How Iran used data from social media, fitness apps and satellites to target U.S. bases

详细摘要

The U.S. military is trying to counter what experts call an era of ubiquitous technical surveillance and reduce digital footprints that have proved all too easy to track.

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MANAMA, Bahrain — When Iran’s military planners prepared to hit American bases in the Middle East, they relied on intelligence from an unlikely source: U.S. service members themselves.

According to security experts and even the U.S. military, Iran harvested data from social media accounts, fitness apps and even ads to establish patterns of life in U.S. bases across the region. Paired with imagery reportedly provided by Russian satellites, the Iranians selecting the targets constructed a surprisingly accurate picture of where U.S. troops assembled and where to strike.

The result, seen in fusillades of drones and missiles that — despite many interceptions — found their mark, leaving more than a dozen service members dead and hundreds of others wounded and causing billions in damage to facilities and equipment.

The full scope of the carnage, and what it means for the viability of the United States’ long-term presence in the Middle East, is still being assessed.

The campaign has left U.S. forces vulnerable, has depleted critical weapons and has failed to establish control of vital waters.

As President Trump considers a new offensive and the specter of a widened Iranian retaliation looms over the region, the U.S. military is scrambling to move or hide assets while service members struggle to counter what experts call an era of ubiquitous technical surveillance (or UTS) and reduce digital footprints that have proved all too easy to track.

In recent months, congressional pressure on the military pushed several branches to disable mobile advertising IDs — the unique device identifiers used to track a person’s activity and location — on government-issued devices.

The Navy also sent out a warning with “cyber threat hygiene recommendations,” advising that sailors limit social media activity and turn off location app access to phone cameras and location data on personal devices.

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