Karstel Nohl, an encryption expert, said at the Chaos Communication Conference of computer hackers that he had deciphered the secret code used to encrypt most mobile calls. He said he wanted to expose the holes in the security systems used by global wireless systems.

The German computer engineer with a doctorate in computer engineering said that the GSM code which has been in use since 1988 is not entirely secure. Earlier in August 2009, at a hackers’ forum, he had appealed to other computer hackers to help him generate the necessary volume of random combinations to crack the code.

Apparently this was successful and now the algorithm code book is available on the internet via services like BitTorrent. This binary code is supposed to keep mobile conversation private.

On its part the G.S.M. Association said that the codes are more complex and more difficult to crack. However, the fact is that all mobile operators have not upgraded their systems to put the newer codes in operation to ensure the security.

The association also pointed out that hackers who are intent on illegal eavesdropping would need a radio receiver system and signal processing software to process raw radio data, much of which is copyrighted.

Mr. Nohl, however, says that all these are easily available and anybody can use them with a little tweaking. Claire Cranton, an association spokeswoman said no one else had broken the code since its adoption. ‘What he is doing would be illegal in Britain and the United States. To do this while supposedly being concerned about privacy is beyond me.’

Fears of criminal organisations using this for their nefarious purposes have been raised and Mr. Nohl’s concerns need to be addressed if GSM phones are no longer secure.

Via: NYT

Related Posts:

• No Related Posts