Cyberstalking: How Can Businesses Be More Cyber Secure From Air Tags
Technological advancements have brought about lots of gadgets and gizmos that are designed to make life that little bit easier. One such idea is the humble but clever device called an air tag, or connected tags. Air tags are small, connected trackers that use Bluetooth to help users locate and find missing or lost items.
However, air tags also have a downside, unwanted tracking. Evidence suggests that bad actors could use devices to track the location of people without their knowledge which poses a risk to them and danger to their high-value items.
Although instances of unwanted tracking are currently few and far between, it is still an issue of concern. So how can companies be more protected from air tags to ensure the safety of their staff and goods?
What Is an Air Tag and How Does It Work?
Apple air tags are a great invention that can help you locate and find lost property such as wallets, keys or anything else that you place the device on. They are small, pebble-like tags that use Bluetooth to connect to your smartphone which then locates the tag and your belongings.
Protecting Your Company Against Air Tags
It is said that a total of 16% of women and 3.7% of men have been stalked. When we think of stalking, we think about physical stalking, following victims around and hiding behind bushes. However, technology such as air tags and similar devices increase the chances of cyberstalking. Granted, cyber stalkers are a different species and some physical stalkers may not have the technical capabilities that a cyber stalker does, but this does mean we need to be careful.
As a business, employees or customers could be tracked by cyber stalkers who could be targeting them as individuals or to get sensitive or insightful information about them or your company. Either way, it’s best to do what you can to avoid unnecessary distress or data breaches as a result of devices such as air tags.
There are several measures companies and individual employees can take to be more protected from rogue Apple air tags. Manufacturers like Apple are also introducing improved security features for these devices.
An obvious starting point is to regularly check company property such as bags and vehicles for any unknown tags which can help uncover unwanted tracking. In addition, securing belongings and making them difficult to tamper with will also help as a deterrent. Air tags that are allocated to employees should be regularly checked.
As mentioned above, fortunately, tech companies are helping by providing ways to discover and locate tags that have been placed for nefarious reasons. Air Tags are an Apple product and thus work with iPhones which alert their owner to unknown tags. An air tag that is on an unregistered person will begin to chirp within a few hours and an alert is also sent to your phone. Thankfully, you will also get information on how to disable the rogue air tag.
Apple has also released a guide and tracker-detecting app for Android users and, if you tap an air tag on any phone’s NFC reader, it will alert you to a potential air tag.
Unfortunately, trackers made by Tile do not emit sound and so may be harder to locate but removing their battery where possible, or submerging them in water should disable their capabilities.
It’s a good idea not to deactivate the tag at your home because the user on the other end can see information about your last location. In some countries, it is a serious offence to track someone without their permission. For example, in France, it is a criminal offence (article 226-1 of the penal code), in which those found guilty can be imprisoned for one year or fined 45,000 euros.
How Companies Can Be More Cyber-Secure
Cyber-attacks and cybercrime are potentially damaging to a company and its customers and so focusing on improving security is crucial. To aid with this, companies should carry out risk assessments to identify any weaknesses or compromised systems and develop a relevant security strategy.
Other ways to keep security high include using anti-virus software, keeping all other software and systems updated, as well as encrypting sensitive information. Ensuring files are backed up regularly allows you to have recent copies of any compromised data and limiting access to sensitive information will also help prevent breaches.
Finally, mobile devices should not be overlooked either, as hackers could access your system through these. In addition to other simple measures such as the use of firewalls, having a strong password policy and using a VPN for remote workers can all help to protect your company. As with air tags and unwanted tracking, cybercrime is a threat that companies would do well to recognise and take steps to mitigate and deter.
How Can Gerrish Legal Help?
Gerrish Legal is a dynamic digital law firm. We pride ourselves on giving high-quality and expert legal advice to our valued clients. We specialise in many aspects of digital law such as GDPR, data privacy, digital and technology law, commercial law, and intellectual property.
We give companies the support they need to successfully and confidently run their businesses whilst complying with legal regulations without the burdens of keeping up with ever-changing digital requirements.
We are here to help you, get in contact with us today for more information.