large and small, including the King County Sheriff's Office, the US Coast Guard, and our local fusion center.
Fusion centers, if you're unfamiliar with the term, are information-sharing hubs, defined by the Department of Homeland Security as "focal points" for the "receipt, analysis, gathering, and sharing" of surveillance information.
If federally funded, locally built surveillance systems with little to no oversight can dump their information in a fusion center—think of it as a gun show for surveillance, where agencies freely swap information with little restriction or oversight—that could allow federal agencies such as the FBI and the NSA to do an end-run around any limitations set by Congress or the FISA court.
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/you-are-a-rogue-device/Content?oid=18143845
Ok, chiming in as a systems engineer who’s currently running a 20 node Aruba network…
The cameras are interesting, but I’m more interested in the mesh network… specifically the Aruba wireless access points.
the VisualRF part of the AirWave software allows you to track any wifi enabled device within range (connected or not), given that the WAPs have been configured in the VisualRF map.
I want to know if SPD is going to enable & use the RFProtect features, as well as the wifi tracking. These WAPs have the ability to scan & sniff wifi traffic as well as map and track wifi devices in real time down to a couple feet.
With the large coverage area of the mesh network, I’d say that has greater privacy implications than the cameras do.
As far as sniffing traffic, the WAPs can only see traffic flowing across them, so they’d only be able to see your traffic if a device is connected. The Aruba’s do have the ability to spoof SSIDs as well as set up honeypots, although I don’t think SPD would arbitrarily use those features. The tracking however doesn’t require an active connection, and can show any wifi enabled device superimposed on a map in real time. Basically, if you have a smartphone, they’ll see your phone’s name and unique ID wandering around a map in real time.
http://westseattleblog.com/2013/03/spd-surveillance-cameras-meeting-on-alki/#comment-985901
that's a strawman. I said tracing a mac address bac to its owner would require extreme and difficult measures. A spy grid that can't reliably identify people in a timely manner is useless.
The mac address is crucial to any IEEE 802x network. It provides a unique identifier to every network device so information can be transmitted and recieved to numerous devices on the same network.
which proves absolutely nothing because all large scale networks have this capability.
so department stores use public WIFI and mac addresses to track customers?
In an earlier post you pointed out the established precedence this country has for ignoring laws (which is true for the most part) to support the argument that this system is being used as a spy grid.
do you have fingers? Do you touch things? You leave your fingerprints everywhere. Is it only privacy concern when electronics are involved? The problem here is that people assume that just because something has potential to Be used for malign purposed means that it is. You know if we put barbed wire and armed guards around all public schools, they can be used as concentration camps.
Wi-Fi Spy Network Installed In Los Angeles?
Photos show white boxes attached to utility poles in residential areas
Paul Joseph Watson
Infowars.com
November 15, 2013
A series of photographs obtained by Infowars suggests that a similar wi-fi mesh network to the one which generated controversy in Seattle over its ability to track cellphone users is currently being installed in Los Angeles.
As we reported earlier this week, the $2.7 million dollar system, funded by a Department of Homeland Security grant, consists of a series of white wi-fi boxes affixed to utility poles with which authorities eventually plan to blanket the entire city of Seattle.
According to promotional material from Aruba Networks, the manufacturer behind the devices, the grid has the capability to track “rogue” or “unassociated” devices that are not even connected to the network.
After the controversy became national news, the Seattle Police Department said it would deactivate the network, although a day after that promise was made, the network was still active.
Is a similar system currently being installed throughout Los Angeles?
In February, the Wall Street Journal reported on Time Warner’s rollout of an outdoor wi-fi network in L.A. which was activated in the fall of 2012. According to the report, in January Time Warner announced that it would, “roll out 10,000 more hot spots in Los Angeles and other cities in the coming year.”
The photos obtained by Infowars suggest that this rollout is now gathering pace. The images, which were taken today, show white boxes with antennas similar to those in Seattle that are affixed to utility poles. One of the images shows an installation van emblazoned with the name of a company called ‘Wiring Connection’.
The boxes are being installed in residential areas on the outskirts of town away from the city center, suggesting that the rollout may have blanketed most of the city.
See the full set of photos below which suggest that a wi-fi network similar to the one in Seattle is being expanded across Los Angeles.
The question is – how much of your data is the network recording without your permission and has any consideration at all been given to the privacy implications?
Location: Maltman Avenue.
The Time Warner network has been here in Los Angeles for a few years. Not very high quality, just along major shopping roads.
Is just fearmongering nonsense. Most of the population of the US is already covered by Time Warner's WiFi network, and has been for a year or two.A series of photographs obtained by Infowars suggests that a similar wi-fi mesh network to the one which generated controversy in Seattle over its ability to track cellphone users is currently being installed in Los Angeles.
Would proof that "they" are tracking your every cellphone location (every few minutes forever) suffice?
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