Passively 'Sniffing' Data: How Mobile Network Spying Works

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http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/interview-telecom-security-expert-philippe-langlois-on-gchq-spying-a-933870.html



British intelligence agency GCHQ has been targeting mobile phone company networks. Telecoms security expert Philippe Langlois explains what they can find this way, and how users can protect themselves from such snooping.

Passively 'Sniffing' Data: How Mobile Network Spying Works
Interview by Christian Stöcker
November 15, 2013 – 05:18 PM


SPIEGEL ONLINE: The British intelligence agency GCHQ is hacking into the networks of mobile phone companies operating so-called GRX routers. What are these networks and why are they an attractive target?

Philippe Langlois: These are the "roaming tubes" of the worldwide mobile system. You can basically track every user in the world who is roaming with their smartphone. When roaming, all the Internet surfing and accesses to corporate networks go through these exchanges, and can be eavesdropped on by passively "sniffing" all data, all web pages and all emails.

SPIEGEL ONLINE: Is it possible to defend against that kind of snooping?

Langlois: Basic security such as encrypted web pages (https), encrypted email (PGP) or encrypted chat (Jabber OTR) will prevent such interception. In that sense, the GRX is not different from a traditional Internet Service Provider. If you're using safe Internet best practice there, you can protect your communication secrecy, but you cannot protect your location.