The US Secret Service has taken down a network of electronic devices in close proximity to the United Nations headquarters in New York in anticipation of a speech by the US president.
The agency disclosed that it had detected an immediate danger to Donald Trump. This development coincides with the gathering of world leaders in New York for the UN General Assembly. The network, comprising SIM cards and servers, had the potential to disrupt the telephone network, impeding the ability to make or receive 911 calls.
Responsible for safeguarding Trump and other high-ranking officials, the Secret Service uncovered around 300 SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards spread across various locations in the New York tristate area.
The elaborate network had the capacity to disrupt mobile networks and enable communication among hostile parties. Sean Curran, the agency’s director, emphasized the significant threat posed by this network of devices to the country’s telecommunications infrastructure.
Officials highlighted that the devices were equipped to execute various telecommunications attacks, including flooding networks with up to 30 million text messages per minute, which could have had severe repercussions for the city.
Matt McCool, the special agent overseeing the Secret Service’s New York field office, explained that the network could disable cell towers, leading to a breakdown in communication. He also cautioned about the potential catastrophic consequences if such an event coincided with the UN General Assembly.
The discovery of the concealed network was part of a comprehensive Secret Service investigation initiated in the spring following telecommunications threats against senior US government officials.
Upon raiding the sites, agents found numerous servers and shelves stocked with SIM cards, both activated and awaiting deployment. McCool mentioned that forensic analysis is ongoing to examine the vast number of cell phones and communications data for further insights.
While there were no specific threats reported against the General Assembly, the Secret Service swiftly dismantled the network due to its proximity to the global summit, located within 35 miles.
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