The 5-Year Hack Nobody Knew Was Happening

Since 2012, hackers have been snaking their ways into mobile carriers’ servers and sneaking off with data stolen from the smart phones of government and law enforcement officials.

Using Telecoms to Access Smart Phones

Over the past several weeks, journalists have uncovered more about the years-long infiltration of several telecoms across the world. Known as Operation Soft Cell, the effort uncovered hackers who’d tunneled into the phones of about 20 military and political figures. The intruders were privy to personal accounts, banking apps, their movements, and communications. Even more harrowing: Experts believe this has been happening since 2012.

Amit Serper, the head of security research at Cybereason, a digital security firm, explained: “They [the hackers] have all the usernames and passwords, and created a bunch of domain privileges for themselves, with more than one user. They can do whatever they want. Since they have such access, they could shut down the network tomorrow if they wanted to.”

Was it the Chinese Government?

When news of the breach broke, many industry analysts immediately turned their attentions towards China. The operation found APT10 digital fingerprints, a collective that’s linked to the Chinese government, scattered throughout the data.

But China insists it’s not to blame and condemned accusations as “neither professional nor responsible.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry further elaborated:

“Second, with the cyberspace being a highly virtual one filled with multiple actors whose behaviors are difficult to trace, one should present abundant evidence when investigating and determining the nature of a cyberspace activity. Making groundless accusations are neither professional nor responsible.” (Source: https://www.cnet.com/news/a-hacker-assault-left-mobile-carriers-open-to-network-shutdown/)

How Vulnerable are you and Your Assets?

This hacking event is far from uncommon. Savvy programmers are constantly creating access points to both business and private computers and phones. We’re all vulnerable, and hackers are getting more sophisticated by the day. Anyone who hasn’t taken steps to secure their digital life risks losing wealth, assets, and ultimately, reputation.