Secret Service takes down network that could have crippled New York cell service

"It can't be understated what this system is capable of doing, said Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service's New York field office. It can take down cell towers, so then no longer can people communicate, right? You can't text message, you can't use your cellphone. And if you coupled that with some sort of other event associated with [the UN general assembly], you know, use your imagination there it could be catastrophic to the city."

"The cache, made up of more than 300 Sim servers packed with over 100,000 sim cards and clustered within 35 miles (56km) of the United Nations, represents one of the most sweeping communications threats uncovered on US soil. Investigators warn the system could have blacked out cellular service in a city that relies on it not only for daily life but for emergency response and counter-terrorism."

Secret Service agents dismantled a covert telecom network across the New York area while nearly 150 world leaders gathered for the UN General Assembly. The cache contained more than 300 Sim servers and over 100,000 sim cards clustered within 35 miles of the United Nations. The system could have disabled cell towers, jammed 911 calls and overwhelmed networks, threatening daily communications and emergency response. The servers operated like banks of mock cellphones, able to generate mass calls and texts, overwhelm local networks and mask encrypted communications. The seizure occurred amid a broader investigation into telecommunications threats targeting senior officials.

Read at www.theguardian.com