Cellphone Surveillance Explained - Stingray/IMSI Catchers

Summary

This video script by a security researcher delves into the world of cell phone tower simulators, also known as 'Stingrays', exploring their capabilities, how they operate, and their potential misuse. The script educates viewers on how these devices can intercept and manipulate data, posing privacy risks. It also discusses the legal and ethical implications, and offers practical advice on how individuals can protect themselves using signal isolation and alternative communication methods, emphasizing the importance of understanding and navigating the complexities of modern technology.

Takeaways

• 📡 Stingrays, or cell phone tower simulators, are devices that mimic legitimate cell phone towers to intercept communications.
• 🛡️ These devices can be as small as a handheld device or as large as equipment installed in a vehicle, airplane, or building, requiring only power and a data connection.
• 🔎 They function by performing a man-in-the-middle attack, tricking phones into connecting with them and capturing data transmitted by the device.
• 📱 All smartphones, regardless of their security features, are susceptible to attacks by cell phone tower simulators.
• 🚨 The technology can be deployed without legal authorization, potentially bypassing traditional legal limitations and oversight.
• 💡 Backdoors in technology can be exploited by anyone aware of their existence, not just authorized entities.
• 🔍 Users can determine if a simulator is operating in their area by noticing unusual phone behavior, such as warmth, rapid battery drain, or degraded service.
• 🛡️ Signal isolation is a method to protect against these attacks, which involves encapsulating the phone to prevent signal transmission and reception.
• 📵 Commercial signal-blocking hard cases have been lab-tested and verified for effectiveness, unlike many DIY or soft cases which may not provide reliable protection.
• 📟 Maintaining connectivity while protecting privacy can be achieved by using a one-way alphanumeric pager for non-encrypted messages and notifications.
• 🔑 The script emphasizes the importance of understanding technology to make informed decisions and highlights the need for vigilance against privacy threats.

Q & A

What is the main topic of the video?

The main topic of the video is about cell phone tower simulators, also known as stingrays, discussing what they are, how they function, who uses them, and how one can protect themselves from them.

What is the purpose of using the term 'cell phone tower simulator' instead of 'stingray'?

The term 'cell phone tower simulator' is used as a safer term for the speaker, possibly to avoid any legal or ethical issues associated with the term 'stingray'.

What are the different forms that cell phone tower simulators can take?

Cell phone tower simulators can be installed in vehicles like surveillance vans or SUVs, airplanes, drones, or fixed positions like a building with an antenna nearby. They can also be small enough to fit in a backpack or be handheld.

What are the basic requirements for a cell phone tower simulator to function?

The basic requirements for a cell phone tower simulator to function include access to power, access to some sort of data connection, and a terminal like a laptop computer with associated software to translate the data.

How does a cell phone tower simulator trick a phone into connecting to it?

A cell phone tower simulator tricks a phone by sending commands to the phone, making it believe that the simulator is the strongest cell phone tower in the area, and potentially shutting off or downgrading session encryption to make it easier to intercept communications.

What is a man-in-the-middle attack as mentioned in the script?

A man-in-the-middle attack, as mentioned in the script, refers to the situation where an attacker intercepts communication between a device and a network node, in this case, a cell phone tower, to eavesdrop or relay the data being sent.

What information can be captured by a cell phone tower simulator in passive mode?

In passive mode, a cell phone tower simulator can capture live calls, text messages, emails, and any data traffic transmitted to or from the phone, even if it's encrypted, as the data can be recorded and decrypted later.

What are some of the potential privacy risks when a cell phone tower simulator operates in active mode?

In active mode, a cell phone tower simulator can interact directly with the phone, potentially accessing the microphone, camera, GPS, and other stored information like banking history, passwords, call logs, and phone book, which can be used for surveillance and tracking.

What are some symptoms that might indicate your phone is connected to a cell phone tower simulator?

Symptoms may include the phone getting warm without use, quicker battery drain, degraded data and voice service, and receiving text messages that display an odd number sequence instead of the sender's phone number.

What solutions does the speaker suggest to protect against cell phone tower simulators?

The speaker suggests using signal isolation methods, such as signal blocking hard cases with laboratory verification of effectiveness, and maintaining connectivity through one-way alphanumeric pagers.

Why does the speaker recommend avoiding DIY solutions and soft cases for signal isolation?

The speaker recommends avoiding DIY solutions and soft cases because they may not be reliable or thoroughly tested, with soft cases having an overall failure rate of about 53% according to Purdue University's cyber forensics lab.

How can one maintain connectivity while using a signal blocking product?

One can maintain connectivity by using a one-way alphanumeric pager to receive numeric messages, text messages, and emails, which provides a basic level of communication without the risks associated with a fully connected smartphone.

Outlines

00:00

📡 Introduction to Cell Phone Tower Simulators

The video script introduces the topic of cell phone tower simulators, also known as stingrays, and sets the stage for a comprehensive discussion on these devices. The speaker, a security researcher, outlines the agenda for the video, which includes explaining what these simulators are, who uses them, their functionality, deployment methods, and their capabilities. The video aims to educate viewers on how to detect if a simulator is operating in their area and how to protect themselves from potential surveillance. The speaker emphasizes the importance of understanding technology to make informed decisions and pledges to provide a basic understanding of cell phone tower simulators in plain English.

05:00

🔍 Understanding Cell Phone Tower Simulators and Their Functions

This paragraph delves into the specifics of cell phone tower simulators, discussing their appearance, the necessity of power and data connections for their operation, and the variety of forms they can take, from vehicle-installed equipment to handheld devices capable of affecting thousands of phones simultaneously. The script clarifies that these simulators function like legitimate cell towers, tricking devices into connecting with them and potentially intercepting communications. The speaker also touches on the legal aspects of these devices, noting that they are designed to operate without legal authorization, leaving no trace of their deployment.

10:01

🕵️‍♂️ The Man-in-the-Middle Attack and Data Capture

The script explains the concept of a man-in-the-middle attack, which cell phone tower simulators exploit to intercept data between a device and the network. It details how these devices can capture various types of information, such as live calls, text messages, emails, and data traffic, even if encrypted, due to their ability to dictate the communication session, including disabling encryption. The paragraph also discusses the deployment process of these simulators, how they trick phones into connecting to them by mimicking legitimate cell towers, and the potential for widespread surveillance when multiple simulators are used in a community.

15:01

📱 Active and Passive Modes of Simulators and Their Implications

This section differentiates between the active and passive modes of operation for cell phone tower simulators. In passive mode, the device listens and records information without interacting, similar to a car radio. In contrast, active mode allows the simulator to act as a relay, receiving all information directly from the phone and passing it on to another network. The script highlights the types of information that can be captured, such as IMEI and IMSI numbers, which can reveal the device's identity and the subscriber's information, potentially leading to privacy breaches and targeted surveillance.

20:03

🔑 Privacy Risks and Symptoms of Simulator Activity

The paragraph discusses the privacy risks associated with cell phone tower simulators, especially when operating in active mode, which can lead to unauthorized access to the phone's microphone, camera, GPS, and stored data. It outlines potential symptoms of simulator activity, such as unusual warmth or rapid battery drain, degraded voice or data service, and anomalies in text message delivery. The speaker also emphasizes the broader implications for all wireless devices, not just cell phones, and the need for a shift away from a flawed trust model in technology.

25:04

🛡️ Solutions for Protecting Against Simulators: Signal Isolation and Alternative Connectivity

The final paragraph focuses on potential solutions to protect against cell phone tower simulators. It suggests signal isolation as a method to prevent signal transmission and reception by the phone, highlighting the need for lab testing to ensure the effectiveness of such solutions. The script also addresses the issue of maintaining connectivity without compromising privacy, proposing the use of one-way alphanumeric pagers as an alternative means of communication. The speaker advises viewers to seek out signal-blocking products with laboratory verification and high decibel ratings for signal attenuation.

📢 Conclusion and Call to Action

In the concluding paragraph, the security researcher summarizes the video's content and emphasizes the importance of understanding and addressing the privacy risks posed by cell phone tower simulators. They encourage viewers to subscribe and share the video to raise awareness and continue the conversation on this critical issue. The speaker expresses gratitude for the viewers' time and reiterates their commitment to providing valuable information on navigating the complexities of modern technology and surveillance.

Keywords

💡Stingrays

Stingrays, also known as cell phone tower simulators, are devices that mimic cell phone towers to intercept data and communications from mobile devices. They are central to the video's theme, illustrating the potential for privacy intrusion and surveillance. The script discusses various aspects of stingrays, including their function, deployment, and the risks they pose to individuals' privacy.

💡Man-in-the-Middle Attack

A man-in-the-middle attack is a type of cyber attack where the attacker secretly relays and possibly alters communication between two parties, which can intercept sensitive information. In the context of the video, this term is used to describe how cell phone tower simulators can intercept data between a mobile device and a legitimate cell tower, compromising the security and privacy of the communication.

💡IMEI

IMEI stands for International Mobile Equipment Identity, a unique serial number for identifying mobile devices. The script explains that attackers can use the IMEI to determine the make, model, and product variant of a phone, which relates to the theme of the video by showing how much personal information can be gleaned from a single piece of data.

💡IMSI

IMSI, or International Mobile Subscriber Identity, is a unique identifier associated with a SIM card or mobile device. The video script mentions that IMSI can be used to track back to the person paying for the service or associate with the person using the SIM card, emphasizing the vulnerability of personal data to surveillance.

💡Signal Isolation

Signal isolation is the process of encapsulating a device to prevent it from sending or receiving signals, thereby protecting it from unauthorized access or surveillance. The video discusses signal isolation as a method to protect against cell phone tower simulators, highlighting the importance of this concept in maintaining privacy.

💡Active Mode

In the context of cell phone tower simulators, active mode refers to the state where the device is not only intercepting but also interacting with the mobile device, potentially allowing the attacker to access phone functions like the microphone, camera, or GPS. The video script uses this term to illustrate the invasive capabilities of these devices.

💡Passive Mode

Passive mode, as explained in the video, is a state where the cell phone tower simulator is only listening to and recording data transmitted by the mobile device without interacting with it. This mode is likened to a car radio, where one can tune in and listen but not transmit, showing the video's focus on the different levels of surveillance capabilities.

💡Signal Blocking Hard Cases

Signal blocking hard cases are commercial products designed to physically isolate a mobile device from all incoming and outgoing signals, effectively preventing surveillance. The script discusses these cases as a solution to protect against cell phone tower simulators, emphasizing the need for lab-verified effectiveness.

💡One-Way Alphanumeric Pager

A one-way alphanumeric pager is a device that can receive numeric and text messages but does not have the capability to send them. The video suggests using such a pager to maintain basic connectivity without the risks associated with mobile phones, illustrating an alternative method for communication that avoids the vulnerabilities of cell phones.

💡Trust Model

The trust model in the context of the video refers to the reliance on technology and corporations to protect privacy and security. The script criticizes this model as flawed, given the potential for surveillance and data interception by devices like cell phone tower simulators, highlighting the need for individuals to be aware and take protective measures.

💡Legal Restrictions

Legal restrictions mentioned in the video script refer to the laws, warrants, and court orders that are theoretically required for the use of surveillance technologies like cell phone tower simulators. The video discusses how these devices can bypass such restrictions, emphasizing the potential for misuse and the importance of public awareness.

Highlights

The video discusses cell phone tower simulators, also known as Stingrays, and their capabilities.

The presenter emphasizes the importance of understanding technology to make informed decisions.

Different forms of cell phone tower simulators are described, including those that can fit in a backpack or handheld devices.

The video explains that these devices can function without legal authorization, leaving no paper trail.

It is revealed that anyone can potentially build a cell phone tower simulator for as little as twelve hundred dollars.

The technology operates on a man-in-the-middle attack, intercepting data between the device and the network.

Phones are described as 'slaves to the tower', being susceptible to commands from simulated towers.

The video outlines how attackers can configure a cell phone tower simulator to trick phones into connecting.

Two modes of operation are explained: passive (listening) and active (interacting directly with the phone).

Information such as IMEI numbers and IMSI can be captured, revealing the unique identity of a phone and its user.

Active mode capabilities allow for eavesdropping on phone calls, text messages, and even activating the phone's camera.

The video warns of the potential for these devices to be used for mass surveillance in a community.

Symptoms of a cell phone being under attack by a simulator, such as unusual warmth or rapid battery drain, are listed.

The presenter suggests that the technology is evolving, making it difficult to pin down specific symptoms.

Signal isolation is proposed as a method of protection against cell phone tower simulators.

Commercial signal blocking hard cases are recommended over DIY solutions and soft cases for reliability.

The use of one-way alphanumeric pagers is suggested to maintain connectivity without compromising privacy.

The video concludes by emphasizing the importance of education and taking action against privacy threats.

Transcripts

hey security researcher here once again

thanks for checking out my video today

we're going to talk about stingrays I'm

actually going to use the term cell

phone tower simulator it's a much safer

term for me to use we're going to

discuss what these devices are who uses

them how they function how they're

deployed what they can do once they are

deployed how you yourself can determine

if one is operating in your area as well

as what you can do to protect yourself

from them now

this is going to be a long video I'm

recording the audio here for god knows

how many times I'm going to try to

include as much information as I can

here I ask that you be patient and watch

this thing all the way through by the

time you're done hopefully not only do

you know more about this stuff than just

about anybody you know but you're pissed

and you're willing to start to talk to

others about this because this is a

problem that all being said the

information that I provide in these

videos is not intended for the

criminally minded this really truly is

about education you cannot make informed

decisions about things as complicated as

technology if you don't have even the

most basic understanding of what it is

that you're talking about so let me take

twenty years of research experience boil

it down into plain English so that we

can all better understand the risks that

we face on a daily basis now let's get

into this topic again cell phone tower

simulators and the first point is what

they are now I suppose the first thing

that we need to do here is give you a

visual reference of what it is that

we're talking about some of this

equipment is designed to be installed in

a vehicle like a surveillance van or an

SUV of some type maybe it's an airplane

or a drone a lot of the stuff can be

located in fixed positions so a building

with an antenna nearby basically what

the equipment needs is access to power

access to some sort of data whether it's

a high-speed data connection like the

one that you have coming into your house

or the ability to communicate wirelessly

with some sort of a data connection but

those things are required for it to

function depending on how its operating

it also needs some sort of a terminal

like a laptop computer and whatever

associated software to translate the

data that the equipment is bringing in

that said there's also smaller devices

so when the media refers to it as one

specific device that's big and bulky

what they're concealing through

obfuscation is things like this device

that fits in a backpack or this device

that's handheld so you could walk into

maybe a tea party gathering or some sort

of a labor protest or whatever and you

know gather information about the

devices that are present or this device

right here that allows the attacker to

attack up to sixty thousand phones at

one time

not exactly targeted surveillance in my

mind and when you keep in mind the fact

that these can be located in fixed

positions you could sprinkle these

around a community and monitor every

single phone in town we'll cover all of

this things that are at least publicly

known about this technology because I'm

really not interested in spending a lot

of time here or meeting people like

these guys so I'm going to try to only

discuss what is publicly known and put

it into context so that we can all

understand the threat so now that you

know what the things look like let's

talk about what they actually are and

how they function so what is a cell

phone tower simulator just as the name

implies it functions like a legitimate

cell phone tower it communicates back

and forth with your device on its normal

communication channels so as far as your

device is concerned it's on a legit cell

phone tower it works on all of these

smart and dumb phones that are out the

market today and no I don't care how

super cool or secure you think your

phone is it is susceptible to attack by

these types of devices I know that

everyone likes to talk about the legal

restrictions of the use of cell phone

tower simulators warrants writs court

orders trap-and-trace pen registers etc

but this technology is designed to work

without having to attain legal

authorization it can be deployed without

anyone knowing that it's being used

there's no paper trail that the system

is being deployed so there's no audit

that can occur to find out whether it

was used you have to realize that before

they used to have to go through the

cellular service providers to gather

information but it was really messy and

it left paper trails everywhere with the

release of this technology all the way

down to your local community now they

don't have to worry about that now this

would be a concern to you and I if we

had a system that was displaying a

disdain for traditional legal

limitations on power and authority if we

had organizations and agencies and

individuals operating and secret hiding

behind non-disclosure agreements lying

to Congress or just general corruption

running rampant throughout the system

but since we know we don't have that

happening here in the United States we

know that we don't have anything to

worry about right that is until you

realize that it's already been proven

that for as little as twelve hundred

dollars or less just about anybody can

build a device that has similar

capabilities to this technology the fact

that backdoors exist in any of our

technology means that not only can the

quote unquote good guys use it but

anybody who's aware that those backdoors

exist can also use them we are all

operating under a very flawed trust

model when it comes to technology we are

putting our faith and trust in

corporations and technology where it

should never have been placed to begin

with and it's been going on for so long

that we become apathetic to the risks

and it's really time to stop that so

let's go on and talk more about this

technology and I'll get off my soapbox

so let's talk about how these devices

function what's happening here is what

the InfoSec community calls a

man-in-the-middle attack just as the

name implies the attacker slips within

range of your device and the network

node that it's try

to communicate with in this case a

cellphone tower and depending on its

mode of operation can interact with the

data that's being sent to and from your

device it could be listening

it could be acting as a relay and

capturing all the information that's

supposedly being sent directly to the

cellular network you have to keep in

mind that your phones are slaves to the

tower so anytime your device is

connected to any cell phone tower

whether it's legitimate or simulated the

tower dictates to the phone what's going

to happen during that communication

session including shutting off session

encryption so now how are these devices

deployed so if you have an attacker that

has a cell phone tower simulator how is

it that they can set this thing up so

that your device will connect to it well

as we covered in cell phone tracking

explain in plain English part one your

phone checks in with the cell phone

network towers on a regular basis this

is somewhere around every three to seven

seconds your phone is always trying to

connect to numerous towers at the same

time to ensure you quality of service

when a phone initially connects to a

tower for the first time it gathers

information about the surrounding

network things like what carriers are

operating towers in the network what

channel's your phone can use to

communicate with the antennas on those

towers this information is temporarily

stored on your phone so if your device

moves loses signal etc it can quickly

switch channels in order to maintain

connectivity it's also why when you

travel your phone may tell you that

instead of using say AT&T your phone is

connected to metro pcs it all goes back

to billing for roaming and things like

that so while this information has its

legitimate uses this information is also

useful to an attacker who comes into an

area and wants to configure their cell

phone tower simulator to work more

efficiently they can query the towers

themselves and get information about

what cell phone towers are in the area

what frequencies or channels the

antennas on those towers are operating

on what carriers your phone might be

expecting to see in the area

and then using that information they can

configure their simulated cell phone

tower now since the phones are really

slave to the tower the towers send the

phones all the commands is related to

their operations so if you were running

a simulated cell phone tower you could

tell the phone that you're the strongest

cell phone tower in the area in order to

trick it to get it to attempt to connect

to your device you can also shut off

session encryptions so that what would

normally be protecting either shut it

off or downgrade it to make it easier to

crack so what would normally protect the

confidentiality of your communications

is basically negated so first we need to

understand that these devices operate in

one of two modes one is a passive mode

and the best way I can describe passive

to you is it's like the radio in your

car you can tune in to different

frequencies or channels and you can hear

information but you can't interact with

that information all you can do is

listen to it when it comes to cellular

technology or maybe encrypted

information you can listen to it record

it and then D encrypt it but you're

never really transmitting so you're not

giving away the fact that you're there

the other mode that these things operate

in is it is an active mode and an active

mode is where the device is now acting

as a relay so instead of your traffic

going directly to the cellular tower or

being broadcast to the cellular tower

where they could listen they've now

tricked your phone to directly

connecting to them and they're receiving

all the information coming directly from

your phone and then passing it on to

either a wireless network or a directly

connected high-speed Internet network so

that everything that's coming off of

your phone passes through their device

and they can capture and filter all of

the information that's coming off of it

now what is that information and what

are the commands that they can send back

to your phone when they're in active

mode what does that allow them to do

okay well without putting these in any

specific order some of the information

that can be captured on your device is

something called an IMEI number IMEI

stands for international mobile station

Equipment Identity it's also known as

the meid or mobile equipment identifier

now this is the unique serial number of

your specific phone and using it the

person that's doing the attack can

determine the make model and product

variant so maybe it's a samsung galaxy

s6 or an iphone 6 or an HTC One m9

whatever but you can also determine the

product variant which tells them things

like the device firmware that may be

operating because of the chips that are

installed on that specific phone it's

very specific down to your exact device

that's your phone's unique identifier on

the network you yourself can find this

number it's either going to be on a

white sticker under the battery or you

can find it by bringing up your phone's

keypad and hitting star pound zero six

pound or in modern vernacular star

hashtag zero six hash tag but yeah star

pound zero six pound will bring up your

phone's unique serial number now

something to keep in mind here is if

you're a special person maybe you work

for an agency or a department and you

have a special phone that you think is

secure if it has a unique IMEI number

that identifies it as a unique piece of

hardware that can actually help an

attacker determine whether or not your

device is worth looking at so some of

the same techniques and tools that you

use to determine whether certain people

are worth looking at can also be turned

around and used on you this technology

is a dual edged sword so you need to

keep that in mind so another piece of

information that can be gathered is

something called an IM SI or MC it's

where the term MC catcher comes from

IMSI is international mobile subscriber

identity this number is encoded on your

cell phone SIM card or on the phone

itself if it doesn't have a SIM card the

number is directly associated with the

person who's paying for the service so

not only can it be used to track it back

to whoever's paying the bill it can also

be you

used to associate to the person who uses

that SIM card for making phone calls so

even if you're switching phones on a

regular basis maybe you think you're

James Bond and that's going to like

somehow protect you that SIM card has a

unique identifier that's associated with

whoever's paying the bill and if

somebody is monitoring that SIM card

that MC number they can associate your

voice with that MC and then it doesn't

matter who's paying the bill as far as

they're concerned that MC is you when

one of these cell phone tower simulators

is in passive mode again listening like

your car radio any information that's

transmitted to or from your phone can be

captured and monitored that includes

live calls that includes text messages

as you send them that includes emails

any data traffic anything that you're

doing even if you're using one of these

applications that's super cool and it

encrypts my voice traffic and sends it

over the wireless and blah blah blah

you're still transmitting it and anybody

that can tune in to pick up that

transmission can capture that

transmission and even if it is encrypted

they now have the data and can D encrypt

it themselves so again we're operating

under a terribly flawed trust model when

it comes to technology and I really

don't care how smart you think you are

you're operating under a flawed trust

model believe me so that's just it in a

passive mode it really gets interesting

when these devices operate in an active

mode because now they can interact

directly with your phone they can mess

with power management so you may think

your phone shuts off the screen does

what it normally does and it makes the

noises that it normally does when it

shuts off but the phone isn't really off

so the microphone can still be used to

eavesdrop on what's going on in the room

the camera can still be activated the

GPS can still be tracked you have to

realize that you know anything that's

stored on the device at this point

because this device has connected on to

your phone so your banking history your

passwords your call logs your phone book

all of which can be used to create

additional target lists all of this

stuff is available whenever one of the

these devices in an active mode connects

up to your cell phone something else

that's important to pay attention to is

you know I'd mentioned that your camera

can be activated and a lot of people

will automatically think well whatever

my phone's in my pocket

well where's your phone when you're

reading in text and where is the camera

when you're looking at the screen on

your phone you've got a camera that's

pointed at you so I can identify that

you're reading that text but where's the

camera on the back of your phone pointed

you know these things can be used for

video surveillance they can be used for

audio surveillance even in your own home

even in your business now even if your

colleagues your friends and your family

members don't take this stuff seriously

it's up to you to do it you have to

educate them and they need to understand

it you're going to get a lot of flack

you're going to be told you're crazy and

you're paranoid but the fact of the

matter is is this stuff is happening I

just want to take a second to point out

something here we're only talking about

cell phones in this video but you need

to think about all the other devices

that you own that operate wirelessly if

they transmit and receive information

there can be subject to a

man-in-the-middle attack so we're not

just talking about your cell phone your

tablet your laptop maybe your PC if

you've connected it wirelessly but also

the wireless router itself all of these

devices can be attacked remotely through

a man-in-the-middle attack so it's

important that you realize we are

operating under a terribly flawed trust

model when it comes to technology now

let's get back on topic and talk about

man-in-the-middle attacks using cell

phone tower simulators against your cell

phone what are some of the symptoms that

this could be occurring against your

device so when it comes to symptoms it's

important that a state here that this

technology is always evolving so some of

the symptoms that I'm going to say now

might not be symptoms next week when the

new version comes out these are just

some of the things that I know of I'm

probably going to miss a few of them but

here's a list anyway your phone gets

warm you're not even on it and you pick

it up and it's warm which means it's

been transmitting and receiving the

battery drains quicker than usual

well you have no or seriously degraded

data service when there should be decent

data service you have no or seriously

degraded voice service maybe there's a

lot of people around and they're routing

all of the traffic through one of these

cell phone tower simulators so there

isn't as much bandwidth to go around and

the voice service now sucks this one is

usually a dead giveaway but I absolutely

do not recommend that you try it it is

illegal don't do this unless of course

it's a genuine emergency but if you try

to dial nine-one-one and you do not have

911 again don't do this but that's a

dead giveaway that your device is

connected to a cell phone tower

simulator um your friends might get a

text message from you but when that text

message comes up on their phone it

doesn't come up with your phone number

it comes up with something odd like some

sort of a four-digit combination of

numbers but not your actual phone number

okay so you've made it this far and

you're interested in figuring out what

the solution to all of this is if you

cheated and fast forward and got here

shame on you go back and listen to the

whole thing you're not as smart as you

think you are and there's stuff that you

need to know so if you got here

organically thank you for listening to

the whole thing and let's talk about

solutions the technology is constantly

evolving it's kind of like the weapons

and armor thing that is the weapons

improve the armor improves and as the

armor improves the weapons improve it's

just that we're talking about cyber

weapons

so what is the armor that we can use

against these cyber weapons how can we

protect ourselves and the solution at

least as I see it is really twofold one

is signal isolation which means

encapsulating your phone in a way that

you can prevent all the signals that

your phone can interact with from

getting tore from your phone if your

phone can receive any signals whatsoever

it can be used to compromise the

integrity of the device the microphone

all the things that we've discussed can

all be accessed if your phone can send

and receive signals so you have to find

a way to isolate it so that it can't

send and receive signals but that causes

a problem in your connectivity because

now since the phone can't send and

receive signals you're essentially

isolated I have a solution for that as

well so let's take this in two parts

let's talk about the isolation options

that are out in the market and let's

talk about the connectivity option so

let's start with the do-it-yourself

solutions and the do-it-yourself crowd

is really adamant that they have the

solution I have a question for you if

you believe that you have the solution

have you paid to have a lab test your

solution and keep in mind that the

solution that you send to the lab is

going to be different than the next one

you make because you're just slapping

these things together so the reason that

I say have you had it tested is you know

we're all familiar with you know gasses

air and a car tire liquids water in a

bucket I can hear the air leaking out of

my car tire I know that it's leaking

I can see moisture on the outside of my

bucket and wipe it off and it comes back

so I know that my buckets leaking I

can't hear the RF leaking out of my

enclosure

I can't wipe it off and see it reappear

again on the outside of my

do-it-yourself enclosure I have no idea

what frequencies are penetrating my

enclosure I have no idea

I don't know how effective it is until I

have it tested because nobody unless you

have about a hundred and fifty grand

worth of equipment can tell you what

frequencies are leaking out of your Do

It Yourself enclosure and the enclosure

that you make is going to be different

than the enclosure that the next guy

makes even if they're using the same

overall premise so there's just too many

variables in the do-it-yourself

community for me to endorse any

do-it-yourself solution that brings us

to the commercial products that are out

in the market and there's really two

families of products soft cases and hard

cases these soft cases that are out on

the market were analyzed by Purdue

University cyber forensics lab and they

found that of the ones that they tested

they had an overall failure rate of

about 53 percent

so more than half the time in a normal

network operating environment they

failed when you bring a cell tower

simulator in and you get the antenna

even closer and you up the power output

they're going to fail even more

frequently than fifty three percent soft

cases are not reliable products I

another thing to note about soft cases

is I don't know of any of the soft cases

that are out on the market that have

paid to have an independent nationally

recognized lab certify that their

product works what I typically see is

shielding effectiveness based on the

materials that they're then sewing

together to make their product the

shielding effectiveness of a material is

totally different than the shielding

effectiveness of the product that you

then make out of that material so

there's that - now that leaves you with

signal blocking hard cases that are

rigid in construction so I only know of

one out there that's manufacturing a

hard case that actually works and they

do have independent lab verification of

the effectiveness of their product I'm

not going to endorse anybody's products

today that's not what I'm here for this

is about information but if you're

looking for a signal blocking product

you're ultimately looking for something

with laboratory verification that proves

the highest level of signal attenuation

possible this is measured in something

called dB

or decibels of signal attenuation and

you want that number as high as possible

no matter what solution you're looking

for I would look at the signal blocking

hardcase that's out on the market and I

would stay away from the fabric now

you've blocked signals so you can't

receive phone calls and text messages on

your phone now what do you do to

maintain connectivity well this is going

to sound a little odd because it's a

little retro but if you get yourself a

one-way alphanumeric pager you can not

only receive numeric messages but you

can also get text messages and emails it

is an unencrypted connection but most of

the messages that you're going to get

honey pick up a gallon of milk on your

way home mr. Smith your paperwork's

ready swing by my office to pick it up

those messages don't need to be

encrypted so you don't really have to

worry about that aspect of it the big

benefit that you get is you get

connectivity without all the strings

attached you don't have a microphone

that can eavesdrop on your conversations

you don't have cameras that can see what

you're doing you don't have GPS tracking

the devices only listen they don't

broadcast so you can't be location

tracked you can regain some of your

privacy while still maintaining

connectivity and that's really what it's

all about I didn't create this problem

I'm just trying to provide you with a

navigation around it so get yourself a

signal blocking product that works and

get yourself a one-way alphanumeric

pager modify the outgoing message on

your voicemail so at the end of it you

say if this matter is really urgent

please send me a page or a text or

whatever at this you know insert number

here and there you go you've blocked

third party intrusion into your cell

phone you've maintained connectivity

with the outside world and is it perfect

no but again I didn't create the problem

I'm just trying to give you one path

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last 26 minutes of your life I want you

to know that I really appreciate it

you