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Anti-theft And Gps

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coolcool1227
coolcool1227 ✭✭✭
edited January 2022 in Mobile Security

Is there any relation between Anti-Theft and Global Positioning System (GPS) feature in the mobile?

Comments

  • zeus.bd
    zeus.bd ✭✭✭
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    Hello ,


    Yeah there is a relationship.


    There are several ways to get your location depending on the hardware your device has.


    Android allows us to use several providers in order to get the users location , of course the most accurate is if you have you GPS enabled in your settings.


    If the GPS is enabled when you send a location command via my.bitdefender.com or through SMS the app. receives the command and tries to start the GPS, after that the GPS get's the users coordinates saves them on the device and forwards them to us to give to the user , but this will work only if it's enabled before by the user. Due to what Google considers a security issue , apps. aren't allowed to enable the GPS by their own doing , that's why the user must enable it.


    Other methods of getting the user's location is via WiFi or GSM tower triangulation.

  • coolcool1227
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    Which method of user location (GPS, Wi-Fi, GSM tower triangulation etc) is preferred by Bitdefender and why? Is there any sequence of checking and selecting them by Bitdefender? Can the user have authority to select among them?

  • coolcool1227
    Options

    And what is advantage to send the command via "my.bitdefender.com"? And what if this is down?

  • zeus.bd
    zeus.bd ✭✭✭
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    Well , not just by us but GPS is always preferred because it can give you a location with a margin of error up to a few meters.


    But we try every method in the exact order that you mention : GPS first ( for the former mentioned reason ) , WiFi ( this option can also give you a very accurate location when the phone's connected to a WiFi because somehow Google have managed to map the location of WiFi's over the globe - actually curios how they managed that ) and GMS tower triangulation last - this option is the last because in the best cases it will give you a margin error in a range between 50 - 100 meters or more.


    The mode in which the app tries to get the users location isn't random. After the research we conducted and some of our tests this is the best order to perform geolocation on a mobile device.

  • zeus.bd
    zeus.bd ✭✭✭
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    The advantage is that you can see right there on the map where your device is and also you have quick access to the rest of the commands.


    But despite the ease of use SMS commands will do just fine in case of an emergency , the downside being that you will receive a SMS that will redirect you to Google Maps , and if you've sent / received the SMS on a mobile device that doesn't have Google Maps or a smart enough browser you'll eventually have to input the location ( coordinates ) on a PC on your own.

  • coolcool1227
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    So the selection of method depends on the accuracy of the method and is done automatically and is not user selectable?


    And by "down" I means if "my.Bitdefender.com" is down like now-a days?

  • zeus.bd
    zeus.bd ✭✭✭
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    Yes it's done automatically with no user intervention. We preferred this because we know that not all Android users are power users and it wouldn't be a wise decision to leave such an important and critical option to user intervention.


    And like I said earlier if My Bitdefender is down there is always the SMS functionality available to the user.

  • coolcool1227
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    Hmmm.....so the Anti-Theft can also be functional if I don't insert SIM (means not using Mobile Network) but using internet via Wi-Fi connection? If yes then I'll hang up as My.Bitdefender.com is also down and I am also not using SIM?

  • Rampant
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    Yes, Omer, I have a Tablet PC does not have a SIM card, and my position is determined through the Internet, an error of about 50 m

  • zeus.bd
    zeus.bd ✭✭✭
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    Well in the case you mentioned and the one which Rampant is currently the only way would be only via. MyBitdefender. There were some issues with accessing MyBitdefender but everything is ok now.

  • coolcool1227
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    Does the Bitdefender's Anti-Theft also display the error limit which is according with the method adopt?

  • coolcool1227
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    I highly appreciate your prompt replies and wish the same technical support for other English Sub-forums also. Kindly don't close this topic, so that more queries about regarding the subject can be asked.