The U.S. Secret Service has seized a covert communications network near the United Nations headquarters in New York. The operation uncovered sophisticated equipment, including 100,000 SIM cards and 300 servers, which was capable of sending 30 million texts per minute.
According to a Secret Service advisory, the network was an "imminent threat" to the agency's protective operations and was used to target senior U.S. government officials. Investigators also found illegal firearms and cocaine at the sites, suggesting a link between the cyber operation and traditional criminal organizations.
A Parallel Network for Espionage
The dismantled network was described as a full parallel network. It was composed of server racks that could flood cellular carriers, disrupt services, or launch massive phishing campaigns. Intelligence experts believe a network of this scale could enable large-scale surveillance and espionage.
According to the New York Times, an official noted that authorities had never before encountered an illicit communications network of this magnitude. This has led some experts to suspect the involvement of a nation-state. Preliminary analysis of the SIM cards showed links to both a foreign nation and criminal groups, including cartels.
Anthony J. Ferrante, a former White House cybersecurity official, told the New York Times that the operation "looks sophisticated and expensive" and that his "instinct is espionage." Researchers believe that only a "handful of countries," such as Russia, China, or Israel, would have the resources and capabilities to set up such a network.
This is not the first time a communications network has been exploited. In 2017, IMSI catchers were found near sensitive sites in Washington, D.C., and in 2021, Mexican authorities dismantled parallel telecom networks operated by drug cartels. The discovery near the U.N. highlights the real and growing threat that communications networks can be weaponized for espionage and other illicit activities.
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