The U.S. Secret Service reported that in the New York region (the states of New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut), a network of electronic devices was discovered, concentrated around the venue of the UN General Assembly. More than 300 SIM boxes and 100,000 SIM cards were seized, which could pose an “immediate threat to national security” and, in theory, could “shut down the cellular network in New York.”
The agency’s statement says that the devices were located within a 35-mile (56 km) radius of the site of the UN General Assembly meeting in New York. According to the BBC, the equipment was found in more than five locations, in abandoned apartment buildings.
The SIM farms were discovered during an investigation into “anonymous telephone threats” made against several high-ranking US government officials.
However, the Secret Service believes this system was created for more than just threatening phone calls. According to law enforcement, the system could have been used to disable cell towers, conduct DDoS attacks, and provide anonymous encrypted communications between potential perpetrators and criminal groups.
Although the examination of the confiscated equipment has only just begun, a preliminary investigation showed that certain “government entities” and individuals “known to federal law enforcement agencies” are involved. In other words, it is presumed that the equipment may have belonged to the intelligence services of an unnamed country.