Some forty journalists from the various community papers around the country recently completed a 3-day Seminar Workshop on Race with Machines, Artificial Intelligence and the Future of Journalism to allow them to cope up with the emergence of technology vis-à-vis the traditional media.
The training was spearheaded by the Philippine Press Institute (PPI), the national association of newspapers, in partnership with the German-based Hanns Seidel foundation.
Ronalyn V. Olea, Secretary-General of the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines (NUJP), any phone can be tracked via mobile phone towers through triangulation and any data, short messaging system calls made can also be tracked.
She pointed out that it is important for people to place basic security features on their mobile devices to avoid unnecessary tracking being done against them, thus, among the basic security tips include set up a screen lock, enable lock sim card and encrypt device and SD card.
The NUJP official claimed that people should adhere to some general precautions to guarantee digital security such as keep devices with them at all times, never leave phones or tablets out in public; use a security code, add a personal identification number; monitor devices for tampering , mark devices with something unique and not immediately noticeable to help one identify it; use tamper-proof security tape at the edge of devices that open easily, especially when asked to leave devices; and keep the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) No. separate from the phone.
According to her, it is also important to install an-virus although some devices have their own, install Ccleaner for android to delete files and clean digital footprints aside from keeping the software updated and turn off WiFi and Bluetooth by default.
Further, she advised people to back up the contents of their phones regularly and making sure to download apps from official app stores and limit the number of apps to be installed to the bare minimum and install apps that are only needed.
Olea told people to review their existing app permissions and disable all permissions to one’s location, camera, contacts, messages and mic unless needed for the said apps to work. Choose to disable the said permissions and enable only when using the same.
People were also told to make sure that the apps being installed are from legitimate developers by checking the app history and when it was last updated. One should not auto save their username and passwords.
More importantly, she advised people not to connect to a public WiFi and set a non-admin account and use it for daily use apart from setting a strong password.
Olea called on the people to update anti-virus and never leave their computers unlocked and for them to keep their operating system and software updated and encrypt part of their hardware.
If people cannot avoid connecting to a public WiFi, they should use VPN for their own protection and avoid being tracked by those intending to monitor their transactions. By Dexter A. See
