The Secret Service says it thwarted a telecommunications cyber-op in New York City. On Tuesday, the agency announced that it seized a network of SIM servers. It was capable of jamming cell towers, conducting DDoS attacks and enabling encrypted communications. The discovery came ahead of world leaders gathering for the UN General Assembly this week.
The network, reportedly discovered in August, was extensive and sophisticated. It included over 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites. A Secret Service official told The New York Times that it was powerful enough to send 30 million anonymous text messages per minute. Photos provided by the Secret Service (below) show racks of SIM- and antenna-laden servers.
“This network had the potential to disable cell phone towers and essentially shut down the cellular network in New York City,” special agent Matt McCool said in a video statement. He said an early analysis points to communications between at least one foreign country and “individuals that are known to federal law enforcement,” which reportedly includes cartel members.
McCool added that, due to the sensitivity and complexity of the investigation, he couldn’t go into specifics. Cybersecurity researcher James A. Lewis told The New York Times that only a handful of countries were capable of pulling that off, including Russia, China and Israel. Another security expert, Anthony J. Ferrante of FTI, said the network could have also been used for eavesdropping. “My instinct is this is espionage,” he told the Times.
Secret Service officials told The New York Times that there was no specific information that the network posed a threat to the UN conference. Regardless, the confiscated devices were concentrated within a 35-mile radius of the assembly. The agency is responsible for security at the gathering.
“This is an open and active investigation, and we have no arrests to announce today,” McCool said in his statement. “The Secret Service will continue to run down all leads until we fully understand the intent of the operation and identify those responsible.”
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