According to Canadian researchers, a security flaw inherent in the operation of mobile telecommunications networks would allow hackers to track you.
The Citizen Lab at the University of Toronto has published an article which draws an alarming observation for all smartphone users: despite the technological progress made in telecommunications, user geolocation data is very easy for malicious actors to harvestand this situation does not seem to be changing any time soon.
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This is an established fact; THE data contained in our smartphones and collected by operators communications networks reveal our habits, behaviors, but also more intimate information such as our identity, the people we hang out with, what we buy or even our travel history. According to Professors Miller and Parsons, mobile communications technologies, from ancient 2G to the booming 5G, expose numerous technical flaws that allow malicious actors to obtain data with almost no effort. geolocation coordinates of their targets.
A flaw in mobile network infrastructure allows hackers to track your smartphone
According to the researchers, “it is when people travel abroad they are most vulnerable to geolocation by network”. It is when smartphone users cross the border and their telephone operator “hands over” to a local operator that malicious actors can take advantage of a security flaw in the signaling system (SS7), which allows them toget the location of a device.
According to Citizen Lab, “this system is used by more than 750 mobile networks in 195 countries worldwide “. Many nationals of African countries, but also Saudis and Europeans, are victims of espionage at present. According to scientists, while the security holes allowing this type of espionage would theoretically be easy to close, companies and telecom operators nevertheless seem in no hurry to apply appropriate measures.