Camera Phone Security and Privacy Issues
Camera phones are becoming
ubiquitous,
and their use poses a serious threat to both personal and corporate
security. These phones usually contain a small integrated camera lens
that is almost un-noticeable, and with their ability to immediately
upload their photos to the Internet, they have become a dream gift for
voyeurs, and heaven for industrial thieves.
Industrial Espionage
Corporations cannot afford to allow these new camera phones into their
facilities. According to the FBI,
Industrial Espionage costs US Corporations billions of dollars
annually. In their 2002 report, CSI/FBI Computer Crime and
Security Survey, they cited the increased "sophistication of tools &
techniques" as one of the reasons for the 8-fold increase in
the estimated costs associated with industrial espionage over the past
seven years.
One disgruntled employee taking pictures of critical Intellectual
Property with one camera can cost a business millions
of dollars. The theft of proprietary information regarding business
processes, equipment, software, user interfaces, new designs, etc. can
immeasurably hurt a business by allowing its competitors to gain
access to the most sensitive of information - its intellectual
property.
Dream Gift for Voyeurs
Voyeur cameras have been placed in public places around the world for
many years now. From shopping malls through fitness clubs, their
illegal use has sent
people to jail.
With the growing popularity of these new small camera phones,
voyeurism has become even more of a concern. Many fitness clubs,
starting with the up-scale Sports Clubs/LA, have completely banned the
use of cell phones because of concerns over the use of camera phones.
Many courts disallow the entry of these phones, and government
contractors cannot bring them into secured locations.
Use, and Problems, On The Rise
In 2002, camera phone sales accounted for 3.3% of all cell phones
sold. By 2008 it is expected that 50% of all cell phones sold will be
camera phones. Not only will the number of camera phones increase
over time, but the quality of the pictures taken is increasing, the
rapidity with which the stealth pictures can be uploaded to the
Internet is increasing, but the worst feature hasn't even been
introduced yet.
Within the next year, the upper-end camera phones will be taking more
than just snapshots, but they will be taking full-motion videos that
can be sent to Spies or Voyeurs around the world in a matter of
minutes.
See Also
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