Hisham Sarwar
It’s true that great advances have been brought by the technology but we are paying a cost of our privacy for it. It’s easy to fight for the freedom of speech if anyone wants to take it away from us but there is nothing anyone can do when governments threaten us to take away our online privacy. We just stand by and let our right of privacy taken.
Even if we have nothing to hide on the internet, there is still some sensitive information that many of us do not want to share. But there are organizations like the National Security Agency (NSA) that work to learn about us. This is the US intelligence agency that has been checking on the information sent by the mobile network operators. As part of their working, such agencies continue to spy various countries.
Recently it has been reported by WikiLeaks that this US Nation Security Agency has been spying on the cellular networks in Pakistan. This was revealed by a group of hackers that earlier released a data telling the Pakistani authorities that hundreds of IP addresses in the country are being monitored. Now it has released detailed information regarding the agency’s monitoring of private and public networks.
Hundreds of NSA cyber weapons variants publicly released including code showing hacking of Pakistan mobile system https://t.co/bL833ktQpm
— WikiLeaks (@wikileaks) April 8, 2017
The encrypted finds that have been revealed are now being decrypted by the security researchers around the world. Among them, a researcher who uses the twitter handle, ‘xorz’, uploaded files after decryption on GitHub.
EDITIONHAZE, LIQUIDSTEEL, SHAKENGIRAFFE, WHOLEBLUE are most likely GSM networks OPS codes (SICKLESTAR = Mobilink Pakistan) #EquationGroup pic.twitter.com/wahRMfZcJb
— x0rz (@x0rz) April 9, 2017
The researcher confirmed that the archives contain evidence of NSA operators’ access inside the GSM network, Mobilink. The group of hackers tried to auction the information in exchange for the crypto currency Bitcoin. Failed to attract suitable buyers, the group planned to release the information on the internet.
The Oracle-owned Unix-based operating system and the Equation Group’s ElectricSlide tool that mimics a fake Accept-Language are the other targets of this spying that have been indicated by the security analysts. The information revealed confirms that Pakistani mobile networks have been accessed by the US agencies and they are spying on it.
It’s easy to see why NSA is interested in monitoring the mobile networks, it’s because mobile networks are the major source that connects people around the world. Therefore, monitoring for NSA is really important to spy on people around the world as well as keep up with the latest developments in encryption.
Via: The Tribune Pakistan
