NEW YORK – The U.S. Secret Service has dismantled a sophisticated network of electronic devices spread across the New York tri-state area that were used to make telecommunications-related threats against senior U.S. government officials and posed an imminent threat to the agency's protective operations.
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| Law enforcement officials uncovered over 300 SIM servers within the New York tri-state area. - US Secret Service |
The timing and location of the network, discovered just as world leaders gather for the United Nations General Assembly in New York City, prompted swift action from the agency to neutralize the threat.
A Sprawling Network of Illicit Technology
The protective intelligence investigation led to the discovery of more than 300 co-located SIM servers, which are devices capable of housing and operating thousands of SIM cards simultaneously.
This illicit infrastructure had a wide range of dangerous capabilities. In addition to making anonymous telephonic threats, the network could be used to conduct various forms of telecommunications attacks, including:
Disabling cell phone towers, potentially disrupting communications for the public and emergency responders.
Enabling denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, which could overwhelm and shut down targeted networks.
Facilitating anonymous, encrypted communications between potential threat actors, criminal enterprises, and even hostile nation-states.
The devices were found concentrated within a 35-mile (approx. 56 km) radius of the UN General Assembly meeting, a location teeming with high-level protectees.
Links to Nation-State Actors and Criminals
While a full forensic examination of the seized equipment is ongoing, the Secret Service stated that initial analysis indicates the presence of cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals known to federal law enforcement.
This discovery suggests a dangerous nexus between foreign adversaries and domestic criminal elements, leveraging sophisticated technology to operate in the shadows.
In a forceful statement, U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran highlighted the severity of the threat.
“The potential for disruption to our country's telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” said Director Curran. “The U.S. Secret Service's protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantle
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| Law enforcement officials discovered a server farm loaded with over 100,000 SIM cards, which they believe are being used by foreign governments and criminals in the US. - US Secret Service |
A New Unit and a Multi-Agency Effort
The investigation is being spearheaded by the U.S. Secret Service's Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit, a new division within the agency specifically dedicated to disrupting the most significant and imminent threats to its protectees.
The complex and ongoing investigation has been a multi-agency effort, with the Secret Service receiving valuable technical advice and support from:
The Department of Homeland Security's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI)
The Department of Justice (DOJ)
The Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI)
The New York Police Department (NYPD)
Other state and local law enforcement partners
The Secret Service has confirmed that the investigation remains active as they continue to analyze the seized devices and trace the full extent of the network's operations.
