Think of the last time you received a sensitive piece of information. Perhaps it was news of a highly anticipated project at work finally getting the green light, or maybe a not-for-public-consumption update about a friend’s pregnancy. Now recall what you did with that information. Did you keep it to yourself or did you share it with a significant other or trusted friend?
Given that it’s human nature to share and dissect closely held information with those we trust, it’s likely that you shared the details with at least one other person. This is the concept of concentric circles of trust at work.
I recently explored this concept as it applies to smartphone-based eavesdropping in an article for Security Magazine. Give it a read to learn more about why eavesdroppers cast a wide net in attempting to gather valuable bits of verbal information via hijacked smartphone microphones and how to best prioritize security resources in mitigating this threat.