The U.S. Secret Service has announced the disruption of a network of devices allegedly used for carrying out assassination threats against U.S. officials and facilitating anonymous communications between individuals involved in these threats. This announcement coincides with the commencement of the United Nations General Assembly, during which the uncovered network was located within a 35-mile radius of the event.
According to the agency, the devices also posed a risk of disabling cellphone towers and emergency communications in New York City. The investigation began in the spring in response to multiple imminent threats aimed at senior U.S. government officials. Over its course, the Secret Service identified over 300 servers and approximately 100,000 SIM cards distributed across five locations in the New York area.
Matt McCool, head of the Secret Service New York Field Office, stated that the network could potentially have disrupted cellular communications in New York City. In addition to the threats against officials, cybersecurity expert Anthony Ferrante noted that the system might have had capabilities for eavesdropping as well.
Early findings suggest connections between foreign actors and individuals known to law enforcement. The Secret Service is actively investigating whether this network was intended to disrupt communications during the UN General Assembly. Reports indicate that the servers were capable of processing up to 30 million text messages per minute and were described as “well organized and well funded.”
McCool emphasized that the recovered devices no longer present a threat to the region and assured that the Secret Service would pursue all leads to fully understand the implications of the operation.
Source: https://www.theverge.com/news/783706/secret-service-telecommunications-threat-new-york