News GSM encryption broken

http://www.bit-tech.net/news/2008/02/25/gsm_encryption_broken/1

The A5/1 encryption algorithm used in GSM mobile phone transmissions can be broken in under thirty minutes with £500 worth of hardware. Time to worry?

 

This doesnt concern well anyone I currently know, but it makes you think about other encryption's and there safety...
If i have something I don't want anyone listening too... ill just go whisper in there ear... paranoia on a cell phone or a plane ticket to Hong Kong to divulge the upcoming bankruptcy of yahoo.com.... wheres my private jet!

 

Am I concerned by this? No.
I might be embarrassed by certain conversations being made public but I don't think any of it is illegal.
Now am I --comfortable-- by this? Definitely.
Big Brother is bad enough but if I need to worry about 'Little Cousin' too then its just --gah--

 

there is always snail mail, signed and sealed to prevent tampering

 

If someone wants to listen to my phone calls, go ahead, but be prepared to die form boredom...

 

Have GSM encryption ever been secure?

The problem with GSM encryption is that the keys used have to be publicly available for the system to work, which is... well... pointless.

I remember the good, old days when wireless "security" consisted of phones that just switched to a new frequency every 5 minutes or so... They could be tapped using a standard VHF radio. Listening to peoples conversations is incredibly boring, though...


I'm not worried about this. The most intriguing thing I reveal over a conversation is what I'm going to have for diner... If someone want to copy my plans, please go ahead. They could save £500 and just ask, though...

 

I didn't even know GSM was encrypted. Can't say I'm bothered by this, really.

I do wonder if the guys at "No Such Agency" read these articles and laugh. "Thirty minutes? What a bunch of amateures! We broke that one a decade ago and do it in real time!".

 

During the Cold War the Security Services became very good at reading the contents of envelopes without any sign of tampering.

 

People making dinner plans might not be concerned, but when you are having a conversation about what direction a multinational corporation is going to take can be all sorts of interesting.

 

It seems like it would be easier to just sit next to the guy in the airport while he's yelling into his phone.

 

Didn`t even know GSM was encrypted? Here in Norway one could listen to GSM conversations with a capable police scanner, tried it many years ago. Maybe they have implemented encryption later.

 

Not GSM. That was the old NMT tetwork

 

"Oooh, they're going to utilize synergy! We're in trouble now!"

 

I rofl'd