SIM cards store a lot of information about the owner that can be used by attackers for personal gain. About informs The publication Lenta.ru, with reference to the words of Shamil Magomedov, head of the Intelligent Information Security Systems Department of the RTU MIREA Institute of Cyber Security and Digital Technologies.
According to Magomedov, the memory capacity of the SIM card is up to 128 KB. The memory is also used to save the coordinates of the base station closest to the phone. About every half hour, the SIM card broadcasts this information over the air. Thus, with the right level of technical understanding, attackers can intercept this signal and spy on the victim knowing their phone number.
“This is definitely a useful feature in situations such as, for example, the search for a missing person. On the other hand, if for any reason a person becomes the object of operational development of law enforcement or even intruders, this data can also be used for the purpose of establishing outdoor surveillance,” he said.
The SIM card also saves a number of other information: contacts, messages and even payment information. The second, according to Magomedov, is a history of online purchases made using a phone number, not a bank card number.
All information saved by the SIM card is transmitted to the provider. However, in case of theft, the data stored on it can also be retrieved by criminals.
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