Privacy is Nonexistant if You Have a Cell Phone

Nick DePetrillo, an independent researcher, and Don Bailey, a security consultant with iSec Partners, have come up with a system that is sure to scare the bejeezus out of anyone who has a cell phone: their system -- unveiled at the SOURCE Boston conference -- can identify a cell phone user's location from a GSM network.  And with this information, they are able to gather and infer personal and business information about the person. In fact, they were able to identify a government contractor and track a journalist who interviewed a Serbian informant, and obtained the informant’s phone number.

Clearly, this has exposed a staggering weakness with mobile providers  operating over GSM networks.

Here's how they did it:

They accessed cell phone numbers on the Home Location Registry and a GSM provider's caller ID database, and used an open-source PBX program to automate phone calls to themselves. This triggered the system to conduct a name search. Then, they associated the name with the phone number. They matched the phone number with the location using HLR, which logs the location of phone numbers to allow various mobile providers to pick up and hand off callers in order to provide continuous service.

The researchers did not release details about their system and have alerted the major GSM carriers about this flaw.

Unfortunately, the only option cell phone users have in protecting themselves is by turning off their phones.

Comments

[pda cell phone]

I enjoyed reading it. I need to read more on this topic..Thanks for sharing a nice info..Any way I am going to subscribe to your feed and I hope you post again soon.

[Josue Merrick]

Hi all, im really happy :) i just got my new http://freeiphone4g4u.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow">IPhone 4G for free. I didn't think it would work but it pulled through. I followed the steps and i couldnt be more happy. just thought ide share it!