The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has announced measures to address vulnerabilities in SS7 and Diameter protocols, long exploited by attackers to track mobile device locations without consent. These protocols, vital for telecom infrastructure, have faced security scrutiny due to reports of illegal location data access. As SS7 and Diameter remain foundational to mobile networks, the FCC seeks public input on implementing security countermeasures, including recommendations from the CSRIC advisory group.
The CSRIC group’s recommendations include employing firewalls, monitoring, filtering, and encryption promotion to mitigate SS7 and Diameter abuses. Despite efforts to adopt these recommendations, concerns persist over the exploitation of vulnerabilities by foreign surveillance entities. Senator Wyden has urged the FCC to mandate minimum cybersecurity standards for wireless carriers to address these risks effectively.
Additionally, the FCC seeks public input on the implementation and effectiveness of security measures against location tracking exploits via SS7 and Diameter vulnerabilities. Commenters are asked to provide details on unauthorized access attempts, incident descriptions, exploited vulnerabilities, and preventive actions taken by providers. Furthermore, the FCC seeks feedback on providers’ adoption of industry best practices, including CSRIC and GSMA recommendations, to protect against customer location tracking.
