US Secret Service disrupts telecom threat near UN General Assembly

 

The US Secret Service says it disrupted a network of telecommunications devices that could have shut down cellular systems as leaders gathered for the United Nations General Assembly in New York City. 

 

The agency says last month it found more than 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards that could have been used for telecom attacks within the area, encompassing parts of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. 

 

Matt McCool, the special agent in charge, said the well-organised and well-funded scheme involved nation-state threat actors and individuals known to federal law enforcement. 

 

Agent McCool says the unidentified nation-state actors were sending encrypted messages to organised crime groups, cartels and terrorist organisations.

 

"This was a case that began as a protective intelligence investigation threat case, and we deemed it imminent and so our advanced threat interdiction unit began working on it from day one. What they uncovered was a major network of telecommunications devices that can be used anonymously and encrypted. They can be used to shut down cell towers. They could be used to not allow access to EMS and 911. 

 

"It can send out 30 million text messages a minute. Encrypted, anonymous, which means that it could theoretically text the entire nation in 12 minutes. We've taken this network down. Could there be others, right? It would be unwise to think that there's not other networks out there," said the special agent.

 

The devices received from SIM farms at abandoned apartment buildings across more than five sitsites. 

 

Investigators also reportedly found 80 grams of cocaine, illegal firearms, computers and phones.