German Telekom wants to encrypt mobile better - Heise Newsticker

The German Telekom has announced equip all base stations for the GSM cellular network by the end of the encryption algorithm A5 / 3. This one could offer customers more protection against eavesdropping, in charge of data protection in the Bonn Group CEO Thomas Kremer assured the “Business Week”.

The Telekom comes with the step apparently also in the light of the NSA affair old demands of according to security experts. These were presented in late 2010, how to decrypt mobile calls in the GSM network using an upgraded low-cost mobile phones, a laptop and free software Osmocom given the previously documented weaknesses of A5/1-Kryptostandards used to date in near real time and leave record. Even more opportunities for abuse about on premium numbers demonstrated the researchers.

In the mobile network of Telekom delayed the introduction of new safety technology to the report by several months because of two types of mobile phones older type occurring disorders in interaction with A5 / 3. Only a special software had to be developed for the affected 50,000 customers. The practice tests required for that you have successfully completed in November.

According to industry experts, only relatively few phones were in the previous year in Western European countries spread that dominate the new encryption standard. In Germany at that time was from a rate of between 10 and 25 percent of the question. The project started in 2011 GSMMap tried to show by crowdsourcing the extent to which mobile operators have gaps in the GSM security already closed. German network operators are therefore currently many cases still in the “red zone”.

The telecom competitors Vodafone, E-Plus and O2 are A5 / 3 expected to introduce in the coming years in the area. Vodafone wanted here originally to take the lead and have implemented the algorithm already offered less attack surfaces to March. Due to technical problems the project but will now probably not implemented until 2015. So far, the provider has converted only one regarded as particularly sensitive radio station at the Reichstag and the Chancellery accordingly. ( Stefan Krempl ) / (ea)