POKEMON GO: A NEW SECURITY CHALLENGE

COULD YOU PLEASE SLOW DOWN? SLOW DOWN! I’M ON MY WAY TO PIKACHU!

Have you heard anything like this lately? Or maybe you’ve catched them all? So, you already know that Pokemon Go is an augmented reality mobile app game inspired by popular anime. By using both GPS capabilities and Google Maps, it brings Pokemon monsters to the real world and encourages players to find, catch, and train them.

The application is free, popular, and extremely successful. In the first month, it made $200 million on Pokecoins, since a single user may spend up to $100 on Pokeballs. Actually, the link between virtual and physical realities is the key strategy of the game’s popularity. The application uses real-world locations as the places to not only catch Pokemons but also retrieve some in-game offers.

Recent stats show that Pokemon Go is already more popular than Twitter with 100 million downloads and 20 million daily active users only in the US. No doubt, this mobile app is the new addiction.

Why some countries ban Pokemon Go?

Although, success of the game is bittersweet. Now people are disillusioned and reveal their safety concerns about Pokemon Go. For example, Iranian government banned the game for security reasons. In a similar manner, Kuwait Ministry of Interior issued a statement that Pokemon Go players cannot take pictures of governmental buildings and military bases.

Pentagon also ordered the game to remain outside its walls due to national security reasons. After developers had placed a Pokemon gym inside the Pentagon, the institution became worried about the military secrets and navigation information that foreign spies can obtain. And do not forget about terrorism threat, which is more real with the Pokemon Go invention.

Why do people worry about the game so much?

As you see, government and military employees have already received the instructions to stay away from the game. Should we also avoid it?

The privacy concerns start right at the sign up stage, since for the long time the only possible option to enter the game is to link it to your Google account. Then the app requests the full access to all your private information: emails with forgotten passwords, private family photos, business documents, your location and daily navigation – Pokemon Go wants to monitor and use everything available on it. It turns that launching an app is not pure fun but the risky intention. Even though developers now claim that they have fixed Google privacy issue, they have already accessed the data of numerous players. Do you trust Pokemon Go development team after that?

The key concerns: Why mobile GPS tracking is your security threat?

Even though recent reports state Niantic recognized and resolved the full access problem, the number of concerns about the app is still critical. We divided them into four categories to prove that Pokemon Go is the key security threat of this year. With GPS tracking and full access to the key mobile functionality, Pokemon Go can change from fun into the crime any minute.

Cyber risks for businesses

Among all, cyber security at the workplace is at the highest risk in augmented reality games. So many people play Pokemon Go now that you can find players among your employees. But if your employee was not careful enough and agreed to offer full access to personal data, he/she constantly shares corporate information stored on email accounts and in Google documents. Don’t you think you need to get involved?

Another problem is the necessity to take pictures while catching monsters. Can you know for sure that Pokemons appear in the corporate building occasionally or because someone is interested in your business activity? Pentagon and Iran have already answered this question by banning the game.

Finally, the effectiveness of a company is at risk. Pokemon Go obsession decreases productivity of employees who tend to train their Pokemons during their working time. Have you already noticed that employees spend too much time outside during lunch? Maybe, the problem with obsessed players is already your problem. Hence, company’s management needs to develop corporate policy on Pokemon Go and articulate the attitude on it to prevent possible cyber threats and backlogs in future.

Cyber risks for individual users

Even though iOS is more likely to be at risk, Android safety also raises concern. Since the game asks to upload third-party applications, each player is highly sensitive to malware that uses not only personal data stored on your phone, but also text messaging, microphone and camera. As for Pokemon Go on Android, the malware is Droidjack from AndroRAT family, a top threat for 2015. In fact, malware problem is even sharper for users outside countries where Pokemon Go was officially introduced (Russia, Ukraine, China, and Canada). In these countries, people just ‘sideload’ the game by replacing it with the infected version. You see, the problems are not about the soft but more about its acceptance.

Also, the key problem with personal cyber security refers to GPS tracking that stores your daily routes. Even though it’s a must-have feature for any app, the way Pokemon Go uses it is highly insecure. While searching Pokemons on your way home, you add your personal information to the consumer behavior data bank. Thus, there is no need to create surveys or chase people to understand their navigation. Combined with full access to the private information on your iPhone, Pokemon Go is the perfect option to get the password from your banking account or find the nearest supermarket in the city. Developers can even manipulate people by simply placing some rare Pokemon in the needed place. Do you like being a part of this system?

Real-life risks

Not only cyber security but also physical safety is at risk for players. Right after the announcement of the game, armed robbers benefited tremendously. In particular, Pokemon Go assists criminals to navigate players by placing intended targets. When you wonder staring at your smartphone, you are an easy victim. Consequently, there had been a number of accidents of trespassing on others property and getting an injury due to inattentiveness. All these examples show how dangerous the augmented reality game is in terms of neglecting the real-life risks. The game is so addictive that it is hard for people to notice the surroundings. If you enjoy your Pokemon Go a lot, consider this as the reminder to mind your safety.

Conspiracy theories – the government and Pokemon Go

A closer look at Pokemon Go reveals the inconvenient truth: the game cooperates directly with the government. If you read its Privacy Policy carefully, you can find that your personal information is open to “government or law enforcement officials or private parties.” Are you ready to share your business emails and private photos with the government? With constant access to your navigation and location along with millions of other people worldwide, our behavior is as easy to control as never before. To catch a Pokemon, you have to get to the right place and take a picture of it, but who decides where the right place for Pokemons is? Conspiracy theories say the Pokemon Go is a perfect instrument for the government and this is the truth one can’t reject.

Pokemon Go stories

If the game is so dangerous, why do people like it? Players say they’ve changed their lifestyle by spending more time outdoors. The result of this shift can be unexpected – Pokemon Go players have already assisted the police in investigating several crimes! Isn’t it great?

Nevertheless, Pokemon Go rather raises concern about becoming the victim than catching criminals. Missouri police issued the warning that armed robberies can happen in the places with high concentration of Pokemons. Actually, players should carefully use the game not to harm themselves.

Robbery is not the only sad consequence of the game players’ inattentiveness. The most desperate ones ended up with their car crashed into a tree or having fell off the cliff.

Recently, a couple from Detroit sued Pokemon Go developers for placing Pokemons in private buildings without owner’s approval. Tons of players are searching for Pokestops in parks or even Holocaust Museums. Consequently, people cannot protect their privacy from the augmented reality game.

As you see, the game really changes its users’ navigation habits. However, the consequences are not always entertaining.

Parent’s guide for Pokemon Go

With twenty pages of Privacy Policy, the game does not allow children to protect their safety. Moreover, developers have failed to predict the real-life risks of Pokemon Go. Don’t you think it is a perfect situation for robbers? To prevent crimes, parents need to follow these steps and protect their children’s safety:

1. As a parent, you should set boundaries where your child can play. With the limited map and reliable community, you can protect your kids from strangers.

2. Mind your child’s privacy: use nicknames and create another Google account specially for the game.

3. Let children play with their friends, so you will know everyone in the game community.

4. Track the daily activity in Journal (available in Player menu).

5. Create a schedule to play the game and instruct your child to take care of the surroundings.

Is it possible to play Pokemon Go safely?

As you see, the world has gone crazy about Pokemon Go. This Nintendo game running on your smartphone not only makes your childhood anime favorites popular again, but also brings them into the reality. Pokemon Go protagonists say it also makes people healthier and helps find new friends.

However, its addictiveness is a problem. In this post, we have shown several aspects you should mind to play the game safely.

If after reading you still cannot resist the Pokemon Go temptation, at least consider your cyber and real-life security. To make your entertainment safe, we advise the following:

1. Upload the application from the

official app store only

. Since the game is not available all over the world yet, it is hard to resist and try it from a third-party marketplace. Correspondingly, don’t give up under the temptation to download fake application or an unprotected mirror file. Either play in the country of official release or wait passionately before Pokemon Go comes to your city.

2. Mind your smartphone security before launching any app. Take full responsibility for the safety of your private data, since Pokemon Go is not the only app threatening your privacy.

3. Check the data you share with applications carefully. Remove the full access to your Google account for Pokemon Go before launching the game or create another Google account for playing.

4. Don’t use the phone with Pokemon Go installed for your private tasks. We recommend keeping business communication and banking account passwords away from the phone with the game.

5. Don’t lose connection with the reality around you. Remember, there are no Pokemons worth sacrificing your physical safety and life.

It is a high time to consider cyber security threats while downloading new apps! Especially when protecting your privacy is not Pokemon Go’s problem only. As a sidenote, wearables that accompany your daily activities are also highly insecure.

We share too much private information with third parties that store them in easily accessible and vulnerable clouds. Just take these simple steps and you can prevent the disaster of losing important data. Pokemon Go is not that childish as the appearance of colourful cute Pokemons. Play it carefully, be safe and have fun!

P.S. Got inspired by Pokemon Go case? Would you like to develop your own augmented reality app? Just drop us a line to discuss the idea!