The United States Secret Service reported that an extremely sophisticated electronic network of devices to disable New York’s telecommunications system before the United Nations General Assembly was disrupted.
Although the agency did not name the perpetrators, it linked the devices with “nation-state actors” and individuals already under the surveillance of federal law enforcement. Investigators suspect that the plot could be traced to the Chinese government, according to a law enforcement official.
“The danger posed to our country’s telecommunications by this network of devices cannot be overstated,” Secret Service Director Sean Curran said in a statement released prior to President Donald Trump addressing world leaders at the UN headquarters in New York.
The agency explained that the network was uncovered after a string of anonymous phone threats against senior U.S. officials. The devices, officials warned, could disable cell towers, conduct denial-of-service attacks, and facilitate encrypted communications between criminal groups and rival foreign agents.
Secret Service Special Agent Matt McCool confirmed that no arrests had been made and that investigators are still attempting to identify the perpetrators and their motives, including whether the operation specifically targeted the UN General Assembly.
The probe began in the spring as part of the campaign to monitor the fraudulent calls directed to senior officials. The authorities then seized more than 300 computer servers and 100,000 SIM cards that were spread across various points within a 35-mile radius of the UN. The officials mentioned that the location and timing of the devices were of concern regarding mass disruption.
“Initial analysis indicates cellular communications between nation-state threat actors and individuals who are individuals of federal law enforcement interest,” the agency disclosed.
According to The New York Times, data extracted from the SIM cards revealed affiliations with the government of one foreign country and drug cartel members. The investigators also discovered 80 grams of cocaine and illegal weapons in some of the locations.
