Signs of Sophisticated Cellphone Spying Found Near White House

A federal study found signs that surveillance devices for intercepting cellphone calls and texts were operating near the White House and other sensitive locations in the Washington area. A Department of Homeland Security program discovered evidence of the surveillance devices, called IMSI catchers.

The devices work by simulating cell towers to trick nearby phones into connecting, allowing the IMSI catchers to collect calls, texts and data streams. Unlike some other forms of cellphone interception, IMSI catchers must be near targeted devices to work.

When they are in range, IMSI catchers also can deliver malicious software to targeted devices for the purpose of stealing information stored on them or conducting longer-term monitoring of communications.

Experts in surveillance technology say that IMSI catchers — sometimes known by one popular brand name, StingRay — are a standard part of the tool kit for many foreign intelligence services, including for such geopolitical rivals as Russia and China.

The surveillance devices are hard to counteract, although encrypted calling and messaging apps — such as Signal, WhatsApp or Apple's FaceTime — provide protection against IMSI catchers.

Some experts advocate wider deployment of such encrypted communication tools within the U.S. government, along with a move away from traditional cellular calling and texting. (Washington Post, June 1, 2018)
--

This is not a new story. I mentioned it here in the blog on April 22, 2018. What I do wish to highlight from the above story in the Washington Post is that "encrypted calling and messaging apps... provide protection against IMSI catchers" (like Stingray). Whether you are a government official  worried about foreign espionage, or a citizen concerned about warrantless surveillance; encryption can help to protect you against these illegal activities.