[LINK] NSA, UK's GCHQ reportedly hacked encryption of SIM card maker

[Nicholas English]

One wonders why they had to go to the trouble of hacking, surely  that would only be for the sake of maintaing plus able deniability, non?!

http://www.cso.com.au/article/566943/nsa-uk-gchq-reportedly-hacked-encryption-sim-card-maker/

The surveillance agencies reportedly were able to monitor a large portion of the world's mobile traffic
Grant Gross (IDG News Service) on 20 February, 2015 07:41

U.S. and U.K. intelligence agencies have reportedly hacked into the computer network of giant SIM card maker Gemalto and taken smartphone encryption keys potentially used by customers of hundreds of mobile phone carriers worldwide.
The Gemalto hack, by the U.S. National Security Agency and the U.K. Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ), allowed the two spy agencies to monitor a large portion of the world's mobile phone voice and data traffic, according to a story in The Intercept.
The hack was detailed in a 2010 GCHQ document leaked by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, the story said.
It's unclear how much mobile traffic the two agencies intercepted after the reported hack.
Gemalto, based in the Netherlands, produces about 2 billion SIM cards a year. About 450 mobile carriers, including AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon Wireless and Sprint, use the company's SIM cards.
With the compromised encryption keys, the surveillance agencies would be able to monitor mobile communications without the approval of the carriers or foreign governments, The Intercept story said. The encryption keys would allow the agencies to intercept mobile traffic without court-ordered warrants or wiretaps, the story said.
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Nicholas