WOW! Homeland Security Discovers Rogue Cellphone Site Simulators In Washington Used By Foreign Spies

A stunning report by the Associated Press reveals the Department of Homeland Security has discovered rogue cell tower simulators in Washington, D.C. commonly used by foreign spies. 

AP reports:

For the first time, the U.S. government has publicly acknowledged the existence in Washington of what appear to be rogue devices that foreign spies and criminals could be using to track individual cellphones and intercept calls and messages.

The use of what are known as cellphone-site simulators by foreign powers has long been a concern, but American intelligence and law enforcement agencies — which use such eavesdropping equipment themselves — have been silent on the issue until now.

In a March 26 letter to Oregon Sen. Ron Wyden, the Department of Homeland Security acknowledged that last year it identified suspected unauthorized cell-site simulators in the nation’s capital. The agency said it had not determined the type of devices in use or who might have been operating them. Nor did it say how many it detected or where.

How could this happen? Laura Moy of the Center on Privacy and Technology at Georgetown University blames the FCC.

“To the extent that there is a major problem here, it’s largely due to the FCC not doing its job,” Moy told the AP.

The agency should be “ensuring that anyone transmitting over licensed spectrum actually has a license to do it,” Moy added.

 

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