Hackers on Our Mobile Phones

pn435

By Taylor Kee in Money Morning (edited)

Operation Softcell. Remember that name.
It’s an ongoing hack that might exceed any data breach the world’s ever seen before. Yes, it’s still happening right now…because the hack is so sophisticated and so deeply entrenched in its victim’s platforms, anti-cyber warfare efforts are struggling to uproot it.

According to Boston-based Cybereason, this hack has occurred around the world over a span of nearly a decade. Victims include a dozen or more mobile networks in Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Middle East.


Since gaining control, the hackers have siphoned terabytes of data off mobile users…and since their access is at the network-level, this activity has gone on mostly unnoticed for years.
Amit Serper, head of security research at Cybereason, told CNET:

‘They have all the usernames and passwords, and created a bunch of domain privileges for themselves, with more than one user. They can do whatever they want. Since they have such access, they could shut down the network tomorrow if they wanted to.’

This thing is massive. And we’re just now discovering that it exists. It will be some time before an antidote is pushed out.

Why does this matter?

Because the world is about to become a heck of a lot more dependent on mobile networks thanks to the 5G rollout.

The network won’t just support the mobile phone in your pocket…it will connect your smartwatch, your car, your toaster, your pacemaker. Keeping these things humming and ‘talking’ as designed will rely on a trustworthy 5G network. Operation Softcell casts dark shadows on this emerging future.

Personally, I’ve been closely watching the 5G/Internet of Things mega-trends…since a few of our holdings depend on them. ikeGPS, in particular, is a company that’s fully intertwined with these new technologies…and its future relies on theirs.

Since this stock has disappointed in recent weeks, I’ve been investigating as to why investors have opted to sell…and whether or not their motives are well founded. For the most part, I believe that sellers are missing an opportunity (or creating one for us…as a flip side).

But news about hacks like Operation Softcell leave me wondering what kind of vulnerabilities may affect these trends going forward…

Fortunately, I know a few good folks in the cyberspace who can help clear things up for us — one of the few benefits of living outside the NSA headquarters in Maryland, USA.
I’ll be relaying what I can in upcoming updates…

In the meantime, there are a few promising pieces of news regarding 5G.

A recent test of AT&T’s 5G micro-network in Los Angeles revealed download speeds of 1.4 gigabytes per second.That’s almost hard to believe.  It means downloading full HD movies in just one or two seconds. It means video-chatting with your family…in crystal-clear 4K without so much as a hiccup. Fully-functioning VR and AR are just around the corner.

In that vein, Huawei has chosen to double down on its efforts to penetrate the American 5G market. Chief Officer Ryan Ding recently stated, ‘5G will be a key enabling technology for this world. We will continue to increase investment in 5G and work with our customers and partners. Cybersecurity and privacy protection are our top priorities. We ensure the security of carriers' 5G networks with our secure products and trusted services.’

An effort, no doubt, to regain a place in the Trump administration’s good graces.

At the same time, a company in Sweden has designed a completely driverless semi-truck and put in on the tarmac. We’re not talking Tesla-kind-of-driverless…I’m talking about a vehicle without a human being on board…nor a seat for one at all. It’s called the ‘T-Pod’.Here it is in action:

Source: CNN

CNN reports:

‘The "T-Pod" truck is supervised remotely by an operator who can take control if necessary. Other companies have completed test runs on public roads with a driver inside the vehicle ready to take over.
‘The 26-ton truck is equipped with cameras, radars and 3D sensors, which give it 360-degree awareness of its surroundings. Built by Einride, it uses an autonomous driving platform made by NVIDIA (NVDA), and its systems are connected via a 5G network. It has a range of 200 kilometers (124 miles).’

For now, the truck’s testing will only comprise of a 300m loop running at just 5km/h (thus the limited 200km range). But a portion of that loop will be on a public road…with real traffic.
(I’d hate to be the driver stuck behind that thing inching ahead at 5km/h. Nobody to honk at!)
That’s a big deal because it’s the first time a completely driverless truck will run on public roads.

Of course, it’s not the first 5G autonomous car out there. Spark’s own Ohmio vehicle has already driven around the Wynyard Quarter sans driver.

I expect we’ll see a wave of tests like these in the coming months…giving greater pressure on 5G companies around the world to get their networks up and running.