Hackers show it's easy to snoop on a GSM call

[Juha-Matti Laurio <juha-matti.laurio () netti fi>]

"Computer security researchers say that the GSM phones used by the majority of the world's mobile-phone users
can be listened in on with just a few thousand dollars worth of hardware and some free open-source tools.

In a presentation given Sunday at the Chaos Communication Conference in Berlin, researcher Karsten Nohl said that he 
had compiled 2 terabytes worth of data
-- cracking tables that can be used as a kind of reverse phone-book to determine the encryption key used to secure a GSM
(Global System for Mobile communications) telephone conversation or text message.

While Nohl stopped short of releasing a GSM-cracking device -- that would be illegal in many countries, including the 
U.S.
-- he said he divulged information that has been common knowledge in academic circles and made it "practically 
useable.""
--clip--

More at
http://www.pcworld.com/article/185542/hackers_show_its_easy_to_snoop_on_a_gsm_call.html

pointing to Nohl's presentation 'GSM: SRSLY?'
http://events.ccc.de/congress/2009/Fahrplan/events/3654.en.html

Juha-Matti
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