Feds Find Cyber Surveillance Devices Near White House

Was The White House Spied On? And By Who?
Federal Officials has discovered sophisticated surveillance devices that intercept cellphones near the White House and other sensitive locations in the DC area last year, a new report said Friday.

A Department of Homeland Security probe discovered evidence of the surveillance devices, called IMSI catchers, as part of federal testing last year, according to a letter from DHS to Sen. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) on May 22, the Washington Post reported.

DHS didn’t say who was behind the cyber-snooping, but experts told the paper that IMSI catchers — often known by one brand name, StingRay — are used by Chinese and Russian intelligence agencies, among others.

Wyden said in a statement
“This admission from DHS bolsters my concern about stingrays and other spying devices being used to spy on Americans’ phones,”

“Given the reports of rogue spying devices being identified near the White House and other government facilities, I fear that foreign intelligence services could target the president and other senior officials.”
The devices work by simulating cell towers that can trick nearby phones into connecting, allowing the IMSI catchers to collect calls, texts and other data, the paper reported.

 

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