GSM Decryption Published 299
Hugh Pickens writes "The NY Times reports that German encryption expert Karsten Nohl says that he has deciphered and published the 21-year-old GSM algorithm, the secret code used to encrypt most of the world's digital mobile phone calls, in what he called an attempt to expose weaknesses in the security system used by about 3.5 billion of the 4.3 billion wireless connections across the globe. Others have cracked the A5/1 encryption technology used in GSM before, but their results have remained secret. 'This shows that existing GSM security is inadequate,' Nohl told about 600 people attending the Chaos Communication Congress. 'We are trying to push operators to adopt better security measures for mobile phone calls.' The GSM Association, the industry group based in London that devised the algorithm and represents wireless operators, called Mr. Nohl's efforts illegal and said they overstated the security threat to wireless calls. 'This is theoretically possible but practically unlikely,' says Claire Cranton, a GSM spokeswoman, noting that no one else had broken the code since its adoption. 'What he is doing would be illegal in Britain and the United States. To do this while supposedly being concerned about privacy is beyond me.' Simon Bransfield-Garth, the chief executive of Cellcrypt, says Nohl's efforts could put sophisticated mobile interception technology — limited to governments and intelligence agencies — within the reach of any reasonable well-funded criminal organization. 'This will reduce the time to break a GSM call from weeks to hours,' Bransfield-Garth says. 'We expect as this further develops it will be reduced to minutes.'"
Pna lbh urne zr abj? (Score:4, Funny)
Jul lrf, V pna!
- AFN
A Haiku (Score:3, Funny)
G S M secure
All your financial passwords
Are belong to us
People wo vote this troll just don't understand (Score:4, Funny)
Ubj vf guvf n gebyy cbfgvat? ;-C
Fubhyq unir orra "-1 snvyrq gb or vagrerfgvat"
Re:GSM Talk Video (Score:2, Funny)
The NY Times article is missing quite a lot detail. ...
Big surprise there.
Re:Ha Ha (Score:3, Funny)
A politician's conversations, when they are being done in his role as a representative of the public, should be a matter of public record anyway, surely?
Don't panic. Copyright to the rescue! (Score:5, Funny)
From TFA:
"The group said that hackers intent on illegal eavesdropping would need a radio receiver system and signal processing software to process raw radio data, much of which is copyrighted."
I feel much easier knowing that the G.S.M. Association will be wielding its copyright to ensure my security. Who needs security when we have copyright?! Security via copyright assertion has worked so well for the film and music industries. Hasn't it?
Re:Who cares anyway? (Score:3, Funny)
If you ever left your basement, you'd already know that most people do shout in public while using their mobile phones.
*crosses fingers and hopes that mods get the humor*
Re:Irony (Score:1, Funny)
You mean there's a difference between the three?
Re:Pna lbh urne zr abj? (Score:5, Funny)
Is this encryption only secure until I tell people that this is ROT-13?
Yes, but what you are doing is illegal in Britain and in the United States.
Re:Ha Ha (Score:3, Funny)
A politician's conversations, when they are being done in his role as a representative of the public, should be a matter of public record anyway, surely?
This would be an excellent idea.Politicians' phones would be set to broadcast, for all to receive. And at certain hours of the day, their mobile phones will limit themselves and use a private channel for communications. We could dub these hours Warranted Hours Of Risk-free Egress, W.H.O.R.E. for short.
Typo in the brief (Score:3, Funny)
Nohl's efforts could put sophisticated mobile interception technology -- limited to governments and intelligence agencies -- within the reach of any OTHER reasonable well-funded criminal organization.
Fixed