SIM card security uncertain. The problem might be 750 ... - EGospodarka

According to a study of the German company Security Research Lab is very easy to compromise the security of the card. This allows for almost total control over the menu, the ability to copy data from the card, and its cloning. According to the company in difficulty can be up to 750 million cards.

Research into the safety of SIM cards are run by Security Research Lab for two years. Tested more than 1,000 SIM cards with anti-DES. DES, or Data Encription Standard is designed in 1975 by IBM cryptographic algorithm that uses the 56-bit encryption key. Despite his age, is still a popular algorithm used in many SIM cards.

It turns out that 56-bit encryption key is far too short. During the research it was discovered that was enough to give appropriately crafted by pretending to be your service provider, and some cards match the SMS containing the key. Obtaining code already allowed to copy the data, reading news, remote texting, making phone calls, locating the user.

Currently, SIM cards with security DES uses about 3 billion users and in light of Security Research Lab dangerous may even be one in four, which leads to the conclusion that the risk of circumvention of security is more than 750 million users of SIM cards.

Report on the SIM card was included in the New York Times and Forbes. Trade organization GSM Association, the association of SIM card manufacturers, also received the report. Producers have promised to start work as soon as possible to improve security.