Ability to crack mobile phone encryption described as worrying - SC Magazine UK: "The ability to crack standard GSM cell phone A5/1 encryption has been described as worrying as it could have a profound impact on the mobile phone industry.
Speaking at the recent Hacking at Random conference in The Netherlands, Karsten Nohl detailed plans on how to crack A5/1, and make the results available for anyone to use.
His demonstration only required a radio card and top-of-the-line laptop and allowed GSM calls to be snooped and decrypted. It works by pre-generating the encryption keys used in GSM into a codebook table that can be quickly and easily looked up on the fly.
Cellcrypt CEO Simon Bransfield-Garth claimed that the development was worrying, as it marks a massive lowering of the bar for criminal organisations to illegally tap mobile phone conversations.
Bransfield-Garth, said: “Everybody has known for quite some time that a theoretical hack of GSM existed. This news means that the theoretical risk will become a very real one within the next six months. Governments have taken steps to manage the threat for years and now this is a very worrying prospect for anyone that discusses valuable or confidential information over their mobile phone."
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