Other ways to search: Events Calendar | UTHSC

Cybersecurity Tip of the Week – Reevaluate the Need for Location Services

|

Location services can be useful for navigation and certain apps, but enabling them unnecessarily poses significant privacy and security risks. Here are some key reasons to reconsider your use of location services:

  1. Privacy Concerns: Constantly sharing your location can expose sensitive information about your daily habits and routines, potentially leading to unwanted tracking or surveillance.
  2. Data Exposure: Applications that access your location data may share this information with third parties, increasing the risk of data breaches or misuse.
  3. Battery Drain: Continuous use of GPS and other location-tracking features can significantly drain your device’s battery life.
  4. Targeted Attacks: Cybercriminals can exploit location data to tailor phishing attacks or physical threats based on your whereabouts.

Best Practices:

  • Review Permissions: Regularly check which apps have access to your location and disable it for those that do not need it.
  • Use ‘While Using the App’ Setting: For essential apps, choose the option to allow location access only while using the app, rather than all the time.
  • Disable Location Services When Not Needed: Turn off location services when they are not required to limit exposure.

By taking these steps, you can enhance both your privacy and security while using digital devices.

Do you like these weekly tips?  If you’ve missed some, are new to the university, or want to search for a tip on a certain topic, these are all stored in our Tip Archive.

And don’t forget about the fun and games with Cybersecurity Awareness Month!  Play the Scavenger Hunt to qualify for UTHSC swag or Starbucks gift cards.