Secret service dismantles 'telecom threat' in NYC

As 150 world leaders arrived in Manhattan for the U.N. General Assembly, the U.S. Secret Service dismantled a telecom network across New York. The system included over 300 SIM servers with more than 100,000 SIM cards, located within 35 miles of the United Nations.

This network operated as part of a Secret Service investigation into telecommunications threats against government officials. The servers simulated multiple cellphones to generate mass calls and texts that overload local networks and transmit encrypted messages for criminal use.

Matt McCool, special agent in charge of the Secret Service’s New York field office, stated: “It can’t be understated what this system is capable of doing.” He added: “It can take down cell towers, so then no longer can people communicate, right? .... You can’t text message, you can’t use your cell phone. And if you coupled that with some sort of other event associated with UNGA, you know, use your imagination there, it could be catastrophic to the city.”

Agents seized servers and SIM cards during raids, with the system able to send 30 million text messages per minute. McCool indicated nation-state actors from specific countries used the network to send encrypted messages to organized crime groups, cartels, and terrorist organizations.

Forensic analysis requires examining communications from 100,000 SIM cards to identify endpoints. Officials report no direct plot against the U.N. General Assembly or credible threats to New York City.

The operation involved millions in hardware and SIM cards, with additional cards ready for deployment to increase capacity by two to three times. McCool said: “Could there be others?” He added that similar networks exist in other U.S. cities.