Locating Cell Phones Without Telco Cooperation? No Problem!
November 23, 2008
From Arstechnica: …documents obtained by civil liberties groups under a Freedom of Information Act request suggest that “triggerfish” technology can be used to pinpoint cell phones without involving cell phone providers at all.
Triggerfish, also known as cell-site simulators or digital analyzers, are nothing new: the technology was used in the 1990s to hunt down renowned hacker Kevin Mitnick. By posing as a cell tower, triggerfish trick nearby cell phones into transmitting their serial numbers, phone numbers, and other data to law enforcement.
It’s already been well documented that the microphone in cell phones can be used as remotely activated and controlled eavesdropping tool. It’s also been commented that tech-savvy businesses and governments regularly prohibit carrying cell phones into important meetings.
Now, with this news, the best advice for those who might wish to have truly private conversations is to turn off the phone and remove the battery well before arriving at the meeting’s location.
Of course, it would be wise to sweep the meeting place for the olde-fashioned bugs too, but that’s another posting for another day.
