DHS found evidence of cell phone spying near White House

Enlarge / "Can you hear me now?" (credit: 350z33)

In 2017, the Department of Homeland Security ran a trial program that used a series of cellular network sensors set up around Washington, DC and the surrounding region as part of an effort to get a handle on the usage of International Mobile Subscriber Identity (IMSI) catchers nearby. Commercial IMSI catchers, such as Harris Corporation's Stingray, have been used by law enforcement as part of surveillance operations, and Secret Service and DHS officials have acknowledged that they use similar devices to help protect the president. But the DHS was concerned that there were other IMSI catchers being operated by someone not affiliated with US law enforcement-potentially as part of foreign intelligence operations targeting US officials or criminal operations.

Over an 11-month period, the DHS found evidence that there was reason to be concerned. In March of this year, acting DHS National Protection and Programs Directorate (NPPD) Undersecretary Christopher Krebs sent Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) a letter-along with answers to questions Wyden had posed as part of the confirmation process for Krebs to permanently assume his role as undersecretary-stating that the NPPD "believes the malicious use of IMSI catchers is a real and growing risk."

In the attached answers, Krebs noted that NPPD "has observed anomalous activity in the National Capital Region [NCR] that appears to be consistent with [IMSI] catchers." But Krebs said that the DHS did not have a current capability for tracking IMSI catchers, and the department did not share how the "anomalous activity" was detected in the first place.

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