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[tsutton]

Secret mobile phone codes cracked

Could this be the end of our privacy? A German scientist has cracked the secret algorithm for GSM, affecting over 4 billion mobile phone users as this could allow anyone to eavesdrop on private phone conversations, now that he has published it.

BBC News Technology said:

A German computer scientist has published details of the secret code used to protect the conversations of more than 4bn mobile phone users.

Karsten Nohl, working with other experts, has spent the past five months cracking the algorithm used to encrypt calls using GSM technology.

GSM is the most popular standard for mobile networks around the world.

The work could allow anyone - including criminals - to eavesdrop on private phone conversations.

Mr Nohl told the Chaos Communication Congress in Berlin that the work showed that GSM security was "inadequate".

"We are trying to inform people about this widespread vulnerability," he told BBC News.

"We hope to create some additional pressure and demand from customers for better encryption."

Not a good news, but then the GSM technology is pretty old - well over 22 years old! So I'm surprised it has stayed secure for that long. But this does need to be looked at and make it more secure.

Has anyone seen his work? What do you think of it? You can find it at his website, amused titled "GSM: SRSLY?"

Is it time for someone to come up with a new technology/algorithm to protect our phone conversations?

[Via: BBC News Technology]

[awarner]

They are already looking at a fix for this according to the BBC report I heard.
You can bet government agencys etc have had access to this, it's just now more out in the open.