GPS Smartwatch Security & Privacy: How Lil Tracker Protects Your Family
GPS Smartwatch Security & Privacy: How Lil Tracker Protects Your Family
When you choose a GPS smartwatch for your child, aging parent, or another family member, you are trusting more than the device on their wrist. You are also trusting the technology behind it with information that can include location data, messages, and family contact information.
We believe that trust comes with a responsibility to take security and privacy seriously. That means using appropriate safeguards, continually improving our products and technology, and responding quickly when credible security concerns are identified.
A Decade of Experience
Lil Tracker has been providing GPS-connected devices to families since 2016, with tens of thousands of devices used by customers across Canada and the United States.
During that time, we have not had a reported case of a Lil Tracker customer's device or account being compromised through a security vulnerability, nor are we aware of a breach of Lil Tracker customer data.
Security Is an Ongoing Process
No connected device, smartphone, computer, app, or online service can credibly promise that a security vulnerability will never be discovered.
What matters is how companies work to reduce those risks, how seriously potential vulnerabilities are investigated, and how quickly confirmed issues are addressed.
Our approach is straightforward: investigate credible concerns, determine whether current Lil Tracker customers are affected, work with the appropriate technology specialists when necessary, and take action when an issue is substantiated.
How Lil Tracker Protects Your Information
Encrypted communications: Communications between the watch, app, and servers are encrypted in transit. The platform uses encryption including AES-128.
Encrypted location data: GPS and location information is encrypted by default while being transmitted.
Unique device registration: Each Lil Tracker watch has a unique registration code and is bound to its caregiver account. A watch that is already bound cannot simply be registered to another account without authorization or a proper reset.
Independent security evaluation: The technology platform has undergone evaluation by an independent third-party professional security organization.
Software-based improvements: Updates and security improvements can be deployed through software without requiring customers to replace the physical watch.
Not Every GPS Watch Is the Same
GPS watches can look similar from the outside while differing substantially in their hardware, firmware, software configuration, mobile applications, server infrastructure, and security implementation.
For that reason, a vulnerability demonstrated on one GPS watch should not automatically be assumed to affect every watch that looks similar or shares some underlying technology.
The specific device, software version, configuration, platform, and nature of the vulnerability all matter. We believe security concerns should be investigated at the product and system level rather than assumed to apply to an entire category of devices.
We Welcome Independent Security Research
Independent security researchers play an important role in making connected technology safer.
Responsible security research can uncover vulnerabilities that manufacturers and technology providers may not have discovered themselves. When researchers provide enough technical information for an issue to be investigated and reproduced, the companies involved can determine what is affected and implement appropriate fixes.
If a researcher believes they have discovered a vulnerability affecting a current Lil Tracker product or service, we want to hear about it. We will take credible reports seriously and work with the appropriate technical teams to investigate them.
What Happens When a Vulnerability Is Discovered?
The discovery of a vulnerability does not necessarily mean customers remain vulnerable indefinitely.
Connected-device security continually evolves. Vulnerabilities are discovered across virtually every category of technology, including smartphones, automobiles, financial systems, cloud services, and consumer electronics.
The important questions are what was affected, whether the issue can be reproduced, whether it remains exploitable, and whether appropriate remediation has been implemented.
A healthy security process is one in which researchers identify weaknesses, technology providers receive enough information to investigate them, fixes are implemented, and those fixes can be tested and verified.
When that process works, responsible security research makes connected products safer.
Your Privacy Matters
Lil Tracker support staff do not have access to customers' historical location information.
Location history is retained for 90 days. Customers can also permanently delete their account and associated data.
These protections are part of our broader approach to limiting access to personal information and keeping customers in control of their accounts.
Simple Steps You Can Take
Customers also play an important role in protecting connected devices. Use a unique password for your Lil Tracker account, and do not share your account credentials or device registration information with people you do not trust.
Keep your software current: Use the latest version of the Lil Tracker GPS app and keep your phone's operating system up to date. Software updates often include important security, privacy, compatibility, and reliability improvements.
If you replace, sell, or give away a device, make sure it is properly removed from your account first.
And if something about your watch or account ever appears unusual, please contact us. We would much rather investigate something that turns out to be harmless than have a customer ignore a legitimate concern.
Our Commitment
Our commitment is not to make unrealistic promises that vulnerabilities can never exist.
It is to take security seriously, use appropriate safeguards, remain open to independent scrutiny, investigate credible concerns, work with our technology partners when necessary, and communicate with customers if action is required.
If you are a Lil Tracker customer or security researcher with a security concern involving one of our products, please contact our support team.