Secret Service foils plot that could have caused dangerous cell phone blackout

""This network had the potential to disable cell phone towers and essentially shut down the cellular network in New York City," McCool said. Investigators found more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards in the New York tri-state area, concentrated within 35 miles of the General Assembly meeting. It's not clear if the devices were intended to disrupt the meeting and communications of world leaders, but the Secret Service said it moved quickly to dismantle the network given the timing and proximity of the threat. The network could have disrupted emergency communications, McCool added."

""The devices allowed for anonymous, encrypted communication, which allowed criminal organizations to operate undetected, McCool said. A team that included Homeland Security, the Department of Justice, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the New York Police Department worked together in the investigation, McCool said. Investigators are now working to analyze data from the equivalent of 100,000 cell phones. "Early analysis indicates cellular communications between foreign actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement," McCool said.""

A telecommunications network of tens of thousands of devices and more than 100,000 SIM cards was dismantled in the New York tri-state area near the UN General Assembly. The network included over 300 co-located SIM servers and had the capability to disable cell phone towers and shut down cellular service across New York City, potentially disrupting emergency and diplomatic communications. Multiple federal and local agencies collaborated on the investigation. Authorities are analyzing data equivalent to 100,000 cell phones and have identified cellular communications linking foreign actors to individuals known to federal law enforcement.

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