"Crypto Phones" to Open Wires: Top Secret - How to make her ... - ABC Online

for the chancellor is: phone calls have now nothing more to do with confidential conversations – has become far too easy interception. Nevertheless, secret talks on the phone are still possible: through an encrypted connection

Since the introduction of digital mobile networks mobile phone calls can no longer easily with a simple radio scanner. be overheard. But the modern GSM networks are now seen as full of holes. So you can seduce mobile phones with so-called IMSI catchers to to register with manipulated radio cells, the then a telephone call can be intercepted.

Also have intelligence the ability to link data and even call content and SMS messages from the backbone networks of Telekom Provider fish out. Therefore, top managers try in business and political leaders to secure their mobile calls through encrypted connections.

The current generation of used for encrypted calls “crypto phones” so far as is safe. “I can not imagine that the encrypted conversations were intercepted me,” said an expert from the security industry. “This is almost impossible. I think more likely that unprotected phones were hacked. “

practice an” open line “

If government members and business leaders make calls to their mobile phones encryption with each other, a tap-proof tunnel is established. If you call a regular phone without encryption from the crypto phone, but the connection is uncertain. “These calls are virtually without encryption on the open wire instead,” says the expert. In conversations with senior politicians from other countries is often a complex re-encryption is necessary because different systems are used.

The technical details of the alleged espionage operation against the Chancellor are still unclear. Merkel has been using for quite some time now obsolete Nokia slider phone, probably the model “6210 Navigator”. The encryption on this device was used reportedly the same as in the digital police radio network (Tegra default).

New Smartphones for the federal government

The system was developed by the Deutsche Telekom subsidiary T-Systems. The responsibility for the overall solution carries the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). The Nokia mobile phone from Merkel was reportedly not connected to the Internet. Therefore, it should also not have been possible to install over the Internet Trojan software on the machine to listen to the Chancellor.

Last ordered the Federal Government, a new generation of security smartphones. There are two models: A Samsung device on which software runs by Deutsche Telekom and BlackBerry devices that were protected by the Düsseldorf security software company Secusmart. With the new equipment for the first time to a phone for calls and secure Internet use can be used. Until now, it had to rely on two different devices. The new smartphones will be delivered to the government for only a few weeks.