Upon actually reading the article, this looks overblown, typical of the
current regime.
Having a lot of SIM cards, a lot of phones, having phones in a
rack-mount form factor, and plugging SIM cards into things that are not
phones are not illegal.
The fact that a cellphone network could be overloaded by a lot of phones
doesn't make it illegal to have a lot of phones. Even if it /does/
overload the cellphone network, AFAIK it's still not illegal unless that
was your intention.
Their other justification is even worse:
"These devices could be used for... facilitating anonymous, encrypted
communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises"
- MEGA YIKES. So they're outlawing encryption now? Anything that can
send communication can send encrypted communication. It's one thing if
they discovered a criminal enterprise that was actually using this
equipment as their communications hub, as I believe the law allows them
to seize stuff used for a crime regardless of its other uses. But only
in America (and Russia, Iran, North Korea) can they legally seize stuff
just because it /could hypothetically/ be used for a crime, and then not
give it back.
On 23/09/2025 18:46, Mel Beckman via NANOG wrote:
The U.S. Secret Service announced today that it dismantled a network of
electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that were used
to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior
U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent threat to the agency’s
protective operations.
The SS say they discovered more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM
cards across multiple sites, and while the photo they provide shows gear set up
in what looks like an apartment, it could be that interlopers have infiltrated
actual Internet colo facilities.
As a colo operator, I’ve turned away more than a few sketchy potential
customers due to their flakey stories requesting rooftop or window antenna
locations. Be on the lookout.
https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-secret-service-dismantles-imminent-telecommunications-threat-new-york#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20–%20The%20U.S.%20Secret,SIM%20cards%20across%20multiple%20sites.<https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-secret-service-dismantles-imminent-telecommunications-threat-new-york#:~:text=NEW%2520YORK%2520%E2%80%93%2520The%2520U.S.%2520Secret,SIM%2520cards%2520across%2520multiple%2520sites.>
-mel beckman
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