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   "It could be catastrophic to the city" - US Secret Service takes down massive   
   million-dollar network of SIM cards it says was capable of taking down comms   
   across New York   
      
   Date:   
   Wed, 24 Sep 2025 12:02:00 +0000   
      
   Description:   
   US Secret Service dismantles network of 100,000 SIM cards possibly able to   
   disable cell phone towers ahead of UN General Assembly.   
      
   FULL STORY   
      
   The US Secret Service has uncovered and dismantled a telecommunications   
   network in New York which may have been used by organized criminals to   
   communicate with foreign state-sponsored actors.    
      
   The enormous network was made up of over 300 servers that housed a combined   
   100,000 SIM cards, and allegedly had the potential to disrupt phone networks   
   across the tristate area and facilitate encrypted communications.    
      
   The United Nations General Assembly is currently ongoing in New York, and the   
   Secret Service has suggested the network could have been used to conduct   
   multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S.   
   government officials.   
      
   Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit    
      
   The 300 co-located servers were all within 35 miles of the United Nations and   
   could have been involved in disabling cell phone towers, enabling denial of   
   services attacks and facilitating anonymous, encrypted communication between   
   potential threat actors and criminal enterprises.    
      
   An investigation is currently ongoing and is being conducted by the Secret   
   Services new Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, which is dedicated to   
   disrupting the most significant and imminent threats to our protectees.    
      
   While the network included 100,000 active SIM cards being used in encrypted   
   communications, the Secret Service also said that there were many more    
   waiting to be deployed.   
      
   Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Services New York field   
   office said, It cant be understated what this system is capable of doing. It   
   can take down cell towers, so then no longer can people communicate, right?   
   You cant text message, you cant use your cellphone. And if you coupled that   
   with some sort of other event associated with [the UN general assembly], you   
   know, use your imagination there  it could be catastrophic to the city.    
      
   The Secret Service has been investigating threats against senior US officials   
   from telecommunications networks, which led to the discovery of the SIM cache   
   network.    
      
   Multiple US officials have been targeted in impersonation and smishing    
   attacks in recent months.    
      
   The SIM cards will be analyzed for phone calls and text messages, with the   
   network capable of sending upwards of 30 million messages in a single minute,   
   McCool said, stating the network was highly organized and would have cost   
   millions of dollars to construct.    
      
   The potential for disruption to our countrys telecommunications posed by this   
   network of devices cannot be overstated," added Sean Curran, director of the   
   Secret Service.    
      
   "The U.S. Secret Services 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."   
      
   ======================================================================   
   Link to news story:   
   https://www.techradar.com/pro/security/us-secret-service-takes-down-massive-mi   
   llion-dollar-network-of-sim-cards-it-says-was-capable-of-taking-down-comms-acr   
   oss-new-york   
      
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