THE Secret Service has foiled a terrifying plot to cripple New York City’s cell network and jam 911 calls hours before Donald Trump was to address world leaders.
Spooks acted swiftly to dismantle the network of more than 100,000 SIM cards that could have crashed the city’s telecommunications ahead of the UN General Assembly.
U.S. Secret Service Special Agent in Charge Matt McCool announced the discovery[/caption]
Racks of dismantled communications devices that were part of an anonymous network in the New York region[/caption]
The U.S. Secret Service announced today that it had discovered suspicious electronic devices planted “throughout the New York tri-state area.”
These devices enabled encrypted communications to be carried out in secret among mystery “threat actors and criminals.”
They had been placed in order to potentially “disrupt our country’s telecommunications,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran.
Spooks have linked the threat to unnamed “nation-state” actors – while experts slammed it as “espionage.”
The aim was “to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. government officials,” the service said.
Matt McCool, the service’s top agent at its New York field office, didn’t detail who had been targeted in the government’s hierarchy.
One official told The New York Times that the network was capable of sending 30 million text messages per minute, anonymously.
The agency had never seen such a mammoth operation, they added.
The sophisticated gear could have been used to spy on people, the publication reported.
McCool confirmed the devices have been removed, and “no longer pose a threat to the New York tri-state area.”
The area where the network was located includes New York, Connecticut and New Jersey.
Images shared by the agency showed scores of SIM cards connected to telecommunications equipment.
Aside from carrying out anonymous telephonic threats, the devices could have been used to conduct a wide range of attacks, including disabling cell phone towers, and enabling denial of services attacks.
McCool added, “Investigators discovered tens of thousands of devices capable of carrying out nefarious telecommunications attacks.
“These devices allowed anonymous encrypted communications between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises, enabling criminal organizations to operate undetected.
“This network had the potential to disable cellphone towers and essentially shut down the cellular network in New York City.
“These devices were concentrated within 35 miles of the global meeting of the United Nations General Assembly now underway in New York City.
“Given the timing, location and proximity and potential for significant disruption to the New York Telecoms system, we moved quickly to disrupt this network.”
The UN’s high-level general debate kicks off in New York today, with the US President to address the summit on its first day.
NYC is hosting more than 100 foreign leaders and their employees at the assembly,
Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Jordan’s King Abdullah II, and French President Emmanuel Macron are also due to speak today.
So too are South Korea’s President Lee Jae Myung and South African President Cyril Ramaphosa.
There is a mystery as to which “nefarious” nations are behind the security threat – but work to unlock their identity is continuing.
McCool said, “Forensic examinations of the equivalent of 100,000 cellphones worth of data is under way.
“We will continue working towards identifying those responsible, and their intent.
“(This includes) whether their plan was to disrupt the assembly, and communications of government and emergency personnel during the official visit of world leaders in and around NYC.”
The service’s “early analysis indicates cellular communications between foreign actors and individuals that are known to federal law enforcement,” McCool added.
He said no arrests have yet been made.
The spook added that, “given the sensitivity, and complexity of this investigation, we are not able to go into the specifics at this time.
“This is an open and active investigation.
“The Secret Service will continue to run down all leads until we fully understand the intent of the operation and identify those responsible.”
Curran vowed to protect Americans and leaders visiting the States.
He said, “The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention.
“And this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled.”
The White House has not immediately responded to a request for comment.
Anthony J. Ferrante, the global head of the cybersecurity practice at FTI, an international consulting firm, told the NYT it appeared to be “espionage.”
