I was inspired to write this article after watching a video on the Veritasium channel titled “I Hacked My Friend’s Phone to Show How Easy It Is.” I highly recommend everyone watch it, as it demonstrates how alarmingly simple it is to hack a phone connected to the SS7 network. While the video does a great job of explaining the system and its vulnerabilities, it may be challenging for someone without a technical background to grasp the full extent of how this hacking works and how the transition to 5G enhances security against such threats. The video illustrates how easily unauthorized access to the SS7 network can be obtained—a network used by all 2G and 3G systems—and how rogue state actors can exploit these vulnerabilities to spy on their citizens and even on people in other countries. In this article, I will break down these issues in a way that is accessible to everyone and explore why some individuals have resorted to using pagers to avoid surveillance, which led to a controversial incident in Lebanon recently when several pagers were simultaneously compromised. This will be an engaging discussion, and I promise you will find it both informative and intriguing. By the end, I’ll also share practical tips on how to protect yourself and secure your financial transactions from such attacks.
Why do we need SS7 signaling?
SS7 (Signaling System 7) was developed to facilitate the routing of calls between phones, whether fixed or mobile, ensuring that each call reaches its intended destination. Think of it like the postal system: when you send a letter, you include both your address and the recipient’s address, and the postal system acts as an intermediary, routing the letter through various sorting centers until it arrives at its destination. Similarly, when you make a phone call, the SS7 signaling system acts as an automated routing mechanism, dynamically managing the connection between the calling and receiving parties without the need for human intervention. It’s like a digital postman, ensuring that your call is delivered accurately and efficiently.
