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Plot to jam mobile network, cripple comms in New York busted ahead of UNGA
The US Secret Service said that it discovered more than 300 SIM card servers and 100,000 SIM cards at several locations within a 35-mile radius of the city.
The US Secret Service on Tuesday said that federal agents dismantled a network of devices in the New York area that was capable of crippling telecom systems and carrying out anonymous telephonic attacks.
In a statement, the agency said that its agents discovered more than 300 SIM card servers and 100,000 SIM cards at several locations within a 35-mile radius of New York City.
This development comes as world leaders are gathering in the city for a meeting of the UN General Assembly.
“In addition to carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, these devices could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks. This includes disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises,” the Secret Service said in a statement.
“While forensic examination of these devices is ongoing, early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement,” it added.
US Secret Service Director Sean Curran said that the potential for disruption to America's telecommunications by this network of devices cannot be overstated.
“The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled,” Curran said.
According to Bloomberg, it remains unclear if the network was linked to a spate of incidents earlier this year in which unknown people impersonated White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
Earlier, a State Department cable reported that an unidentified individual left voice and text messages for at least five people, including “three foreign ministers, a US governor, and a US Congress member,” after setting up a Signal account under Rubio’s name in mid-June.
