Cell Phone Tracking And SS7 - Hacking Security Vulnerabilities To Save Lives

Forensic Focus

Ryan joins Si and Desi to discuss his research into SS7 hacking and cell phone tracking. As someone passionate about radio technology, Ryan became interested in cell networking and eventually discovered he could intercept calls and texts by building fake cell towers. He learned that phone users have virtually no ability to opt out of their locations and identifiers being commercially available via simple API calls. Ryan hopes to put this knowledge to good use by developing a system to warn domestic abuse shelters if an offender's phone is near by tracking SS7 data.

During the technical discussion, Ryan demonstrates querying an API with his own phone number to retrieve subscriber data and location. The hosts consider how individuals could possibly protect themselves from SS7 exploits, such as avoiding SMS authentication. They also discuss Ryan's other projects exploring radio hacking tools and a magazine shining light on digital counterculture topics.