As of writing this article, I am nearing my final month at university. By the time this lockdown is lifted, I will have completed a bachelor’s degree in computer science. A terrifying concept, I know. Though after three years of study and a metric ton of coursework assignments, I still get asked the same few questions. If I had a pound for every time, I was asked one of the following questions, I would not have needed a student loan to fund my degree. What are these questions? Well:
- Can you set up my printer/fix my laptop/other tech support tasks (I could but I do not want to)
- Will computers and robots take over the world? (Only if we are stupid)
- Are you a hacker? Can you hack into *insert government agency here*? (No, that is illegal)
- Could you break into my devices and steal all my personal data? (Again, no, that is illegal)
It is this fourth question that I would like to linger on today. Growing up with technology, I have heard every story under the sun about how my online friends are a bunch of 55-year-old men hiding in bushes to spy on me. There are various TV shows dedicated to catfishing incidents and online dating horror stories, designed to act as a warning against sharing your personal information with strangers over the Internet.
Over the last couple of years, video games have started to imitate this trend. This is mostly done through games like Orwell (based on the 1984 novel) which make use of the “Big Brother” concept and found-phone games like Simulacra and Sara is Missing.
Now these games take a few liberties when it comes to what kind of information you can access on someone’s phone but ignoring those and the supernatural entities, a lot of the gameplay is accurate. Illegal, but accurate. The Computer Misuse Act (1990) forbids the unauthorised access of any individual to another’s devices that may contain personal data e.g. cell phones, laptops, secure workstations etc.
However, all that data on their social media posts, on their public blogs? That is open to the public. In the intelligence community, the investigation of this public information is known as Open-Source Intelligence (OSINT). Many of us have an incredibly strong presence online, I know I do.
For example, if you went on my personal Twitter (@CaitlinRC), and read through my tweets, you would know that I am at university in Cardiff, studying computer science. You could learn my birthday, figure out my age, find pictures of me at conventions with friends, and so on. This is all public information.
It is a scary concept is not it? There are hundreds of databases that can be accessed by the public, with personal data. For example, take a car you walk past. If you know the licence plate, you can search the DVLA’s database and find the make/colour of the car. Sites like the way back machine allow you to view what a site looked like at a specific point in time, including any information that was deleted later.
These sources of information have been crucial in solving missing person cases. Heck, I have taken part in some OSINT competitions and although the investigations are confidential, it’s a nice thought that maybe some of the information that I found, could help reunite a family or bring closure to those who need it. Found phone games try to capture that feeling. It is like an elaborate jigsaw puzzle. All the pieces begin to fit, events form a coherent timeline and you get that sense of satisfaction as it all comes together (insert Kronk meme).
Studying the contents of someone’s phone is a surprisingly efficient way to understand the owner themselves. To some, it is just a “tool” or a “screen”, but to a lot of us it is a lifeline. For those stuck in bad situations, their phone can be an escape route. I have several games on my phone that I use to calm myself down when I am feeling anxious. My phone is how I talk to my family, my friends, especially in times like these. I feel connected. I feel in control.
Excusing my obvious nerdiness for all thing’s computer science, how we choose to communicate with those we care about, is so important. No text conversation is the same. No relationship is the same. No battle with mental health is the same.
And that is okay.
Remember that.
CaitlinRC