Massive sim card hack reported
Posted by: Timothy Weaver on 02/20/2015 10:56 AM
[
Comments
]
According to a story in The Intercept, U.S. and U.K. intelligence agencies have reportedly hacked into the computer network of giant SIM card maker Gemalto.
The Gemalto hack, by the U.S. National Security Agency and the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), allowed the two spy agencies to monitor a large portion of the world’s mobile phone voice and data traffic.
Gemalto, based in the Netherlands, produces about 2 billion SIM cards a year. About 450 mobile carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and Sprint, use the company’s SIM cards.
The Intercept story said, with the compromised encryption keys, the surveillance agencies would be able to monitor mobile communications without the approval of the carriers or foreign governments.
Gemalto told The Intercept that the company was unaware of the penetration of its systems.
The Gemalto hack, by the U.S. National Security Agency and the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), allowed the two spy agencies to monitor a large portion of the world’s mobile phone voice and data traffic.
Gemalto, based in the Netherlands, produces about 2 billion SIM cards a year. About 450 mobile carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and Sprint, use the company’s SIM cards.
The Intercept story said, with the compromised encryption keys, the surveillance agencies would be able to monitor mobile communications without the approval of the carriers or foreign governments.
Gemalto told The Intercept that the company was unaware of the penetration of its systems.
Comments
