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The U.S. Secret Service announced the seizure of a sophisticated telecommunications network capable of disabling cell phone towers across New York City. The network, reportedly discovered in August, included more than 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards distributed across multiple sites. Officials said the infrastructure could be used to conduct denial-of-service attacks, facilitate encrypted communications, and potentially send up to 30 million anonymous text messages per minute.
Special Agent Matt McCool described the network as capable of shutting down the cellular network in New York City. Early analysis indicates that communications involved at least one foreign country and individuals known to federal law enforcement, including members of organized crime groups.
“This network had the potential to disable cell phone towers and essentially shut down the cellular network in New York City,” McCool said in a public statement. Due to the investigation’s complexity and sensitivity, he declined to provide further details on the participants or the intended targets.
Photos released by the Secret Service show racks filled with SIM servers and antennas, highlighting the scale of the operation. Cybersecurity researchers have noted the rarity of such a network. James A. Lewis told The New York Times that only a handful of countries, including Russia, China, and Israel, possess the technical capabilities to deploy similar operations at this scale. Anthony J. Ferrante, a security expert at FTI, suggested that the network could also have been used for covert surveillance or eavesdropping.
The confiscated devices were concentrated within a 35-mile radius of the United Nations headquarters ahead of the UN General Assembly, where world leaders are gathering this week. Secret Service officials emphasized that there is no current evidence that the network posed a direct threat to the conference. The agency is responsible for security at the assembly and is continuing its investigation.
“This is an open and active investigation, and we have no arrests to announce today,” McCool said. “The Secret Service will continue to run down all leads until we fully understand the intent of the operation and identify those responsible.”