Hacker Cracks GSM Cell Phone 64-bit Encryption
Hacker Cracks GSM Cell Phone 64-bit Encryption
By Marcus Yam, December 30, 2009
" The connection is made.
These days it seems like no form of digital communication is truly secure – but especially not one that is protected by a 21-year-old form of encryption.
Earlier this week, 28-year-old German computer engineer Karsten Nohl deciphered and published GSM algorithm used to protect the privacy of 80 percent of mobile calls worldwide.
Nohl said that he broke and published the code not for nefarious purposes, but to encourage the uptake of a more secure system. Apparently, the GSM Association has had a 128-bit scheme since 2007, but the standard failed to attract the support of phone companies.
"This shows that existing G.S.M. security is inadequate," Mr. Nohl said, according to the New York Times. "We are trying to push operators to adopt better security measures for mobile phone calls."
"We are not recommending people use this information to break the law," Mr. Nohl added. "What we are doing is trying to goad the world’s wireless operators to use better security."
The encryption code is now available for public consumption on BitTorrent networks. While this development does make it easier for hackers to snoop in on phone calls, there's still a rather large barrier in trying to separate and isolate a single call stream from the many that pass through a single cell station.
Nevertheless, the communications world just got a little less private. "
:source: Source: http://www.tomsguide.com/us/gsm-cell...news-5451.html
