How Police Secretly Took over a Global Phone Network for Organized Crime

Re:How Police Secretly Took over a Global Phone Network for ... by rxsel on Thursday July 02, 2020 @08:36AM (#23712459)

So everyone moves to a new platform/vendor... what exactly is significant about this particular bust aside from “we did it” signaling of law enforcement? Things like this happen all the time... Silk Road and many other examples come to mind.

I just hope this doesn’t become yet another incident used as an example to slowly erode the freedom and idea of privacy. The current anti-encryption sentiment and reactionary nature of legislation doesn’t inspire much confidence.

On a side note for anyone wanting a truly secure device, you’d have to source the raw materials, create the hardware, software, distribution and oversee the entire process. The old school Ford assembly line for the brave new world. And this assumes you didn’t leave any security holes in the process. Which humans tend to do.

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Re:How Police Secretly Took over a Global Phone Network for ... by paulmatthijs on Thursday July 02, 2020 @08:53AM (#23712581)

It has huge implications. What is “exactly significant about this” bust is the prevention of multiple assassinations, kidnappings with planned torture, and multiple large coke smuggling operations being intercepted. Plus it’s all evidence. Previous encryption breaking busts like this by the Dutch national police have led to lifelong convictions of multiple murder squads.

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Re:How Police Secretly Took over a Global Phone Network for ... by rxsel on Thursday July 02, 2020 @10:13AM (#23713292)

I didn’t mean to be or come off as insensitive. I get that many would be horrible things were prevented. Which is very much appreciated.

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Re:How Police Secretly Took over a Global Phone Network for ... by raxxorrax on Thursday July 02, 2020 @08:58AM (#23712633)

It is peculiar that this was my first thought too. Surveillance has caused indescribable damage to western nations and they still continue their insanity.

Aside from that I think most hardware is actually still safe. I don't know of hardware backdoors that were actually implemented. I think self preservation keeps most companies in line.

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Re:How Police Secretly Took over a Global Phone Network for ... by rxsel on Thursday July 02, 2020 @12:05PM (#23714751)

I think the issue with hardware is the potential for infiltration and compromise of the hardware along the supply chain. Both in the component itself or in the assembly process.

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