Actually in this case, it was being used to flood the carrier networks with SPAM text messages.
On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 11:39 AM Kurtis Heimerl via NANOG < [email protected]> wrote: > Yes, you can't trust the current administration's announcements. These > sorts of setups are not used for jamming or disrupting cell networks (you'd > just use a jammer), instead they are used for tunneling international VoIP > traffic onto national cellular lines, allowing for (admittedly illegal) > cheaper calls. Or sometimes pokemon go account farming (though then you'd > expect them to be mobile). > > On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 4:39 AM Mel Beckman via NANOG < > [email protected]> > wrote: > > > It's one thing if they discovered a criminal enterprise that was actually > > using this equipment as their communications hub, > > > > But that’s precisely what the SS says: > > “The U.S. Secret Service 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,…” > > > > and > > > > “….early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state > > threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement.” > > > > They dismantled a network that they found were actively prosecuting > > threats. > > > > This wasn’t just some hacker’s randomly assembled kit of penetration > > tools. This clearly cost a lot of money to set up and maintain. > > > > -mel > > > > On Sep 24, 2025, at 2:13 AM, nanog--- via NANOG <[email protected]> > > wrote: > > > > 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%20YORK%20%E2%80%93%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%20YORK%20%E2%80%93%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 > > _______________________________________________ > > NANOG mailing list > > > > > https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/DXT5MYKRC3UPR22Z4QZVWE7BCJFYR6LB/ > > _______________________________________________ > > NANOG mailing list > > > https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/5YDVUIHKINT37IYGHDIERE3ITNMW6B75/ > > _______________________________________________ > > NANOG mailing list > > > > > https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/BBUFODT73EQB64GIG36URGGSLM77BHN3/ > _______________________________________________ > NANOG mailing list > > https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/3IXZWOESO3QW7BN6U3WUCNQYMPJHKPB5/ _______________________________________________ NANOG mailing list https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/VWDNHEGXZKKPZJWHQ7PDMJBXLDXNCTC3/
