US Agents Stop Telecoms Attack Near UN Summit

US federal agents dismantled a network of devices capable of instigating a major telecoms attack across multiple sites. The takedown took place as world leaders gathered for the United Nations General Assembly in the New York City area.

The US Secret Service said the network of 300,000 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards could be used to conduct a wide range of telecommunications attacks, including disabling cell towers, enabling denial of services attacks, and facilitating encrypted criminal communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises. Forensic examination of the devices is ongoing, but the Secret Service noted that early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.

An initial analysis of the seized data identified ties to at least one foreign entity, along with links to criminals known by US law enforcement, including cartel members. The agency’s newly formed Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit is conducting the investigation. “The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said US Secret Service Director Sean Curran. “Given the timing, location, and potential for significant disruption to New York telecommunications posed by these devices, the agency moved quickly to disrupt this network,” the Secret Service stated.