Category: Google Maps

If you ever find your home appearing on Google Maps, there’s no need to panic about a potential privacy breach. Instead, you can simply click on the “Report a Problem” button, and rest assured that your request will be processed promptly. Google will then take steps to blur your home on its maps, safeguarding your privacy.

For those unfamiliar with this functionality, let’s delve into how it works. When you search for a business or an address on Google Maps, that information is stored on the servers of Alphabet Inc.’s subsidiary, Google. This data is subsequently analyzed and may begin to appear in search results unless users opt for the “unsave history” option. Essentially, this means that if you search for your home or business, it could show up complete with a photo and a 360-degree view, displaying the surrounding roads, nearby houses, and available amenities.

While this feature is incredibly useful, it also raises valid concerns about privacy. Potential burglars or intruders could use the information available on Google Maps to scout locations, gathering details that may facilitate a break-in. In extreme cases, this could lead to dangerous situations for residents.

To counteract these privacy risks, Google Maps has long offered a lesser-known feature that allows users to blur their homes on the platform. This tool provides a vital layer of security, effectively reducing the risk of intruders using publicly available data to target specific properties.

Currently, this service is operational in several major cities across the United States, including New York, California, Florida, and Milwaukee, as well as in countries like Australia and Canada. For users in other regions, the introduction of this feature may still be pending.

Additionally, the panoramic 360-degree views you see on Google Maps are captured by specialized vehicles known as Street View Cars or Street View Trekkers. These vehicles are equipped with sophisticated imaging technology designed to explore and document famous locations, streets, galleries, and museums. By physically navigating these areas, the vehicles collect images that provide a virtual representation of various places. This data is then matched with contributions from users who provide reviews, photos, and videos.

In summary, while Google Maps offers a valuable tool for navigation and exploration, it also comes with privacy implications that users should be aware of. By utilizing the blur feature, individuals can protect their homes from unwanted scrutiny, ensuring a greater degree of safety in an increasingly digital world.

The post Navigating Privacy Concerns on Google Maps: Understanding the Blurring Feature appeared first on Cybersecurity Insiders.

An old but persistent email scam known as “sextortion” has a new personalized touch: The missives, which claim that malware has captured webcam footage of recipients pleasuring themselves, now include a photo of the target’s home in a bid to make threats about publishing the videos more frightening and convincing.

This week, several readers reported receiving sextortion emails that addressed them by name and included images of their street or front yard that were apparently lifted from an online mapping application such as Google Maps.

The message purports to have been sent from a hacker who’s compromised your computer and used your webcam to record a video of you while you were watching porn. The missive threatens to release the video to all of your contacts unless you pay a Bitcoin ransom. In this case, the demand is just shy of $2,000, payable by scanning a QR code embedded in the email.

Following a salutation that includes the recipient’s full name, the start of the message reads, “Is visiting [recipient’s street address] a more convenient way to contact if you don’t take action. Nice location btw.” Below that is the photo of the recipient’s street address.

A semi-redacted screenshot of a newish sextortion scam that includes a photo of the target’s front yard.

The message tells people they have 24 hours to pay up, or else their embarrassing videos will be released to all of their contacts, friends and family members.

“Don’t even think about replying to this, it’s pointless,” the message concludes. “I don’t make mistakes, [recipient’s name]. If I notice that you’ve shared or discussed this email with someone else, your shitty video will instantly start getting sent to your contacts.”

The remaining sections of the two-page sextortion message (which arrives as a PDF attachment) are fairly formulaic and include thematic elements seen in most previous sextortion waves. Those include claims that the extortionist has installed malware on your computer (in this case the scammer claims the spyware is called “Pegasus,” and that they are watching everything you do on your machine).

Previous innovations in sextortion customization involved sending emails that included at least one password they had previously used at an account online that was tied to their email address.

Sextortion — even semi-automated scams like this one with no actual physical leverage to backstop the extortion demand — is a serious crime that can lead to devastating consequences for victims. Sextortion occurs when someone threatens to distribute your private and sensitive material if you don’t provide them with images of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or money.

According to the FBI, here are some things you can do to avoid becoming a victim:

-Never send compromising images of yourself to anyone, no matter who they are — or who they say they are.
-Don’t open attachments from people you don’t know, and be wary of opening attachments even from those you do know.
-Turn off [and/or cover] any web cameras when you are not using them.

The FBI says in many sextortion cases, the perpetrator is an adult pretending to be a teenager, and you are just one of the many victims being targeted by the same person. If you believe you’re a victim of sextortion, or know someone else who is, the FBI wants to hear from you: Contact your local FBI office (or toll-free at 1-800-CALL-FBI).

This week the podcast is more lavatorial than usual, as we explore how privacy may have gone to sh*t on Google Maps, our guest drives hands-free on Britain's motorways (and is defamed by AI), and ransomware attacks an airplane-leasing firm. All this and much much more is discussed in the latest edition of the "Smashing Security" podcast by cybersecurity veterans Graham Cluley and Carole Theriault, joined this week by BBC Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman.