(Image Credit: iStockPhoto/adamkaz)
Personnel from the US and UK intelligence agencies, the NSA and GCHQ, reportedly gained access to devices worldwide by compromising the internal computer network of the world’s largest SIM card manufacturer.
Documents released by whistleblower Edward Snowden describe a joint operation by operatives from both agencies that infiltrated Gemalto, a Netherlands-based company that produces the small chips used for mobile network access.
Gemalto’s clients include AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint and roughly 450 wireless network providers across the globe. The company operates in 85 countries and runs 40 manufacturing facilities, the largest of which is located in Pennsylvania, USA. To illustrate its scale, Gemalto ships approximately 20 billion SIM cards each year.
The attack focused on obtaining encryption details used in SIM cards so they could be compromised when required. To achieve this, the spies monitored internal communications among engineers and staff, a method similar to how the NSA reportedly breached the GSM Association as part of Project Auroragold.
Although Gemalto has a US-based headquarters in Texas, the company is not believed to have been aware of the breach. Gemalto’s motto is “Security to be Free.”
Google, another company that has raised concerns about government access, recently objected to a proposed legal change that would allow US agencies remote access to phones and PCs through an administrative rule alteration.
In a blog post, Google warned that the proposed change fails to define what constitutes a “remote search” or the conditions under which such searches could be carried out. The company argued the amendment assumes these searches are constitutional and legal, effectively enabling government hacking without Congressional debate or democratic policymaking.
Google’s stance highlights a corporate effort to defend user privacy and challenge potential abuses of surveillance authority. At the same time, the continued push by government entities to expand surveillance powers, sometimes through subtle legal changes, remains a significant public concern.
Are you concerned about surveillance by agencies such as the NSA and GCHQ? Share your thoughts in the comments.