Fake base stations behind KT hack raise alarm about telecom
These small, illegal devices mimic legitimate telecom stations, intercepting nearby communications to steal funds, eavesdrop or track locations.
With fake base stations, a passive approach will only deepen public anxiety. Authorities must move quickly. A coordinated response involving investigators, telecom operators and security experts is needed to uncover the devices, identify hackers and prevent further incidents. Users also have a role to play.
A recent hack of KT has revealed the use of so-called fake base stations, long considered the stuff of films. These small, illegal devices mimic legitimate telecom stations, intercepting nearby communications to steal funds, eavesdrop or track locations.
A cell site, cell phone tower, cell base tower, or cellular base station is a cellular -enabled mobile device site where antennas and electronic communications equipment are placed (typically on a radio mast, tower, or other raised structure) to create a cell, or adjacent cells, in a cellular network.
Once limited to intelligence agencies, fake base stations are now in the hands of crime syndicates. In the Philippines, Chinese nationals were caught eavesdropping on phones near the presidential palace. In Japan, criminals used the devices to blast phishing messages in busy districts.
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