The Secret Service has announced that it has dismantled a covert network of servers and SIM cards in New York.
Officials indicate that this operation could have disrupted cell towers, blocked 911 calls, and allowed hackers to target U.S. officials.
Agents reportedly seized more than 300 SIM servers and over 100,000 SIM cards, effectively stopping what they described as an “imminent threat.”
The historic bust, the largest of its kind in American history, comes as world leaders gather in Manhattan for the 80th UN General Assembly.
The seized devices reportedly could have been used to disrupt communications infrastructures, run “denial-of-service” attacks, and enable dangerous foreign or criminal groups to communicate anonymously in America, according to a follow-up report from the United States Secret Service.
Early forensic analysis has already linked the network to outside “nation-state threat actors.”
Officials also say the devices showed signs of communication with people (or groups) already known to federal law enforcement, or even already under investigation by the feds.
“The potential for disruption to our country’s telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated. The U.S. Secret Service’s protective mission is all about prevention, and this investigation makes it clear to potential bad actors that imminent threats to our protectees will be immediately investigated, tracked down and dismantled,” said U.S. Secret Service Director Sean Curran.
The Secret Service’s Advanced Threat Interdiction Unit (ATIU), a recently formed group, handled the takedown of the illegal tech network. The ATIU was created to identify and shut down serious threats, such as the unique and dangerous network of servers discovered on Tuesday, before they escalate into a full-blown crisis.
The Secret Service says the immediate danger has been contained in New York. However, the investigation is still ongoing.