Connect with us

Hi, what are you looking for?

SecurityWeekSecurityWeek

Privacy

US Spies on Mobile Phones From the Sky: Report

SAN FRANCISCO – US justice officials are scooping up mobile phone data from unwitting Americans as part of a sophisticated airborne surveillance program designed to catch criminals, the Wall Street Journal

SAN FRANCISCO – US justice officials are scooping up mobile phone data from unwitting Americans as part of a sophisticated airborne surveillance program designed to catch criminals, the Wall Street Journal reported Thursday.

Small aircraft deployed by the US Marshals Service from at least five major airports have been taking to the skies with “dirtbox” equipment designed to mimic signals from cell towers, according to the Journal.

That in turn tricks mobile phones into revealing unique identifying numbers and general locations, according to the report.

The name “dirtbox” was said to be derived from an acronym of Digital Recovery Technology Inc., the Boeing subsidiary that makes the device.

The range of aircraft in the program covers most of the US population, the Journal reported, citing unnamed sources familiar with the operation.

Details of flights were not given, but they were said to take place regularly with each outing potentially gathering data from tens of thousands of mobile phones.

The Journal reported that the US Justice Department declined to comment for the story other than to say that its agencies comply with the law when it comes to surveillance.

Mobile phones are programmed to connect with the closest signal tower, but trust signals from towers or imposters when it comes to making decisions, hackers have demonstrated.

Advertisement. Scroll to continue reading.

Boxes in planes could automatically assure mobile phones they are the optimal signal tower, then accept identifying information from handsets seeking connections.

Fake cell towers could then pass connections onto real signal towers, remaining as a conduit with the ability to tune into or block digital transmissions.

Hackers refer to such tactics as “man-in-the-middle attacks.”

The Journal quoted American Civil Liberties Union chief technologist Christopher Soghoian as calling the program “dragnet surveillance” that is “inexcusable.”

The program is reportedly in place to reveal locations of mobile phones associated with criminals or those suspected of crimes, but collect data about other handsets that connect, according to the Journal.

After sifting through data collected, investigators could determine the location of a targeted mobile phone to within about three meters, the report indicated.

Similar devices are used by US military and intelligence officials operating in other countries to locate terrorist suspects, according to the Journal.

Trust in US authorities has already been shaken by revelations about a sweeping Internet surveillance program.

Written By

AFP 2023

Click to comment

Trending

Daily Briefing Newsletter

Subscribe to the SecurityWeek Email Briefing to stay informed on the latest threats, trends, and technology, along with insightful columns from industry experts.

Discover strategies for vendor selection, integration to minimize redundancies, and maximizing ROI from your cybersecurity investments. Gain actionable insights to ensure your stack is ready for tomorrow’s challenges.

Register

Dive into critical topics such as incident response, threat intelligence, and attack surface management. Learn how to align cyber resilience plans with business objectives to reduce potential impacts and secure your organization in an ever-evolving threat landscape.

Register

People on the Move

Gigamon has promoted Tony Jarjoura to CFO and Ram Bhide has been hired as Senior VP of engineering.

Cloud security firm Mitiga has appointed Charlie Thomas as Chief Executive Officer.

Cynet announced the appointment of Jason Magee as Chief Executive Officer.

More People On The Move

Expert Insights