The US Secret Service has taken down a network of electronic devices near the United Nations in New York as a precaution before a speech by the President of the United States. The service disclosed that it had detected an immediate threat to Donald Trump, coinciding with the presence of world leaders in New York for the UN General Assembly. The network, comprising sim cards and servers, had the potential to disrupt the telephone network, impeding 911 calls.
In their efforts to safeguard Trump and other high-ranking officials, the Secret Service located around 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards spread across multiple sites in the New York tristate area. This extensive network had the capability to disable mobile networks and secure communication among hostile entities, according to the service.
Sean Curran, the agency’s director, emphasized the significant risk posed by this network of devices to the country’s telecommunications infrastructure. Officials cautioned that the devices could launch various telecommunications attacks, including flooding networks with up to 30 million text messages per minute, leading to severe repercussions for the city.
Special Agent Matt McCool of the Secret Service’s New York field office explained that the network could disrupt cell towers, rendering communication impossible through cell phones or text messages. He highlighted the potential catastrophic impact on the city, especially when combined with events related to the UN General Assembly.
The discovery of this hidden network was part of a broader investigation initiated by the Secret Service in response to telecommunications threats against senior US government officials earlier in the year. During the raids on the locations, agents uncovered numerous servers and shelves stocked with SIM cards, both activated and awaiting deployment.
McCool mentioned that forensic analysis of the seized devices is ongoing to track communications data from the 100,000 cell phones and determine the extent of the network’s reach. Although there were no direct threats reported against the General Assembly, the Secret Service swiftly dismantled the network due to its proximity to the global summit, located within 35 miles.
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