Investigation uncovers two sophisticated telecom surveillance campaigns (techcrunch.com)

Article summary

Security researchers have uncovered two sophisticated telecom surveillance campaigns that exploit weaknesses in the global telecoms infrastructure to track people's locations. The campaigns, which are likely a small snapshot of widespread exploitation, use flaws in SS7 and Diameter protocols to geolocate individuals' cell phones. The surveillance vendors behind the campaigns operate as 'ghost' companies that piggyback on legitimate cellular providers' networks. The researchers believe that different government customers are behind the various campaigns.

Main themes

• Telecom surveillance
• SS7 and Diameter protocols
• Cell phone tracking
• Surveillance vendors
• Government involvement
• Data privacy

What commenters say

• Some people believe that police and law enforcement agencies are not effective in investigating and preventing stalking and surveillance cases, and may even be complicit in them.
• Others argue that telcos have robust systems in place to prevent employees from accessing sensitive customer data, and that such claims of stalking are unlikely or exaggerated.
• There are concerns that surveillance systems can be abused by individuals with access to them, including law enforcement and government agencies, to stalk and track people.
• The lack of effective regulation and oversight of telcos and surveillance vendors allows for widespread exploitation and abuse of these systems.
• Some commenters have personal experiences with stalking and surveillance, and believe that the police and authorities are often unhelpful or uninterested in investigating these cases.
• Others point out that the technical aspects of surveillance and data collection are complex, and that it is unlikely that a random employee could easily access and use sensitive customer data.
• There is a perception that management and authorities are often more interested in saving money or covering up problems than in preventing or addressing surveillance and stalking issues.
• The effectiveness of data governance and privacy offices in preventing and addressing surveillance and stalking issues is questioned by some commenters.