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You would think that, but the whole an0m thing showed that it wasn't really the case.

by tokai 5y ago

chongli 5y ago
That’s one case. It doesn’t apply to all criminal organizations. The cartels in Mexico are sophisticated enough to build their own cell networks [1] to evade wiretapping. Why couldn’t they also recruit engineers to build their own crypto and secure protocols? [1] https://www.npr.org/2011/12/09/143442365/mexico-busts-drug-cartels-private-phone-networks https://www.npr.org/2011/12/09/143442365/mexico-busts-drug-c...
- earnesti 5y ago
  Also, there are lot of open source software in the space - no need to develop your own, just scan the code for backdoors.
  - deleted 5y ago
    [deleted]
- newsclues 5y ago
  In the 90s Colombian cartels were using mainframes.
- walrus01 5y ago
  that's not a cellphone network that's a VHF/UHF radio repeater network. basically same idea as ham radio hilltop repeater stuff in the US, but built for private purposes, and using COTS radios capable of basic encryption.
  - chongli 5y ago
    From the article: Soldiers seized 167 antennas, more than 150 repeaters and thousands of cellphones and radios that operated on the system. It sounds like it had both radio and cell bands if phones were able to use it.
    - CompuHacker 5y ago
      There exist very fancy radios that look somewhat like GSM-alike cell phones, if I'm not mistaken.
      - walrus01 5y ago
        there are also cheap vhf/uhf handheld radios from china which integrate a basic 2G GSM radio, SIM card slot, and can talk to common euro/asian 3GPP radio bands.
icu 5y ago
I mean wouldn't it be logical for the criminals to adapt? It's now public that: a) Crypto is secure, b) Infiltration is difficult, and c) You can't trust hardware and software vendors. From what I can tell the criminals need international communications to facilitate their operations. Ergo, my earlier speculation that the technologically savvy ones will adapt and develop their own proprietary software. Maybe the juice isn't worth the squeeze for criminals to learn software development, but I worry about criminals who do learn.

You would think that, but the whole an0m thing showed that it wasn't really the case.

by tokai 5y ago

You would think that, but the whole an0m thing showed that it wasn't really the case.

That’s one case. It doesn’t apply to all criminal organizations. The cartels in Mexico are sophisticated enough to build their own cell networks [1] to evade wiretapping. Why couldn’t they also recruit engineers to build their own crypto and secure protocols? [1] https://www.npr.org/2011/12/09/143442365/mexico-busts-drug-cartels-private-phone-networks https://www.npr.org/2011/12/09/143442365/mexico-busts-drug-c...

earnesti 5y ago
Also, there are lot of open source software in the space - no need to develop your own, just scan the code for backdoors.
- deleted 5y ago
  [deleted]
newsclues 5y ago
In the 90s Colombian cartels were using mainframes.
walrus01 5y ago
that's not a cellphone network that's a VHF/UHF radio repeater network. basically same idea as ham radio hilltop repeater stuff in the US, but built for private purposes, and using COTS radios capable of basic encryption.
- chongli 5y ago
  From the article: Soldiers seized 167 antennas, more than 150 repeaters and thousands of cellphones and radios that operated on the system. It sounds like it had both radio and cell bands if phones were able to use it.
  - CompuHacker 5y ago
    There exist very fancy radios that look somewhat like GSM-alike cell phones, if I'm not mistaken.
    - walrus01 5y ago
      there are also cheap vhf/uhf handheld radios from china which integrate a basic 2G GSM radio, SIM card slot, and can talk to common euro/asian 3GPP radio bands.

icu 5y ago

I mean wouldn't it be logical for the criminals to adapt? It's now public that: a) Crypto is secure, b) Infiltration is difficult, and c) You can't trust hardware and software vendors. From what I can tell the criminals need international communications to facilitate their operations. Ergo, my earlier speculation that the technologically savvy ones will adapt and develop their own proprietary software. Maybe the juice isn't worth the squeeze for criminals to learn software development, but I worry about criminals who do learn.