Secret Service foils massive plot to disrupt NYC cell network and threaten UN General Assembly

"A massive illegal electronic device network capable of crippling cell towers and jamming 911 calls across New York City was uncovered by the Secret Service - just as world leaders prepared to descend on Manhattan for the UN General Assembly, officials said Tuesday."

""The potential for disruption to our country's telecommunications posed by this network of devices cannot be overstated," Secret Service Director Sean Curran said."

""It can take down cell towers, so then no longer can people communicate, right? .... You can't text message, you can't use your cell phone. And if you coupled that with some sort of other event associated with UNGA, you know, use your imagination there, it could be catastrophic to the city," Matt McCool, the special agent in charge of the Secret Service's New York field office, said."

Secret Service uncovered a massive illegal electronic device network within 35 miles of the United Nations capable of crippling cell towers and jamming 911 calls across New York City. The trove contained more than 300 co-located SIM servers and 100,000 SIM cards. The devices had the capability to carry out a wide range of telecommunications attacks and posed severe potential disruption to national telecommunications infrastructure. The discovery coincided with preparations for the UN General Assembly in Manhattan. Officials reported no ongoing threat and said no direct plot to disrupt the UNGA has been uncovered.

Read at New York Post