Telco Networks Open to Attack?

Cally writes: "This post to NANOG summarises Dave Henderson's paper (.ppt: HTML in Google cache, grep for 'Now Really Public') from the Internetwork Interoperability Test Coordination Committee, about the state of security in the public switched (telephone) network: wide open and "very fragile with a tremendous number of vulnerabilities". Apparently, there's $12b in fraud per year, growing interest from blackhat groups, and more, better, intruder tools. We often hear talk of "information warfare attacks that could result in the draining of bank reserves and the cutting off of power sources" from budget-and-PR hungry, but clue-light, politicians and wonks these days. When an experienced engineer uses such language, it's more worrying." We've also had submissions of this AP article speculating about viruses hitting mobile phones.

Comments

how do you think the majors DOS are done unseen ?

[da5idnetlimit.com]

Simple : you infiltrate a phone router, that links you to a global communication grid, that allow you access to a few T1 that can be used to synchronously sent 'Charge Test' packets to any IP that you define. At the same time, this operation is controlled by a call issuating from a poor companys ISDN phone system that you hacked through whithin 7".

It's a shame this company is calling 500 meters from it's location, but will have a phone bill showing relays in almost every old Alcatel customers. I mean the chinese phone system is not porous. It's dead open...

Don't try in Manhattan but in remote USA the old cheese boxes still works if you want to hack i,to ATT long distance...

Heterogenous system with a LOT of Legacy Code / Hardware...

a dream...