Re: Encryption is now illegal? (Re: U.S. Secret Service shuts down NYC cellular disruption network)

[Shane Ronan via NANOG <nanog () lists nanog org>]

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 <
nanog () lists nanog org> 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 <
> nanog () lists nanog org>
> 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 <nanog () lists nanog org>
> > 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
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