Countries pulling up their guard against suspicious apps

The Indian Army has banned 89 applications and asked all its officers and soldiers to uninstall them by July 15, reports said on Wednesday.

These include Facebook, TikTok, Snapchat, Instagram, Tinder, OkCupid, UC Browser, Bumble, ShareIt, Xender, Helo, CamScanner, Club Factory andothers.

The decisioncomesaround 10 days after the Indian governmentprohibited 59 Chinese mobile applications, including the famous video-sharing app TikTok, offering a harsh expression on India's stand against Chinese aggression.

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However, India is not the first country to resort to this move. Several militaries across the world have been pulling up their guard against suspicious apps.

Countries like Turkey and Russia have banned the use of smartphones altogether at forward posts.

Soldiers with smartphones can be easy targets for the enemy especially at a border with war-mongering China.

Cell phones are fearfully insecure is asimple malware trap andthey could reveal strategic locations and positions.

For soldiers a smartphone can be a morale booster but it can also undermine operational security.

China has already warned its troops against cab-hailing apps citing thatthey pose security risks.

GPSdetectors canpass on the user's location and personal information. China claimed hackers were collecting location data around military installations...

In January,the USDefence forces bannned Tik-Tok after a Pentagon directive. Now the USNavy has gone on a Twitter rant advising its sailors to not to use Tik-Tok.

In 2017, Israeli army launched a smartphone for its soldiers. The encrypted phones allow soldiers to send text messages, images and e-mails securely.

But since 2017Hamas has tried thrice to honey-trap Israeli defence staff through dating apps. They attempted to dupe troops by posing as Israeli women.

Now, Israel has put up posters in barracks saying warning to stay on guard against the enemy is listening.

In 2016, Indonesia banned police and military personnel from playing pokemon go. The move came after a Frenchman entered a military base hunting for virtual pocket monsters.

Just a week before,the police had fought off a gunman and foiled a suicide bombing attempt outside a police station.

Some intelligence agencies are not only tracking troop movements they also follow individuals when they go home.

Few NATOpersonnel in the Baltics and their families were apparently traced by Russian entities.

Enemies will always exploit vulnerabilities, both technological and human. Smartphone apps expose both the weaknesses at once.

Social media posts can help find and track soldiers as well as pull the curtain on military activity.