Cameroon: Head of State’s New Year message to the Nation ((Dec 31, 2014)

H. E. Paul BIYA

Fellow Cameroonians,

My dear compatriots,

It was our hope, following a period of intensive political activity, that as 2014 was not an election year, we would be free to devote ourselves primarily to reviving our economic growth which, as you are aware, is a prerequisite for improving the living conditions of our populations.

Such was not exactly the case owing to the escalation of attacks against our national territory by the Boko Haram sect. Besides this, there were the criminal activities of armed gangs on our border with the Central African Republic.

Initially, the Boko Haram terrorist organization carried out raids to seize isolated hostages or loot public or private property.

Buoyed by their grip on north-eastern Nigeria, the so-called “jihadists” launched major attacks on the Far-North Region of our country, for instance, the attack on the workers’ camp of a Chinese company at Waza and the raid on Kolofata, resulting in several deaths and the abduction of many hostages.

This could not be tolerated. We therefore set up a response and prevention mechanism which quickly proved its worth. Since then, Boko Haram has suffered heavy human and material losses in each of its attacks. It is hoped that they would learn their lesson.

At this juncture, I would like to pay glowing tribute to our defence forces whose valour has been demonstrated in recent fighting.

I have had occasion to say that the Nation as a whole ought to mobilize and rally behind its defence forces.

Such seems to be the case by all accounts from our regions. I have most particularly appreciated the stance of our Muslim compatriots. They, like all the other Cameroonians, have clearly understood that this war is by no means based on religion. They have clearly understood that it is a response to external aggression by a terrorist organization that does not subscribe to the values of a fraternal society.

My dear compatriots,

The growing threats on our borders have prompted us to take measures to safeguard against their effects on our internal security. Such is the purport of the law on the suppression of terrorism which Parliament recently passed by a large majority. It is far from serving as a pretext for restricting civil liberties, as claimed by some ill-intentioned people. Besides, the instrument is very clear on this point.

Furthermore, faced with an upsurge in terrorist activities, most leading democratic countries have in recent years passed new laws to prevent terrorism. By so doing, they have complied with the recommendations of international organizations, particularly the United Nations and the African Union. Such is what we deemed appropriate to do. Therefore, our objective is to safeguard against any terrorist-related risk as far as possible. Every State not only has the right, but also the duty to protect its citizens. I am convinced that the vast majority of our compatriots do understand.

I would also like to recall here that Cameroon is not the only country facing this threat which knows no boundaries. Some of our neighbouring countries, namely Benin, Chad, Niger and Nigeria, are collaborating with us to form a united front against Boko Haram.

The United Nations Organization and several big powers, particularly the United States of America, Germany, France, Russia and China, also back us. I will be revisiting this issue before long.

It goes without saying that mobilizing the required resources for our defence means additional spending. As you are aware, the situation in the Central African Republic also warrants our vigilance on our eastern border. We are forced to host tens of thousands of refugees from this brotherly country. I take this opportunity to commend the valuable assistance we are receiving from humanitarian organizations. It is clear that our duty-bound solidarity has an impact on the budget. But, we must also understand that security has a price.

My dear compatriots,

As I said at the onset, we were obliged to prioritize the defence of the national territory, for, there can be no peace without security and no development without peace. Nonetheless, we have not relented in our efforts to revive growth. Now that our democratic institutions are fully functional, growth is the focus of our policy. As I stated earlier on, our growth is a prerequisite for a strong economy and, hence, our capacity to roll back poverty and progress towards emergence.

A quick evaluation of our economic programme shows that our first-generation major projects are either completed, nearing completion, or on track. Such is the case, in particular, for the Kribi Gas-fired Plant and Port, dams and hydroelectric power plants, as well as some road and various infrastructure projects.

Thanks to these projects, there is renewed activity in various sectors of our economy. The impact on employment and the improvement of living conditions is also visible. The year 2015 should therefore be characterized by the launching of second-generation projects in the energy, water, road and highway and transport sectors.

My dear compatriots,

Most of the major undertakings announced in my address on 31 December 2013 have been fulfilled.

1.We celebrated the FIFTIETH ANNIVERSARY OF CAMEROON’S REUNIFICATION last February in Buea with all the necessary pomp and solemnity. The town of Buea, which has been provided with various infrastructure, has been completely transformed. The impact of this celebration was also felt in neighbouring towns. This key moment of national unity is a milestone in our history.

2.I also promised substantial improvements in the health domain. These are now realities. Malaria treatment for children aged below five is now free. Our health map now comprises three new referral hospitals: the Yaounde National Emergency Centre, the Douala Gynaecology, Obstetrics and Paediatric Hospital and the Sangmelima Referral Hospital.

3.The employment spin-offs of our growth policy which I referred to a while ago have been confirmed. In 2014, 283 443 new jobs were created against 250 000 projected, as you would recall.

4.You would also recall that I underscored the need for Cameroon to have a viable emergency plan for the coming years. This announcement as well has been translated into reality. The said plan was adopted and launched during the Council of Ministers meeting held on 9 December. I will come back to this later.

My dear compatriots, 

Should we be content with these results which can objectively be considered positive? Substantial progress has been achieved as confirmed by the recent triennial appraisal report on the implementation of the Growth and Employment Strategy Paper. That being the case, I will simply say that we can and should do even better. I am convinced, as I pointed out last year under the same circumstances, that we must increase our growth rate at all costs. Are we sure we have done all we can? 

Take the case of investment for instance, which has so far been largely initiated by the State and reserved especially for anchor and social projects. Public Investment Budget allocations have increased considerably in recent years. In 2014, they represented about one-third of the overall budget, or approximately CFAF 1 000 (one thousand) billion. This is commendable. However, in terms of execution, there are hurdles and project implementation is often slowed down. I decried such under-utilization of budgetary appropriations. As you know, our needs are obvious and urgent. I am pleased to note that this year, there has been a marked improvement in contract execution rates which should increasingly match commitment rates.

Although in 2013 the public authorities, through Parliament, adopted major incentives for private investment, the latter still seems unable to take over from the State. 

However, there seems to be progress in this direction among local and foreign entrepreneurs thanks largely to awareness-raising campaigns by investment promotion bodies. This is proven by the recent signing of 13 agreements in the Ministry of Industry, worth CFAF 180 billion. 

I want to believe this is just the beginning. We do need an ambitious industrial policy. There can be no great country without industry. Even agriculture, which I love to say is the principal source of our wealth, is also expected to go “industrial”. 

It is understandable that the implementation of our major iron and bauxite mining projects, whose ultimate goal also is industrialization, is dragging as such projects are complex. Conversely, there is no plausible reason for our slowness in developing industries to process our agricultural commodities. 

Besides the benefits we could derive in terms of value added and employment, local processing will contribute towards rebalancing our foreign trade which is showing a structural deficit. 

In fact, our trade balance is characterized by a significant import surplus against exports which largely depend on the sale of three or four commodities whose prices are unstable. Our imports, for their part, mostly concern manufactured products, notably capital goods for our major projects. Obviously, it is difficult for us to restrict our purchase of capital goods. That, we understand. On the other hand, we should be able to limit the importation of the commodities we are able to produce. 

These remarks which I am compelled to make once more reflect the difficulty we are facing moving from a State-dominated economy to a more liberal system which is now the rule. The situation is such that sometimes we suffer the disadvantages of both systems. This, to me, explains the resistance to structural reforms which is stifling our growth revival efforts.

Some of these reforms concern our governance, particularly public finance. Significant progress has been made in this area and needs to be consolidated by ensuring budget sustainability, reducing subsidies as much as possible and reviewing the tax base. On the whole, our administration would stand to benefit by streamlining its procedures and, as I said recently and instructed, cutting down on its spending. 

My dear compatriots,

To jumpstart our growth, I have instructed the Government to implement a three-year “emergency plan”. Its objective is to achieve visible progress and measurable improvements in vital areas such as urban development, health, agriculture, roads, energy, low-cost housing and security. I expect the said plan to meet the most urgent needs of our populations nationwide.

This initiative is different from our Growth and Employment Strategy which will continue to be implemented by the Government. About CFAF 1 000 (one thousand) billion will be allocated to the plan. The implementation of this plan will determine whether we are capable of meeting the challenge whose outline and timeframe we have ourselves defined.

Of course, it is crucial for our country to meet this challenge. We have the wherewithal. 

My dear compatriots,

In a few hours, you will be happily celebrating New Year’s Day.

However, before that, let us spare a thought for our soldiers who have fallen defending our Fatherland. Let us spare a thought for those securing our borders, their grieving or anxious families and our compatriots who are suffering physical and psychological pain.

I would now like to extend to you all my best wishes for good health and happiness in the New Year.

Happy and prosperous New Year 2015!

Thanksgiving

Police Officer Fuoh Mathias Che Thanking God This 21st December 2014 For Favour & Protection

 Thank you Lord Almighty for all you have done in my life. Thank you for rescuing me. That faithful morning when everything seemed dark; you brought light, hope and determination. Courage you gave me to overcome the challenges! I say thank you Lord, you are worthy to be praised, I glorify your Holy name, take more of me and give me more of you. I wish to heartily thank all of you once more for all you did to enable me to be up on my feet today and also ask you to join me in prayers on Sunday the 21st of December 2014 in a thanks giving mass in the Cathedral in Maroua at FOUNANGUE. After three good years of using crutches to move, I had a dream that I was walking. When I woke up that morning, I said God you never created me with crutches and therefore these crutches are not part of me. I made the first steps without the crutches like a child learning how to walk and that was how I started walking once again till today. James 4:7-8 says ‘‘resist satan the oppressor, staying steadfast in faith and claim your healing, blessing and victory’’. Patience, perseverance, endurance, forbearance are the tools for people of faith; James 1:2-4. For you who are in what ever situation, commit everything to God for there is never a situation he cannot handle. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 says ‘‘there is time for everything’’. All that happens to us is for a purpose: either to prepare us for further challenges, to prevent us from the worst that ought to have happened or to preserve us for a mission. When God is with us, nobody can be against us. Psalm 23:4 says ‘‘even though I walk through the shadow of the valley of death, I shall fear no evil’’. When the enemy comes, it is a sign that God is about to bring us to a new position. It is when David met the lion that he was able to enter the kingdom. From the sick bed, I was promoted and later appointed. I am up on my feet and wasking fine. Mery Christmas and may God Almighty abundantly bless, protect and guide all of you in all your endeavours come 2015. 

The Basis To Discover Truth About Minister & Permanent National Security Secretary Atanga Nji Paul

H.E. Paul BIYA

Minister ATANGA NJI Paul 

with Minister of State Secretary 

         Laurent ESSO behind him

 

 

I read that going by the supreme audit report, Minister Atanga Nji illegally received into his account some 469MFCFA while he was serving as cadre at CAMPOST. The amount, according to the report was deposited into account No. 031562–004–58 bearing the name “Ets des Jeunes homes d’affaires” but owned by Mr. Atanga Nji.

We all read of many instances of this kind; for the Permanent National Security Secretary who by dint of his political astuteness has fragilized the opposition from its stronghold Bamenda and brought the CPDM and some members of the SCNC for his party and National President, and has won glory for himself by his victory over the weakened opposition, and has loaded himself double appointments, acquired necessarily by himself from the National President of the CPDM, so high a reputation, that his very victory has become distasteful, and a cause for apprehension to his detractors.

The Philosopher Jean Paul Satre asserts that “the end justifies the means”. And cognizant of the fact that the central and legitimate characteristics of man is ambition as he struggles to regain his lost glory John Milton: “Paradise Lost”, and the obstacles to this journey (Nitzche) can be suspicion etc, it is not impossible that the suspicion that has suddenly arisen against the emblematic Minister of Special Duties and Permanent National Security in the mind of his detractors have been aggravated by some complacent expressions normal with the man of conviction (but I believe it should be mitigated with some humility).  All of these coming up so that the National President will be made to be distrusting the Minister.

And to do this, the means that suggest themselves to the National President are either to have the Minister arrested or to deprive him of his reputation which he has acquired through his hard work and support of the people. His detractors by using such Machiavellian means to prove that the Minister’s success was not due to his hard work, skill and boldness, but to the wisdom of the other CPDM bigwigs who were with him in that struggle, chance and the weakness of the opposition is not true. To conclude in civilized and conventional partisan political gaming sterile emotionalism and confrontationalism should be avoided.

Yes, baseless criticisms should never dampen the efforts of any man doing what he is doing with the fear of God for critics will always be there (Alexander Pope - An Essay on Criticisms, Cardinal Newman and Professor Bernard Nsokika Fonlon)

Imagine what the 13 Year-Old Suspected Female Suicide Bomber said happened!!!

A young female suicide bomber, who was arrested in Kano today, has said.....
she was unconscious until her abductors who kidnapped her from Bauchi released her with explosives in her body today, to go out and explode in the midst of people. According to her, she didn’t know what she was doing and only got hold of herself when she got to town.

The girl, Babban Gida who was wondering around suspiciously was arrested opposite Kantin-Kwari textile market, the same scene where a major explosion occurred two weeks ago, in which two female suicide bombers detonated explosives which killed many.

Appointment Of Bailiffs Within The Jurisdictions Of The Courts Of Appeal

Decree n°2014/118 of 28 March 2014 to amend and supplement certain provisions of Decree N° 2014/027 of 28 January 2014 on the appointment of Bailiffs within the Jurisdictions of the Courts of Appeal.

The Presidenl of the Republic

Mindful of the Constitution;

Mindful of Decree n°79/488 of 05 November 1979 to regulate the duties and lay down the rules and regulations governing the professions of Bailiff and Process Server, as amended and supplemented by Decree n°85/238 of 22 February 1985 and Decree N° 98/170 of 27 August 1998; 

Mindful of Decree n°981/18 of 25 February 1998 to set up Bailiffs offices. 

Considering the files compiled by the persons concerned; 

Hereby decrees as follows: 

Article 1: The provisions of Decree n° 2014/027 of 28th January 2014 appointing Bailiffs within the jurisdictions of the Courts of Appeal are amended and supplemented as follows: 

I- The Court of Appeal, Adamawa

1)Mr. ONANINA KOUFANA at the 1st office of Mbe; 

2)MI. BILLOLONG Michel Alain at the 1st office of Belel; 

3)Mr. KALDJOB Michel Bonaventure at the 1st office of Mayo Darle;

II- The Court of AppeaI, Centre

4)Mr. BELlNGA Charles at the 1st office of Ngomedzap; 

5)Madam TSANGA Laurence, spouse NGONO YEME at the 1st office of Akono; 

6)Madam NGAH Juliette Danielle, spouse NYEBELE at the 1st office of Batchenga; 

7)Madam NGO MBENUN Marie Bernadette at the 1st office of Matomb; 

8)Instead of: Mr. ELONG MINFOUMOU Rene at the 3rd office of the Court of the First Instance of Eseka, it reads: Mr. ELONG MINFOUMOU Rene at the 1st office of Bikok; 

9)Mr. EPOUNE.Pierre Leroy al the 1st office of Evodoula;

10)Mr. ESSOMBA Fulbert Odyssee at Ihe 1st office of Nkol-Afamba;

11)Mr. ALIKEN ASEYl Honore at the 1st office of Lobo;

12)Mr: EBODE OLONG Michel at the 1st office of Dzeng;

III- The Court of AppeaI, East

13)Mr. NGUEGANG FOULEFACK Darius Guy at the 1st office of Doume; 

14)Mr. KONTCHlEU Jean Claude at the 1st office of GariGombo; 

15)Mr. NGAH Anselme at the 1st office of Messamena; 

16)Mr. BISSECK Josue Raymond at the 1st office of Nguelemendouga; 

17)Mr. BISSOK Julien Charles at the 1st office of Kette; 

IV-The Court of Appeal, Far-North

18)Mr. JIOLO Louis David Honore at the 1st office of Doukoula: 

19)Instead of: Mr. KIKI at the 5th office of the Court of First Instance of Kousseri. it reads: Mr. KIKI at the 1st office of Meri: 

20)Mr. SEVI AMANG Christian at the 1st office of Tokombere: 

V- The Court of Appeal, Littoral

21)Mr. BISSA Pascal at the 1st office of Njombe Penja;

22)Instead of: Mr. ZEH EYONO Michel at the 12th of the Court of First Instance of Nkongsamba. it reads: Mr. YATHAT KOUSMA at the 12th office of the Court of First Instance of Nkongsamba; 

23)Mr. NDOUNGUE Eugene Wilfried at the 1st office of Nyanon; 

24)Madam MONTHE Pulcherie spouse DJAPPO at the 1st office of Nlonako; 

25)Madam NDINCHOUT Alice at the 1st office of Barebakem; 

26)Mr. ATANGANA Victor atthe 1st office of Dibombari;

27)Mr. NJINE Guy Magloire al Îhe •[stoffiœ of Ngambe;

28)Mr. KEMFOUET DEMANOU Mathieu at the 1st office of Yingui; 

VI-The Court of AppeaI, North 

29)Instead of: Madam FANDEU Christine at the 4th office of the Court of First Instance of Guider, it reads: Mr. OTOU Denis Victorien at the 4th office of the Court of First Instance of Guider; 

30)Madam MAGNIDJEU Angeline at the 1st office of Demsa; 

31)Mr, BŒUPE BAKARI at the 1st office Rey-Bouba;

VII- The Court of Appeal, North West

32)ML TSUAYO Robert at the 1st office of Jakiri; 

33)Instcad of: ML NCHARE OUSMANOU at the 4th office of the Court of First Instance of Nkambe. it reads: Mr. NKOLO Roger Balthasar at the 4th office of the Court of First lnstance of Nkambe; 

34)Mr. NDONGMO Augustin at the 1st office of Santa: 

35)Mr. DONFACK TONFACK Jules Raynaud at the 1st office Balikumbat;

VIII- The Court of Appeal, West

36)Madam MAJOUPE Pepeline Julienne at the 1st office of Penka Michel; 

37)Mr. NGEMA MBA Jean Claude at the 1st office of Galim; 

38)ML MANIFOUO Christophe at the 1st office of Batié; 

39)Mr. TSISSA Paul Henri at the 1st office of Banka; 

40)Madam FALEU Nicole Chantale at the 1st office of Massangam; 

41)Mr. TAMKO Jean Leonide at the 1st office of Koutaba; 

42)Monsieur MOUICHE Jean Claude at the 1st office of Kouoptamo; 

43)Monsieur NOUCK Alphonse at the 1st office of Babadjou;

44)MOUANTI SALIFOU at the 1st office of Bangourain; 

IX-The Court of AppeaI, South

45)Monsieur AMOUHOU Joseph René Thierry at the 1st office of Mvengue; 

46)Mr. BALINDI Desire Patrice Aime at the 1st office of Bipindi ; 

X-The Court of AppeaI, South West

47)Mr. Manin FOTIO at the 1st office of Ekondo-Titi; 

48)Instead of: Madam KOMIDO A YAKAN Jacqueline, spouse TCHAMBOU KEOU at the 7th office of the Court of First Instance of Buea, it reads: Mr. BEA NKEMBE Joseph at the 7th office of the Court of First Instance of Buea; 

49)lnstead of: Mr. MFOUAPON ALLASSA at the 7th office of the Court of First Instance of Kumba, it reads: Mr. NDONGO Gedeon at the 7th office of the Court of First Instance of Kumba; 

50)Instead of: Mr. NDJOUM Henri BANOOLO at the 13th office of the Court of First Instance of Kumba, it reads: Mr. NDJOUM Henri BANDOLO at the 12th office of the Court of First Instance of Kumba; 

The rest remain unchanged 

Article 2 :The Minister of State. Minister of Justice, Keeper of the Seals, is responsible for the implementation of this Decree which shall be registered and published according to the procedure of urgency and inserted in the Official Gazette in English and French. 

Yaounde, the 28 March 2014
President of the Republic,
(s) Paul BIYA 

 

German Researchers Discover A Flaw That Could Let Anyone Listen To Your Cell Calls

This photo by Coni T. Tawong

German researchers have discovered security flaws that could let hackers, spies and criminals listen to private phone calls and intercept messages on a potentially massive scale– even when cellular networks are using most advanced encryption now available.

The flaws, to be reported at a hacker conference in Hamburg this month, are latest evidence of widespread insecurity on SS7, the global network that allows the world’s cellular carriers to route calls, texts and other services to each other. Experts say it’s increasingly clear that SS7, first designed in the 1980s, is riddled with serious vulnerabilities that undermine the privacy of the world’s billions of cellular customers.

The flaws discovered by the German researchers are actually functions built into SS7 for other purposes – such as keeping calls connected as users speed down highways, switching from cell tower to cell tower – that hackers can repurpose for surveillance because of the lax security on the network.

Those skilled at the myriad functions built into SS7 can locate callers anywhere in the world, listen to calls as they happen or record hundreds of encrypted calls and texts at a time for later decryption. There also is potential to defraud users and cellular carriers by using SS7 functions, the researchers say.

These vulnerabilities continue to exist even as cellular carriers invest billions of dollars to upgrade to advanced 3G technology aimed, in part, at securing communications against unauthorized eavesdropping. But even as individual carriers harden their systems, they still must communicate with each other over SS7, leaving them open to any of thousands of companies worldwide with access to the network. That means that a single carrier in Congo or Cameroon, for example, could be used to hack into cellular networks in the United States, Europe or anywhere else.

“It’s like you secure the front door of the house, but the back door is wide open,” said Tobias Engel, one of the German researchers.

Engel, founder of Sternraute, and Karsten Nohl, chief scientist for security Research Labs, separately discovered these security weaknesses as they studied SS7 networks in recent months, after the Washington Post reported the widespread marketing of surveillance systems that use SS7 networks to locate callers anywhere in the world. The Washington Post reported that dozens of nations had bought such systems to track surveillance targets and that skilled hackers or criminals could do same using functions built into SS7. (The term is short for Signaling System 7 and replaced previous networks called SS6, SS5, etc.)

The researchers did not find evidence that their latest discoveries, which allow for the interception of calls and texts, have been marketed to governments on a widespread basis. But vulnerabilities publicly reported by security researchers often turn out to be tools long used by secretive intelligence services, such as the National Security Agency or Britain’s GCHQ, but not revealed to the public.

“Many of the big intelligence agencies probably have teams that do nothing but SS7 research and exploitation,” said Christopher Soghoian, principal technologist for the ACLU and an expert on surveillance technology. “They have likely sat on these things and quietly exploited them”.

The GSMA, a global cellular industry group based in London, did not respond to queries seeking comment about vulnerabilities that Nohl and Engel have found. For the Washington Post’s article in August on location tracking systems that use SS7, GSMA officials acknowledge problems with the network and said it was due to be replaced over the next decade because of a growing list of security and technical issues.

The German researchers found two distinct ways to eavesdrop on calls using SS7 technology. In the first, commands sent over SS7 could be used to hijack a cell phone’s “forwarding” function – a service offered by many carriers. Hackers would redirect calls to themselves, for listening or recording, and then onward to the intended recipient of a call. Once that system was in place, the hackers could eavesdrop on all incoming and outgoing calls indefinitely, from anywhere in the world.

The second technique requires physical proximity but could be deployed on a much wider scale. Hackers would use radio antennas to collect all the calls and text passing through the airwaves in an area. For calls or texts transmitted using strong encryption, such as is commonly used for advanced 3G connections, hackers could request through SS7 that each caller’s carrier release a temporary encryption key to unlock the communication after it has been recorded.

Nohl on Wednesday demonstrated the ability to collect and decrypt a text message using the phone of a German Senator, who cooperated in the experiment. But Nohl said the process could be automated to allow massive decryption of calls and texts collected across an entire city or a large section of a country, using multiple antennas. “It’s all automated, at the push of a button,” Nohl said, “It would strike me as perfect spying capability, to record and decrypt pretty much any network… Any network we have tested, it works.”

Those tests have included more than 20 networks worldwide including T–Mobile in the United States. The other major U.S. carriers have not been tested, thought Nohl and Engel said its likely at least some of them have similar vulnerabilities. (Several smartphone – based text messaging systems, such as Apple’s iMessage and Whatsapp, use end–to–end encryption methods that sidestep traditional cellular text systems and likely would defeat the technique described by Nohl and Engel.

In a statement, T–Mobile said: “T–Mobile remains vigilant in our work with other mobile operators, vendors and standards bodies to promote measures that can detect and prevent these attacks.”

The issue of cell phone interception is particularly sensitive in Germany because of news reports last year, based on documents provided by former NSA contractor Edward Snowden, that a phone belonging to Chancellor Angela Merkel was the subject of NSA surveillance. The techniques of that surveillance have not become public, though Nohl said that the SS7 hacking method that he and Engel discovered is one of several possibilities.

U.S. embassies and consulates in dozens of foreign cities, including Berlin, are outfitted with antennas for collecting cellular signals, according to reports by German Magazine Der Spiegel, based on documents released by Snowden. Many cell phone conversations worldwide happen with either no encryption or weak encryption.

The move to 3G networks offers far better encryption and the prospect of private communication. But the hacking techniques revealed by Nohl and Engel undermine that possibility. Carriers can potentially guard their networks against efforts by hackers to collect encryption keys, but it’s unclear how many have done so. Germany Vodafone, recently began blocking such requests after Nohl reported the problem to the company two weeks ago.

Nohl and Engel also have discovered new ways to track the locations of cell phone users through SS7. The Washington Post story, in August, reported that several companies were offering governments worldwide the ability to find virtually any cell phone user, virtually anywhere in the world, by learning the location of their cell phones through an SS7 function called an “Any Time Interrogation” query.

Some carriers block such requests and several began doing so after the Washington Post’s report. But the researchers in recent months have found several other techniques that hackers could use to find the locations of callers by using different SS7 queries. All networks must track their customers in order to route calls to the nearest cellular towers, but they are not required to share that information with other networks or foreign governments.

Carriers everywhere must turn over location information and allow eavesdropping of calls when ordered to by government officials in whatever country they are operating in. but the techniques discovered by Nohl and Engel offer the possibility of much broader collection of caller locations and conversations, by anyone with access to SS7 and the required technical skills to send the appropriate queries.

“I doubt we are the first ones in the world who realize how open the SS7 network is,” Engel said. Secretly eavesdropping on calls and texts would violate laws in many countries, including the United States, except when done with explicit court or other government authorization. Such restrictions likely do little to deter criminals or foreign spies, say surveillance experts, who say that embassies based in Washington likely collect cellular signals.

The researchers also found that it was possible to use SS7 to learn the phone numbers of people whose cellular signals are collected using surveillance devices. The calls transmit a temporary identification number which, by sending SS7 queries, can lead to the discovery of the phone number. That allows location tracking within a certain area, such as near government buildings.

The German Senator who cooperated in Nohl’s demonstration of the technology, Thomas Jarzombek of Merkel’s Christian Democratic Union Party, said that while many in that nation have been deeply angered by revelations about NSA spying, few are surprised that such intrusions are possible.

Craig Timber

“After all the NSA and Snowden things we have heard, I guess nobody believes it’s possible to have a truly private conversation on a mobile phone,” he said. “When I really need a confidential conversation, I use a fixed–line” phone.
By Craig Timber

Craig Timberg is a National technology reporter for the Washington Post.