from the game-over dept
Of course, a big part of the issue here is the lack of concern or focus on encrypting and securing mobile apps and data. While there’s been increasing talk about encrypting everything on the web, the main focus has been on the desktop. And while there are things like VPNs and security for mobile phones, it’s been much less of a priority for many. That needs to change.
In talking about the NSA issue with a variety of startups lately, it’s been somewhat depressing to hear more than a few suggest that they were unwilling to speak up, because they were afraid it would shine more of a light on how weak their own privacy and data protection efforts have been. I’ve told multiple companies that the proper response to this is not to stay quiet but to fix your own data management in order to protect your users. Because sooner or later, people were going to find out about leaky data like this one way or the other.
At this point, it’s clear that the NSA, GCHQ and others will seek out and collect any data they can. That makes it imperative for pretty much everyone creating any app that collects any data — even for something as simple as a game like Angry Birds — to learn how to properly protect that data and to protect their users. This goes for both small companies and large ones. For example, the reports show the NSA and GCHQ salivating over all of the information that Google Maps provides. Google has been taking a stand that says they’re serious about protecting their users’ data. If the company is serious about that it should take the lead in making phones much more secure from simple and easy tracking, as is detailed in these documents.
