Oliver Crossland has fond childhood memories of many fun trips to Salzburg, Austria, from growing up a few hours away in the small town of Sindelfingen in southern Germany. Although his family moved to the U.S. when he was 10 years old, he still remembers Salzburg’s food, people, and candies like Kracher, a large sugar-coated chewy bean-shaped candy with a fizzy powder filling. “I had forgotten entirely about them until I saw them in the grocery store near my hostel and had to purchase them,” says Crossland.

Before beginning his senior year at UMBC, Crossland, music and global studies, took a trip down memory lane and created some new memories through a summer education abroad experience in Salzburg, thanks to the support of the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) Dean’s Education Abroad Scholarship.

“I enjoyed the chance to re-engage with aspects of my childhood that were unique to Austrian and German communities. This included food and sweets I have not been able to eat in years and a chance to speak with people in German every day,” says Crossland who speaks German fluently, which helped him research and write a paper on Mozart’s significance in Austrian and Western music. “As a trombone player with a music performance major, living in Salzburg and exploring Mozart’s work in his birthplace and first home was important for me too.”

Crossland is one of 24 recipients of the inaugural CAHSS Dean’s Education Abroad Scholarship, which guarantees $100,000 per year for the following three years to help offset the financial costs of studying abroad. Undergraduate and graduate students with at least one major in CAHSS, and who need additional financial support to study abroad, can apply for awards ranging from $1,500 to $5,000.

“This is a pivotal moment for education abroad at UMBC. The CAHSS Dean’s Scholarship for Education Abroad is the most significant investment in increasing access to study abroad in UMBC’s history,” says Katherine Heird, director of education abroad and global learning at UMBC’s Center for Global Engagement. “If you are a student who wants to study overseas but finances are holding you back, please come and speak with me. We want to make this a reality for you!”

A year of immersion

Thanks to the scholarship, Retrievers spent their summer learning and engaging with communities in Ghana, Greece, Morocco, Spain, Italy, England, Amsterdam, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan. But the scholarship isn’t limited to a season or semester. Samuel Nason, a political science sophomore, set off to Swansea University in Wales, United Kingdom, this fall, and Jessie Gordon, a biochemistry senior, is studying Korean language and culture at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, for the entire 2024 – 2025 academic year. 

“I am immensely grateful for this scholarship, which is allowing me more opportunities to enrich my study abroad experience in Korea,” says Gordon, a biochemistry major and a 2024 UMBC public policy undergraduate summer research fellow. Her research focuses on the accessibility and utilization of healthcare resources by immigrants from Spanish-speaking countries and the Korean Peninsula.

Gordon chose to study in Korea to achieve a similar level of understanding of the Korean language and culture that she has of the Spanish language and Latinx/Hispanic culture. “It is amazing to learn about historic events in the classroom and then be able to physically visit the actual sites. Thanks to this scholarship, I have some extra funds I can devote solely to extra experiences like these!”

There are dozens of education abroad scholarships and education abroad programs available through UMBC. But, with great opportunity comes great responsibility. Crossland has some practical tips for students interested in education abroad, “Stay on top of forms and documents when registering or paying for this experience,” he cautions. “It will prevent you from missing important deadlines.” And no matter where you go, he says, “Be sure to do your research on which sights are to be seen and what foods are to be eaten so that you can plan around your courses and get the very most out of your stay.”

Learn more about the CAHSS Dean’s Education Abroad Scholarship application deadlines:

• February 10, 2025, for the 2025 – 2026 summer, fall, academic year, winter, and spring program. 
• September 10, 2025, for the 2026 – 2027 upcoming winter, spring, summer, and fall semesters 
• Applicants who are not selected may reapply in the next application cycle. 

UMBC announces partnership with national nonprofit College Track, a national organization dedicated to supporting the academic and personal growth of first-generation and other less-advantaged students as they navigate through high school, college, and beyond. 

The agreement gives College Track a public higher education partner in the Baltimore region and builds on the April announcement by the Baltimore Ravens, the Stephen and Renee Bisciotti Foundation, and M&T Bank of a $20 million donation to establish a College Track center in Baltimore to support Baltimore City Public Schools. 

By combining College Track’s innovative 10-year commitment to wraparound services with UMBC’s proven success at delivering equity-based educational outcomes, the collaboration between the research-oriented public institution and the nonprofit is an exciting step forward for inclusive academic excellence in the Baltimore region and reflects UMBC’s deep commitment to advancing knowledge, economic prosperity, and social justice by welcoming and inspiring inquisitive minds from all backgrounds.

“UMBC’s tradition of academic and scholarly achievement is rooted in our understanding that there can be no excellence without inclusion; providing opportunities for students from all backgrounds is central to our core mission,” said UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby. “Partnering with College Track will allow us to ensure that first generation students and students from underserved communities have all the tools they need to reach their full potential.” 

College Track currently serves more than 4,000 high school and college scholars in California, Colorado, Louisiana, and the D.C. metro area. Ninety percent of College Track scholars are first-generation college students, and 84 percent are from underserved communities. They earn their bachelor’s degrees at more than two and a half times the rate of their first-generation peers. UMBC, a historically diverse university that is a national and global leader in education, research, affordability, and community engagement, is the nation’s number one producer of Black undergraduates who go on to complete a Ph.D. in the natural sciences or engineering, and number one for Black undergraduates who complete an M.D./Ph.D.

Under the terms of the partnership agreement, UMBC will guarantee admissions each year for eligible College Track Scholars from Maryland with a priority on students from Baltimore City schools. UMBC will provide funding for the full demonstrated financial need of these College Track scholars up to the cost of attendance for up to five years of full-time enrollment. UMBC will also invite all College Track scholars to participate in the Summer Bridge program, a 6-week residential program that prepares students for academic life, with costs covered by UMBC.

“At UMBC, we do not just talk about equity and social justice, we make it happen in real, tangible ways that improve people’s everyday lives,” said Sheares Ashby. “Combining our academic strengths with College Track’s effective support model will empower promising students in Baltimore and across Maryland to pursue their dreams and contribute meaningfully to their communities.”

For more information about the partnership, contact UMBC’s media relations.

Learn more about UMBC admissions.

UMBC President Valerie Sheares Ashby joined a group of Maryland business and higher education leaders in Annapolis on September 25 to welcome King Abdullah II of Jordan, the first foreign head of state to visit the Maryland State House on official business. Led by Governor Wes Moore, the Maryland leaders engaged the King and his delegation in a roundtable to explore economic development and partnerships between Jordan and our state.

“Today, we are here to talk about ways to work together toward common goals,” said Governor Wes Moore, as he officially welcomed the delegation on behalf of the state. “We have brought together leaders from across the state to engage in this historic visit and we look forward to a vibrant discussion about our people, our economies, and our futures.”

Maryland presents attractive possibilities for any nation looking to grow its economy. According to Governor Moore’s office, the State of Maryland has a wider variety of business incentive programs than any other state in the country, providing nearly 100 grant, tax credit, and loan programs—including those targeted toward international businesses. Maryland also ranks first in the nation for the proportion of university graduates with science and engineering degrees and fourth in the nation for the percent of its workforce employed in STEM careers.

During the roundtable, President Sheares Ashby took the opportunity to highlight UMBC’s strengths in STEM and the exceptional, diverse talent it cultivates. She pointed to key university strengths, specifically those designed for working professionals, helping them earn certificates and upscale their abilities in emerging disciplines such as cybersecurity, software systems, AI, and data science. She also underscored the significance of global collaborations and the vital work UMBC is doing in the areas of information and technology. 

“I want to thank Governor Moore for his leadership and deep commitment to improving the lives of Marylanders through higher education,” said Sheares Ashby. “We would not be able to do what we do without such a great partner in our governor.”

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC) is a top-ranked national university with an inclusive culture that connects innovative teaching and learning, research across disciplines, and civic engagement.

For more information contact Cherie Parker, Director of Media Relations, at cheriepa@umbc.edu or 240-930-1169.

Meet Ridwan Islam Sifat, an M.P.P. graduate student pursuing a doctoral degree at UMBC’s School of Public Policy researching healthcare disparities among intersex individuals in the United States. Ridwan joined UMBC as an international student after earning both a B.S. and M.S. in development studies from the Bangladesh University of Professionals, where he studied the social exclusion of Hijra (third gender) people in Bangladesh, examining the effects of government policies and healthcare access. Ridwan was awarded the UMBC Adam Yarmolinsky Fellowship, which supports graduate and doctoral students whose research addresses poverty alleviation, social programs for low-income populations, and international diplomacy and peace. Ridwan appreciates the opportunities UMBC has afforded him and the community that supported him through it all. Thanks for sharing, Ridwan!

Q: What’s one essential thing you’d want another Retriever to know about you? 

A: I’m a public policy Ph.D. student in the School of Public Policy and a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health. I work with the American Political Science Association and the Association for Public Policy Analysis and Management, mentoring graduate students, offering support with graduate admission applications, and research guidance. I also serve as an associate editor for the International Journal of Public Health Science and an article editor for SAGE Open. I have served four times as a judge at the United Kingdom’s Queen’s Commonwealth Essay Competition, the world’s oldest international schools’ writing competition.

Q: What brought you to UMBC in the first place?

A: I came to UMBC because of its strong public policy program, particularly, the health policy concentration. The opportunity to study in a supportive environment with access to faculty expertise and resources, aligned with my passion for researching public policy issues made UMBC the perfect place for my academic journey.

My research interests include the intersection of public health policy with artificial intelligence, equity and social justice, and global health systems. I’ve co-authored several journal articles on these topics, including “Transformative potential of artificial intelligence in global health policy,” and “Food‑based domestic violence and anemia among women in sexual unions in Nigeria.”

Q: What clubs, teams, or organizations are you a part of? What do you love about them?

A: I was a Graduate Student Association senator representing the College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences and a committee member for Equity of Funds during the 2023 – 2024 term. I also worked with the Academic Engagement and Transition Programs as a graduate intern and worked with the Office for Academic and Pre-Professional Advising as an orientation advisor. UMBC’s Bangladesh Student Association promotes diversity by sharing our traditions and fostering cross-cultural understanding within the UMBC community.

Q: What’s the one thing you’d want someone who hasn’t joined the UMBC community to know about the support you find here?

A: The support at UMBC is exceptional—faculty and peers genuinely care about our success. From personalized mentorship to collaborative opportunities, the community is dedicated to helping us achieve our academic and professional goals. It’s a place where you feel valued, encouraged, and empowered to thrive.

Q: Tell us about someone in the community who has inspired you or supported you, and how they did it.

A: My dissertation chair, Dr. Nancy Miller, and my co-chair, Dr. Loren Henderson, offer unwavering support, encouraging me to think critically and providing invaluable feedback on my research, helping me refine my ideas and stay focused. Also, my academic advisor, Dr. Zoë McLaren, guides me with relevant resources and opportunities, ensuring that I am well-prepared for the challenges of academia. Their combined mentorship has been essential to my growth as a scholar.

Q: What have you learned from being a graduate teaching assistant?

A: As a teaching assistant, I have worked with various professors who have helped me develop teaching skill sets that will be useful when I lead my own classes. My first in-person teaching assistant roles were in Dr. Sarah Chard‘s SOCY 619: Qualitative Methods in Social Research, Dr. Aubrey Jackson Soller‘s, and Dr. Mercedez Dunn-Gallier‘s SOCY 101: Basic Concepts in Sociology. In these classes, I learned to facilitate in-class activities, which allowed me to engage directly with students and observe their understanding of course material. I continued to practice these skills in spring 2024, as a TA for Dr. Brandy Wallace‘s SOCY 101 online class. I also worked on assessing students using rubric-based grading and providing them with constructive feedback. This semester, I have returned to Dr. Jackson Soller’s and  Dr. Mercedez Dunn-Gallier’s classes where I am applying all of these aspects of teaching.

Q: Tell us about what you love about your academic program or an organization you’re involved in.

A: I love the supportive and collaborative environment at the School of Public Policy, where the faculty’s dedication to student success, interdisciplinary research, and real-world policy impact creates an enriching academic experience. As a graduate teaching assistant in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health, I’m continually developing my skills and knowledge, preparing me for a future in academia.

* * * * *

UMBC’s greatest strength is its people. When people meet Retrievers and hear about the passion they bring, the relationships they create, the ways they support each other, and the commitment they have to inclusive excellence, they truly get a sense of our community. That’s what “Meet a Retriever” is all about.

Learn more about how UMBC can help you achieve your goals.

Explore opportunities at UMBC’s School of Public Policy and Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Public Health.

The UMBC-led Goddard Earth Science Technology and Research (GESTAR) II center has been awarded a two-year, $47 million extension to continue its cooperative agreement with the NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC).

In fall 2021, NASA awarded $72 million for UMBC to establish GESTAR II in collaboration with primary partner Morgan State University and six other institutions. Since its launch, GESTAR II has employed more than 150 scientists who are distributed across nearly all of GSFC’s earth science division laboratories. GESTAR II scientists and engineers are currently working on active NASA earth science missions, such as the Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem (PACE) satellite mission, which launched into orbit earlier this year. 

“Our scientists and engineers are continuing to contribute toward the advancement of earth science at NASA Goddard. We want to continue to do more of the same with this agreement extension,” said GESTAR II director Charles Ichoku. “With GSFC, we are making progress to keep our planet safe while continuing to make a lot of discoveries.” 

GESTAR II is one of three cooperative agreements that UMBC has with GSFC, a partnership that began nearly 30 years ago. Earlier this month, the university collaborated with GSFC to host the “NASA-UMBC Interaction Days,” an interactive, three-day event series (concluding on September 30) that takes a closer look into the center’s current research activity, with insight into how faculty and students can engage with Goddard scientists and engineers. 

In addition to contributions to NASA’s missions and earth science scholarship, GESTAR II also provides funding support for UMBC students with its undergraduate and graduate fellowships. The center also hosts a recurring seminar series for scientists. 

Learn more about the research happening at the Goddard Earth Science Technology and Research (GESTAR) II center.

At the height of COVID-19, Nicole Attram developed severe lower back pain which impeded her mobility and flexibility. While physical therapy helped mitigate the symptoms, the cause is still unknown. That experience determined the course of her career. After graduating from UMBC in 2023, Attram, mechanical engineering, received a 2024 – 2025 Fulbright U.S. Student award to study in Milan, Italy, in a master’s program in international healthcare management, economics, and policy specializing in pharmaceuticals and medical technology at the SDA Bocconi School of Management.

“This experience has inspired my interest in orthopedic biomechanics, particularly prosthetics, and exoskeletons, to help restore autonomy to individuals with lifelong mobility challenges,” shares Attram on her website. “I aim to conduct research at the intersection of systemic racism, healthcare policy, and orthopedic biomechanics to offer holistic care and assistive technology to underserved communities.” 

Each year, more than 10,000 students apply to the Fulbright U.S. Student Program with just over 2,000 selected from hundreds of colleges and universities across the U.S. In the last decade, UMBC students and alumni have received more than 85 Fulbright U.S. Student Program awards for research and teaching placements in Africa, Asia and the Pacific, the Middle East, South America, and Europe. UMBC was named a Fulbright Top Producing Institution for the third time in five years for the 2023 – 2024 cycle.

Attram’s mentor Maria C. Sanchez, director of the Grand Challenge Scholars Program, professor of the practice, and director of the Engineering and Computing Education Program, says, “Nicole always displayed the motivation, perseverance, and inquisitiveness of a successful researcher. She also demonstrated a high level of global awareness that was refreshing to see in a non-international undergraduate student.”

Advancing global research

Attram is among eight recent graduates and alumni in UMBC’s 2024 – 2025 Fulbright U.S. Student Program class who are sharing their knowledge and building community around the world by earning a master’s degree, conducting research, or teaching English. This year is especially significant, as six of eight awards are research-focused, marking the highest number of research awards in UMBC’s Fulbright history. Students seeking research awards must develop a proposal in coordination with potential advisers in the universities and laboratories where they want to study as part of their application. Graduate degree awards require submitting both Fulbright and graduate school applications.

1. Arpita Tuladhar ’23 public health, Research Award to Germany
2. Jennifer Sorrells ’22, political science, Research Award to North Macedonia
3. Jolie Greer ’24, psychology, Research Award to Bulgaria 
4. Lauren Mister ’24, teaching English to speakers of other languages, English Teaching Award to Bahrain
5. Sarah-Fatime Yoda ’24, chemical engineering, Research Award to France
6. Stuart Holton ’24, political science, English Teaching Award to Slovakia
7. Timothy Mallard, M.A. ’21, teaching English to speakers of other languages, Research Award to Uganda

“This year’s cohort of Fulbright recipients and alternates shows the country and the globe what we at UMBC already know,” says Brian Souders, Ph.D. ’09, language, literacy, and culture, M.A.’19, TESOL, the associate director of global learning at UMBC’s Center for Global Engagement. In this role, Souders, who received a 2023 Fulbright International Education Administrator Award to Germany, has led hundreds of Retrievers through the Fulbright application process as UMBC’s Fulbright Program advisor. “We produce world-class graduates who will lead the future with their work in laboratories, in the field, and in the classrooms throughout the world.” (Image by Marlayna Demond ’11/UMBC)

Learn more about UMBC’s Fulbright Program.

UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) opened the new Center for Ethics and Values this semester. Through a series of campus, alumni, and community events, the center will foster thoughtful, informed, and nuanced discussions and exploration of pressing ethical issues across a wide range of fields including art, humanities, health care, science, and engineering.

Leading the charge is Jessica Pfeifer, associate professor of philosophy and former executive director of the Philosophy of Science Association. Pfeifer oversaw the development of the center and organized the Public Forum series with additional funding from the CAHSS Office of the Dean. The annual speaker series will feature leading experts on significant ethical issues faced by the campus community and society. Launching the series are experts on Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy, U.S. Presidential Elections, Neuroscience, Freewill, and Moral Responsibility, and more. 

“We all face ethical issues in nearly everything we do, from work to family life to our interactions with friends, to our role as citizens,” says Pfeifer. “The center will provide the campus community the opportunity to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the complexities of the ethical issues they face, as well as the relevance of ethical training for daily real-world decisions.”

Whitney Schwab, associate professor of philosophy, will lead the daily workings of the center as its inaugural director. “The Birth of Belief,” an article Schwab co-authored with Jessica Moss, professor of philosophy at New York University, received the 2019 Best Article Prize from the Board of Directors of the Journal of the History of Philosophy and was listed as one of the 10 best philosophy papers of 2019 by Philosopher’s Annual. Pfeifer notes that Schwab brings a wealth of knowledge about the history of philosophy, including the history of ethics, as well as his skills in public and student engagement to the position. “He is one of our most popular teachers,” says Pfeifer, “and is an excellent public speaker and discussant, who can hone in on central philosophical issues.”

The public forum kick-off event, Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy, on Thursday, September 26, includes Kim Yoshino, editor-in-chief of the Baltimore Banner, Melissa Block, longtime NPR host and correspondent, and Joe Saunders, associate professor of philosophy at Durham University, a public research university in Durham, England. UMBC’s Mike Nance, associate professor of philosophy, and a 2024 UMBC Dresher Center for the Humanities research fellow, will moderate the conversation.

In addition to establishing a new public forum series, the center will be home to UMBC’s Ethics Bowl team and a new host in the national line-up of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics regional competitions. This year’s Chesapeake Regional Ethics Bowl Tournament will be held on December 7, bringing teams from colleges throughout the Mid-Atlantic region to UMBC.

“Activities like the Ethics Bowl engage students to think more critically about their own values and decisions, and thereby be better able to engage with those whose views differ,” says Pfeifer. “This will make them better scientists, doctors, programmers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, parents, and citizens.”

Pre-register for the Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy public forum.

Learn more about a major, minor, or certificate in philosophy and the philosophy honors program.

UMBC’s College of Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences (CAHSS) opened the new Center for Ethics and Values this semester. Through a series of campus, alumni, and community events, the center will foster thoughtful, informed, and nuanced discussions and exploration of pressing ethical issues across a wide range of fields including art, humanities, health care, science, and engineering.

Leading the charge is Jessica Pfeifer, associate professor of philosophy and former executive director of the Philosophy of Science Association. Pfeifer oversaw the development of the center and organized the Public Forum series with additional funding from the CAHSS Office of the Dean. The annual speaker series will feature leading experts on significant ethical issues faced by the campus community and society. Launching the series are experts on Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy, U.S. Presidential Elections, Neuroscience, Freewill, and Moral Responsibility, and more. 

“We all face ethical issues in nearly everything we do, from work to family life to our interactions with friends, to our role as citizens,” says Pfeifer. “The center will provide the campus community the opportunity to develop a more sophisticated understanding of the complexities of the ethical issues they face, as well as the relevance of ethical training for daily real-world decisions.”

Whitney Schwab, associate professor of philosophy, will lead the daily workings of the center as its inaugural director. “The Birth of Belief,” an article Schwab co-authored with Jessica Moss, professor of philosophy at New York University, received the 2019 Best Article Prize from the Board of Directors of the Journal of the History of Philosophy and was listed as one of the 10 best philosophy papers of 2019 by Philosopher’s Annual. Pfeifer notes that Schwab brings a wealth of knowledge about the history of philosophy, including the history of ethics, as well as his skills in public and student engagement to the position. “He is one of our most popular teachers,” says Pfeifer, “and is an excellent public speaker and discussant, who can hone in on central philosophical issues.”

The public forum kick-off event, Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy, on Thursday, September 26, includes Kim Yoshino, editor-in-chief of the Baltimore Banner, Melissa Block, longtime NPR host and correspondent, and Joe Saunders, associate professor of philosophy at Durham University, a public research university in Durham, England. UMBC’s Mike Nance, associate professor of philosophy, and a 2024 UMBC Dresher Center for the Humanities research fellow, will moderate the conversation.

In addition to establishing a new public forum series, the center will be home to UMBC’s Ethics Bowl team and a new host in the national line-up of the Association for Practical and Professional Ethics regional competitions. This year’s Chesapeake Regional Ethics Bowl Tournament will be held on December 7, bringing teams from colleges throughout the Mid-Atlantic region to UMBC.

“Activities like the Ethics Bowl engage students to think more critically about their own values and decisions, and thereby be better able to engage with those whose views differ,” says Pfeifer. “This will make them better scientists, doctors, programmers, entrepreneurs, lawyers, parents, and citizens.”

Pre-register for the Journalism, Ethics, and Democracy public forum.

Learn more about a major, minor, or certificate in philosophy and the philosophy honors program.

Written by Richard Forno, principal lecturer in computer science and electrical engineering, UMBC

Electronic pagers across Lebanon exploded simultaneously on Sept. 17, 2024, killing 12 and wounding more than 2,700. The following day, another wave of explosions in the country came from detonating walkie-talkies. The attacks appeared to target members of the militant group Hezbollah.

The pagers attack involved explosives planted in the communications devices by Israeli operatives, according to U.S. officials cited by The New York Times. Hezbollah had recently ordered a shipment of pagers, according to the report.

Secretly attacking the supply chain is not a new technique in intelligence and military operations. For example, the U.S. National Security Agency intercepted computer hardware bound for overseas customers, inserted malware or other surveillance tools and then repackaged them for delivery to certain foreign buyers, a 2010 NSA internal document showed. This differs from accessing a specific person’s device, such as when Israel’s Shin Bet secretly inserted explosives into a cellphone to remotely kill a Hamas bombmaker in 1996.

Hezbollah, a longtime adversary of Israel, had increased its use of pagers in the wake of the Hamas attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023. By shifting to relatively low-tech communication devices, including pagers and walkie-talkies, Hezbollah apparently sought an advantage against Israel’s well-known sophistication in tracking targets through their phones.

Cellphones: The ultimate tracker

As a former cybersecurity professional and current security researcher, I view cellular devices as the ultimate tracking tool for both government and commercial entities – in addition to users, criminals and the mobile phone provider itself. As a result, mobile phone tracking has contributed to the fight against terrorism, located missing people and helped solve crimes.

Conversely, mobile phone tracking makes it easy for anyone to record a person’s most intimate movements. This can be done for legitimate purposes such as parents tracking children’s movements, helping you find your car in a parking lot, and commercial advertising, or nefarious ends such as remotely spying on a lover suspected of cheating or tracking political activists and journalists. Even the U.S. military remains concerned with how its soldiers might be tracked by their phones.

Mobile device tracking is conducted in several ways. First, there is the network location data generated by the phone as it moves past local cell towers or Stingray devices, which law enforcement agencies use to mimic cell towers. Then there are the features built into the phone’s operating system or enabled by downloaded apps that may lead to highly detailed user tracking, which users unwittingly agree to by ignoring the software’s privacy policy or terms of service.

This collected data is sometimes sold to governments or other companies for additional data mining and user profiling. And modern smartphones also have built-in Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS capabilities that can help with locating and tracking user movements around the world, both from the ground and via satellites.

Mobile devices can be tracked in real time or close to it. Common technical methods include traditional radio direction-finding techniques, using intelligence satellites or drones, deploying “man in the middle” tools like Stingrays to impersonate cellular towers to intercept and isolate device traffic, or installing malware such as Pegasus, made by Israeli cyberarms company NSO to report a device’s location.

Nontechnical and slower techniques of user tracking include potentially identifying general user locations from their internet activity. This can be done from website logs or the metadata contained in content posted to social media, or contracting with data brokers to receive any collected location data from the apps that a user might install on their device.

Indeed, because of these vulnerabilities, the leader of Hezbollah earlier this year advised his members to avoid using cellular phones in their activities, noting that Israel’s “surveillance devices are in your pockets. If you are looking for the Israeli agent, look at the phone in your hands and those of your wives and children.”

Researchers have shown how these features, often intended for the user’s convenience, can be used by governments, companies and criminals to track people in their daily lives and even predict movements. Many people still aren’t aware of how much their mobile devices disclose about them.

Pagers, however, unlike mobile phones, can be harder to track depending on whether they support two-way communication.

Why go low-tech

A pager that only receives messages does not provide a signal that can facilitate tracking its owner. Therefore, Hezbollah’s use of pagers likely made it more challenging to track their operatives – thus motivating Israeli intelligence services’ purported attack on the supply chain of Hezbollah’s pagers.

Using low-tech tactics and personal couriers while avoiding the use of mobile phones and digital tools also made it difficult for the technologically superior Western intelligence agencies to locate Osama bin Laden for years after the 9/11 attacks.

In general, I believe the adversary in an asymmetric conflict using low-tech techniques, tactics and technology will almost always be able to operate successfully against a more powerful and well-funded opponent.

A well-documented demonstration of this asymmetry in action was the U.S. military’s Millennium Challenge war game in 2002. Among other things, the insurgent Red forces, led by Marine General Paul van Riper, used low-tech tactics including motorcycle couriers instead of cellphones to evade the Blue forces’ high-tech surveillance. In the initial run of the exercise, the Red team won the contest in 24 hours, forcing exercise planners to controversially reset and update the scenario to ensure a Blue team victory.

Lessons for everyone

The preference for terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and al-Qaida to avoid using smartphones is a reminder for everyone that you can be, and likely are being tracked in various ways and for various purposes.

Israel’s purported response to Hezbollah’s actions also holds a lesson for everyone. From a cybersecurity perspective, it shows that any device in your life can be tampered with by an adversary at points along the supply chain – long before you even receive it.

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article and see more than 300 UMBC articles available in The Conversation.