[liberationtech] New Satphone Safety Guide

[Collin Anderson]

Jumped the gun and found the answer regarding 'discreet operation SIM' on
slide 17 here:

https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&q=cache:nJJ98HCiOpMJ:www.deltawavecomm.com/Files/BGAN/bgangov.ppt+&hl=en&gl=us&pid=bl&srcid=ADGEESi_s_1ABAvGZaVtj5vsVFDkfux8pvvGfsSdTj0DOvger2j7PKEuAOSf4-h5cyEVAKI9kWVnUIZ8aVcXQRNWJk9ixhg9IMyQEg63CvGo4qxbagR-lVfecphEBcOjBbc8MYd9tm8e&sig=AHIEtbR6cTE2JLglc5y5hep730fcRqdZmw

Still, thoughts?

On Thu, Mar 22, 2012 at 12:19 AM, Collin Anderson <collin at averysmallbird.com
> wrote:

> Would anyone in this conversation be so kind as to satisfy a tangential
> curiosity of mine. The case of Alan Gross in Cuba seems so wrapped up in an
> under-explained and over-hyped piece of equipment:
>
> On his final trip, he brought in a "discreet" SIM card -- or subscriber
>> identity module card -- intended to keep satellite phone transmissions from
>> being pinpointed within 250 miles (400 kilometers), if they were detected
>> at all.
>
>
> http://www.businessweek.com/ap/financialnews/D9SSHGPG2.htm
>
> Beyond the obvious issues with that statement; does anyone know what they
> are referring to?
>
>
> On Tue, Mar 20, 2012 at 11:22 PM, Jacob Appelbaum <jacob at appelbaum.net>wrote:
>
>> On 03/16/2012 02:48 PM, Brian Conley wrote:
>> > Thanks Jacob, comments in-line.
>>
>> Hey Brian and other libtechers,
>>
>> This should be extremely interesting to everyone:
>> http://pastebin.com/tr38Sy3f
>>
>> Note the little bit on location info in that pastebin:
>>
>>        .... ...1 = GCI: MES is GPS capable (1)
>>        .... ..1. = R: 1
>>        .... .0.. = O: 0
>>        GPS Position
>>            1... .... = CPI: GPS position is current position (1)
>>            .001 1000 0000 0111 0011 .... = Latitude: 33.78961 N (98419)
>>            .... 0010 1111 1100 1011 1111 = Longitude: 67.21414 E (195775)
>>        .... .000 = Number Type: Unknown (0)
>>
>> I believe that means the caller was here when the intercept caught them:
>>
>> https://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=+&q=33.78961+N+67.21414+E&ie=UTF8&ll=33.779147,67.241821
>>
>> Here's the background information:
>> http://openbts.blogspot.com/2012/03/gmr-1-revisited.html
>>
>> David Burgess, praise be upon him, says:
>>
>> "The Channel Request message is the first message sent from the handset
>> to the satellite at the start of any transaction. This message cannot be
>> encrypted. This message typically contains the following information:
>>
>> the IMSI of the satellite phone handset
>> the called number (in the case of mobile-originated calls) and
>> the GPS location of the handset."
>>
>> The best part of his blog post for those who can't load the page is this
>> part:
>>
>> "Well, the uplink from the handset is only visible for a kilometer or
>> so, but the feeder link is visible over roughly 1/3 of the planet's
>> surface to anyone with a C-Band dish and is not given any additional
>> encryption."
>>
>> So - yeah, ouch!
>>
>> All the best,
>> Jacob
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>
>
>
> --
> *Collin David Anderson*
> averysmallbird.com | @cda | Washington, D.C.
>
>


-- 
*Collin David Anderson*
averysmallbird.com | @cda | Washington, D.C.
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