US Mobile Carriers Won't Brick Stolen Phones

WheezyJoe writes "NBC News has some disturbing security video of people getting assaulted for their smartphones. Such offenses are on the rise. Police chiefs like D.C.'s Cathy Lanier are asking U.S. mobile carriers to brick phones that are reported stolen, in order to dry up what must be a big underground market for your favorite Android device or iPhone — but right now the carriers won't do it. Such an approach has had success in Australia and the U.K."

Comments

Rest of the world have done this for decades

[hpj]

I've worked developing cell phone operator software for almost a decade on 3 different continents (Not in the US though) and many different countries and as far as I know every single cell phone operator that I have worked for use the GSM standard practice of blocking the EMEI number which will cause the phone to be bricked on any GSM network in the world (AT&T & T-Mobile base their network on the GSM standard in the USA) and I was flabbergasted when a few months ago my 2 week old iPhone 4S was stolen AT&T would not do the same here.

Normally the procedure in other countries is that you just bring your cell phone operator the police report and they will immediately block the phone, basically turning it into a big media player (Assuming it is a smart phone). I can't understand how the operators here claim that they need to investigate technical solutions. This was designed and built into the original GSM standard that has been around since the late 1980:s and as far as I know the feature has also been in use since that time.

I totally agree with the article that it is unconscionable that operators here refuse to do this I am assuming to save a few bucks on cell phone subsidies.

Don't brick: Lock, track, and seize

[davidwr]

Instead of bricking, lock the user interface, put them in a periodic beaconing mode, and send the posse after the phone.

DO put the phone in a mode where if the battery dies or is removed it can't be restarted without opening the case and doing vendor magic.

DO store all non-removable-media data in encrypted form and zap the key as soon as the phone is told that it is stolen.

DO give the customer the option of storing data that is on removable media in encrypted form as well.

Re:sue the carrier as an accompilce in the theft

[bl968]

Easy they don't have to. Simply give the users abilities through their websites to indicate that a phone has been lost or stolen which would then brick the phone the next time it receives a network update. The phone could display a message informing the person in possession of the device how to contact the rightful owner. You would need the ability to assign the phone to another user if it is sold to someone, giving them control over the phone.

There is no excuse for any portable electronic device not to have this ability especially since most of them require a service to get the full functionality of the device; iTunes for iPhones and iPads, Amazon for kindles, Cell carrier customer profiles, etc.