Military Expert Warns Waze Data Poses Security Risks
A former official warns that GPS data from navigation apps could reveal sensitive movement patterns of government personnel.
Updated on Oct. 23, 2026 in Cybersecurity
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A retired military expert warns that location-tracking applications like Waze may be exploited to monitor the travel routines of high-profile security officials. The analysis highlights how geospatial intelligence techniques can turn routine GPS data into actionable movement profiles.
Why it matters
The expert emphasizes that movement data from government personnel requires stricter protections to prevent foreign intelligence services from harvesting patterns of life. Safeguarding this information is viewed as a critical step in preserving national data sovereignty.
Intelligence gathering employs Activity-Based Intelligence and Pattern-of-Life Intelligence to transform continuous GPS data into target profiles. Geospatial intelligence frameworks integrate this location history with imagery and signal intelligence to identify specific movement patterns.
The players
Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Abd Hamid
He is a retired Major-General and serves as an adviser to the Malaysian Institute of Governance, Integrity and Transparency Management.
National Cyber Centre
This agency is responsible for overseeing national cyber security protocols and received initial warnings regarding geospatial data in 2000.
The details
Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Abd Hamid suggests that intelligence fusion allows actors to combine geospatial data with other sources to build comprehensive dossiers. He recommends expanding security protocols to cover all location-tracking software utilized by government staff to mitigate these exploitation risks.
Timeline
October 23, 2026: Expert commentary on navigation app security is published.
2016: The National Geospatial Defence Doctrine is developed.
2000: Geospatial data protection concerns are relayed to the National Cyber Centre.
The Tech Race
This warning updates the framework established by the 2016 National Geospatial Defence Doctrine to address modern risks in ubiquitous location tracking. It signifies a shift toward treating personal navigation data as a primary vector for state-level intelligence exploitation.
Government personnel and high-profile targets are advised to review the permissions and location history settings on their personal devices. Reducing the granularity of data shared with navigation apps can limit the ability of external actors to build accurate movement profiles.
The takeaway
Experts recommend auditing the data sharing permissions on all mobile applications used by individuals in sensitive positions. Limiting the exposure of historical movement patterns is a standard precaution against sophisticated intelligence gathering techniques.
Further reading
Learn more about securing sensitive digital information at Cybersecurity.
Source note: This article includes information reported by NST Online.
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