Map that shows whereabouts of fitness device users poses potential security threat: U.S. media

WASHINGTON, Jan. 29 (Xinhua) -- An interactive map which indicates the location of fitness device users also reveals sensitive information about the activities and locations of soldiers at U.S. military bases, a potentially major security lapse, local media have reported.

Presumably as a result of American soldiers using fitness trackers such as Fitbit, Jawbone or similar devices as they move around, zooming in on those areas of the map indicates both known and unknown U.S. military bases, and lines of activity may also reveal patrol routes to possible enemies.

Strava, a GPS tracking company which published the Global Heat Map, said there are 27 million users around the world and the map's aim was to illuminate locations and movements of subscribers to the company's fitness service from 2015-2017.

The highly sensitive information that the map contains was found by accident on Saturday by Nathan Ruser, an Australian student, even though The Heat Map was posted online in November, the Washington Post reported on Sunday.

When one studies the global map, areas with many fitness device users such as most parts of the United States and Europe are depicted as blazes of light on the map, while in war zones and deserts the light becomes scattered due to lack of activity.

Ruser discovered the map on a mapping blog and looked more closely to see whether it showed U.S soldiers' activities. When he looked at Syria, "it sort of lit up like a Christmas tree," the student said.

The U.S. military is investigating the issue, said Air Force Col. John Thomas, a spokesman for U.S. Central Command.

Since Ruser publicized his discovery, data analysts, military experts and former soldiers have begun using the map for evidence of activity in their areas of interest.

Experts from different countries have said that the map which reveals fitness device users' whereabouts poses potential security threats.

Tobias Schneider, an international security analyst in Germany, called it "a clear security threat. You can see a pattern of life. You can see where a person who lives on a compound runs down a street to exercise."

Nick Waters, a former British army officer, also pointed out that the map indicates a great security lapse. "Big OPSEC (operations security) and PERSEC (personal security) fail," he tweeted. "Patrol routes, isolated patrol bases, lots of stuff that could be turned into actionable intelligence" were revealed on the map. Enditem