Yeah another typical use case for these things, but again not for DoS attacks as you want your spam to go through.
On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 8:42 AM Shane Ronan <[email protected]> wrote: > Actually in this case, it was being used to flood the carrier networks > with SPAM text messages. > > > > On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 11:39 AM Kurtis Heimerl via NANOG < > [email protected]> wrote: > >> Yes, you can't trust the current administration's announcements. These >> sorts of setups are not used for jamming or disrupting cell networks >> (you'd >> just use a jammer), instead they are used for tunneling international VoIP >> traffic onto national cellular lines, allowing for (admittedly illegal) >> cheaper calls. Or sometimes pokemon go account farming (though then you'd >> expect them to be mobile). >> >> On Wed, Sep 24, 2025 at 4:39 AM Mel Beckman via NANOG < >> [email protected]> >> wrote: >> >> > It's one thing if they discovered a criminal enterprise that was >> actually >> > using this equipment as their communications hub, >> > >> > But that’s precisely what the SS says: >> > “The U.S. Secret Service dismantled a network of electronic devices >> > located throughout the New York tristate area that were used to conduct >> > multiple telecommunications-related threats directed towards senior U.S. >> > government officials,…” >> > >> > and >> > >> > “….early analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state >> > threat actors and individuals that are known to federal law >> enforcement.” >> > >> > They dismantled a network that they found were actively prosecuting >> > threats. >> > >> > This wasn’t just some hacker’s randomly assembled kit of penetration >> > tools. This clearly cost a lot of money to set up and maintain. >> > >> > -mel >> > >> > On Sep 24, 2025, at 2:13 AM, nanog--- via NANOG <[email protected]> >> > wrote: >> > >> > Upon actually reading the article, this looks overblown, typical of the >> > current regime. >> > >> > Having a lot of SIM cards, a lot of phones, having phones in a >> rack-mount >> > form factor, and plugging SIM cards into things that are not phones are >> not >> > illegal. >> > >> > The fact that a cellphone network could be overloaded by a lot of phones >> > doesn't make it illegal to have a lot of phones. Even if it /does/ >> overload >> > the cellphone network, AFAIK it's still not illegal unless that was your >> > intention. >> > >> > >> > Their other justification is even worse: >> > >> > "These devices could be used for... facilitating anonymous, encrypted >> > communication between potential threat actors and criminal enterprises" >> - >> > MEGA YIKES. So they're outlawing encryption now? Anything that can send >> > communication can send encrypted communication. It's one thing if they >> > discovered a criminal enterprise that was actually using this equipment >> as >> > their communications hub, as I believe the law allows them to seize >> stuff >> > used for a crime regardless of its other uses. But only in America (and >> > Russia, Iran, North Korea) can they legally seize stuff just because it >> > /could hypothetically/ be used for a crime, and then not give it back. >> > >> > >> > >> > On 23/09/2025 18:46, Mel Beckman via NANOG wrote: >> > The U.S. Secret Service announced today that it dismantled a network of >> > electronic devices located throughout the New York tristate area that >> were >> > used to conduct multiple telecommunications-related threats directed >> > towards senior U.S. government officials, which represented an imminent >> > threat to the agency’s protective operations. >> > >> > >> > The SS say they discovered more than 300 co-located SIM servers and >> > 100,000 SIM cards across multiple sites, and while the photo they >> provide >> > shows gear set up in what looks like an apartment, it could be that >> > interlopers have infiltrated actual Internet colo facilities. >> > >> > >> > As a colo operator, I’ve turned away more than a few sketchy potential >> > customers due to their flakey stories requesting rooftop or window >> antenna >> > locations. Be on the lookout. >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-secret-service-dismantles-imminent-telecommunications-threat-new-york#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20–%20The%20U.S.%20Secret,SIM%20cards%20across%20multiple%20sites >> <https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-secret-service-dismantles-imminent-telecommunications-threat-new-york#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20%E2%80%93%20The%20U.S.%20Secret,SIM%20cards%20across%20multiple%20sites> >> > < >> https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-secret-service-dismantles-imminent-telecommunications-threat-new-york#:~:text=NEW%20YORK%20%E2%80%93%20The%20U.S.%20Secret,SIM%20cards%20across%20multiple%20sites >> > >> > .< >> > >> https://www.secretservice.gov/newsroom/releases/2025/09/us-secret-service-dismantles-imminent-telecommunications-threat-new-york#:~:text=NEW%2520YORK%2520%E2%80%93%2520The%2520U.S.%2520Secret,SIM%2520cards%2520across%2520multiple%2520sites >> > .> >> > >> > >> > >> > -mel beckman >> > _______________________________________________ >> > NANOG mailing list >> > >> > >> https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/DXT5MYKRC3UPR22Z4QZVWE7BCJFYR6LB/ >> > _______________________________________________ >> > NANOG mailing list >> > >> https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/5YDVUIHKINT37IYGHDIERE3ITNMW6B75/ >> > _______________________________________________ >> > NANOG mailing list >> > >> > >> https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/BBUFODT73EQB64GIG36URGGSLM77BHN3/ >> _______________________________________________ >> NANOG mailing list >> >> https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/3IXZWOESO3QW7BN6U3WUCNQYMPJHKPB5/ > > _______________________________________________ NANOG mailing list https://lists.nanog.org/archives/list/[email protected]/message/P2WQLQMP6ZN3XDFA3CZUZ2HOMCZZN3EV/
