Avoiding Surveillance Through Analog Technologies
These readings got me thinking about the military and the various ways technologies and data can creating vulnerabilities in a country’s security networks. If every military group is using digital technologies for surveillance, communication, and strategic planning, does that make them stronger and more adaptable or, adversely, does that make them more susceptible to infiltration and attack? I also began to think about how people have been using this “return to analog” strategy to avoid detection by the seemingly omnipotent web of digital surveillance.
According to a recent article on Quartz, the United States Navy is returning to ancient forms of navigation technology in the hopes of providing a back-up option in the event of cyberattacks that could compromise their missions. Steve Mollman writes in his piece, “The US Navy is reinstating the ancient art of celestial navigation to fight a very modern threat”, that ancient forms of nautical navigation, which were dropped from the Naval Academy’s curriculum in the 1990s due to its high degree of difficulty, are being brought back as a sort of safeguard. Since most military groups have technological skills and are capable of launching technology-based and technology-targeting attacks, it is prudent to consider the scenario of a successful attack of this nature. Seeing the value of the analog technologies that were widely used for thousands of years, such as sextants, nautical almanacs, and volumes tables, becomes an advantage for both offensive and defensive operations. When it comes to military strategy, it is important to have an edge, to try a novel tactic, to outwit your opponent.
This return to analog technologies is not a new concept, especially in the sphere of intelligence gathering and the covert operations. Additionally, these strategies of avoidances are prevalent among the criminal element as well. Both covert agents and The idea of leaving a paper trail, the creation of digital records that can be easily followed or pursued. To successfully avoid tracking, one must return to analog devices, such as cash instead of digital money (i.e. credit cards, debit cards). Some people choose to use disposable cell phones or pay as you go phones that allow for a degree of anonymity, but they still are “on-the-grid,” so to speak. Using pay phones, instead of a personal cell phone, would also be a way to establish some anonymity in communications. It is in the analog devices that we can find refuge from the data-mining and surveillance, but these technologies tend to be more difficult to use, harder to find, and more time-consuming.
I find it fascinating that these techniques now have to be implemented by the average person who does not want to be data-mined and solicited based on their search and purchase histories. Must we all be spies to live an under-the-radar existence? Personally, I find that I’ve given up in some respects. I’ll let sights connect to my Facebook profile information. I’ll purchase items online and create accounts on their sites. I do not like that these companies are now paying attention to my activities, but I do not have the time or energy to pursue the analog workarounds. Perhaps, I should be more selective and take the time to better curate my digital footprints. Maybe, the answer is to blend the digital and the analog, to let them mine my data for some activities, but keep others off-grid. But, really, who has time for that?
