Coronavirus symptom apps are already showing their security problems!

[Bindolta]

Source: https://cybernews.com/news/coronavirus-symptom-apps-are-already-showing-their-security-problems/

From Singapore to the UK, and all places in between, we’re being encouraged to download and install contact tracing apps to help track the spread of the novel coronavirus, which causes covid-19, responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths worldwide. The apps, which often use Bluetooth low energy connections to monitor how we interact with each other, are designed to help us out of the lockdown that has kept us all indoors across the globe.

But there are issues with handing over so much personal data to apps that have been developed so quickly, as researchers are rapidly finding out.

 

[Golurk]

Source: https://cybernews.com/news/coronavirus-symptom-apps-are-already-showing-their-security-problems/

Pretty sure apps from Singapore and the UK, especially the state-launched ones would have better security.

 

[methodman89]

Duh? If an oxymoron app ever existed, this(these) are it. If anyone thinks you're going to be tracked and not tracked in ways you don't like at the same time has wishful thinking.

 

[Morty2264]

This type of thing certainly gives me the heebie-jeebies.

 

[Mooncatt]

The Google and Apple contact tracing project sounds good. It would be like everyone you meet exchanging a sealed envelope with a random identifier number that you never see. At some point, you could open those envelopes and cross check them with the contact tracing service. If one of your numbers is on it, that means a possible exposure. Because the envelopes were sealed, you wouldn't know who actually gave you the triggering number, or when/where it happened. That's a gross oversimplification of the process but the full explanation is rather long. If you are interested, they cover it in this video. Fast forward to 1:19:00 for the contact tracing segment.

https://youtu.be/Z3DZ3St3QRw

An update on the program here, at 11:12.

https://youtu.be/m58TwuRpXR4

Now for the counterpoint. In the first video, they mentioned the Google/Apple project only developed the api, and so far will require third party apps to actually make use of it (they may embed it direct into the OS later). So there are some security concerns with that, but not with the underlying technology. There's also this video where they cover why another expert thinks these apps have "No value." To be honest, I think I'm agreeing with many of the points he made, even if the technology itself is secure. It starts at 10:15 into it.

https://youtu.be/3QkVQhlEfks