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Today I will tell you interesting details about how punching by phone number works. What data the operators save and how much they can be bought on the shadow forums. We will also go through the technical part and dispel the most popular myths that are shown in films and TV shows.
A mobile phone is a sensor that constantly collects information regardless of the phone's operating mode. It is in standby or talk mode. Cellular operators log all your actions and store it for a certain time (at least 6 months). Thus, contact numbers, owner's full name, duration of calls, turning on and off the phone, SMS content, using the Internet, moving around, using different SIM cards and devices fall into the hands of operators.
How do I stay anonymous? Refuse to use mobile operators or in any way? The fact is that all information about the SIM card is available to anyone for a certain amount. This means that knowing your number or name, you can get the full issue, including your current location and movement for the last 6 months. Operator employees sell this information. At the end of the article, we will analyze what services are provided on the shadow forums and how much it costs. First, let's figure out the terminology and dispel popular myths.
Basic terms
A cellular base station (BS) is a tower with antennas that is responsible for receiving and transmitting a signal from one subscriber to another. The coverage radius is from 0.5 to 10 kilometers.
Honeycomb is the coverage area of the BS operation. Each cell has a unique CI (Cell ID). The operator can get information about all subscribers who are in the same cell.
IMEI - a long series of numbers serves as a unique identifier by which the mobile operator recognizes the phone and registers its appearance on the network. This number can be used to identify the country of the device manufacturer. There are also global blacklists, where stolen or illegally obtained devices are added.
A SIM card is a contact smart card with its own processor that can register with the mobile network. "Simka" is able to find the nearest transmitting station and store information: numbers, SMS and other data.
Direction finding is a service that determines the location of a radiation source. The direction finder program or device determines the location of the mobile phone by the sim card number.
Umbrella is a type of breakout, which contains information on the 5 nearest subscribers by the phone number of interest.
Flash - instant identification of the location of the subscriber, indicating on a map or address.
Analysis of popular myths
# 1: If you use old Siemens, they won't be able to identify me
Each device, when connected to the network, connects to the base station with the strongest signal. After that, the operator has enough data to determine the location and receive other information, regardless of the make and model of the phone. Also, each device has an IMEI, which is also logged by cellular operators. Accordingly, you can determine which SIM cards went online with the same IMEI.
# 2: If you buy a SIM card for your left passport, they won't find me
When searching for phone numbers, information is requested from the entire cell (the coverage area of the base station). This information is stored for at least 6 months. The first action of the major comrade is to determine the nearest 5 subscribers to the phone. And further along the chain, cut off and collect information. If a personal phone is used together with a drop number, then it is easiest to determine it. After all, several samples from the cell will show that this phone was constantly as close as possible, although others were constantly changing their position.
# 3: If you turn off your real phone, and use a phone + SIM card issued for a drop, then I will not be calculated
Switching off and connecting to the base station is also logged. Thus, you can trace the switching on and off of the main phone and the work of the anonymous one. For example, the situation will be quite obvious if the logs indicate that immediately after turning off the real phone, a fake one began to be used. Such actions, judging by the logs, were repeated several times. Thus, the real owner can be identified.
# 4: Using different SIM cards will allow me to resolve all issues with anonymity
Firstly, if we are talking about different SIM cards, then we must also use devices with different IMEIs. After all, if this condition is not met, then it all comes down to finding a specific IMEI. Again, the nearest other phone numbers, receiving a printout of calls and contacts, allows you to reach services or other subscribers who were nearby, and then to the real owner.
# 5: The switched off phone can transmit coordinates. To avoid this, you need to remove the battery. Phones with built-in non-removable batteries appeared at the request of special services
Another myth that has been shown in hundreds of films. In fact, after turning off the phone, it does not interact with the base stations in any way. A similar situation will be if you switch the phone to airplane mode. At this moment, the operation of all receivers and transmitters is turned off. Another issue is that the operator still has the data and locations of the last calls. And if you have called from the same place for 10 years, and then suddenly decided to turn off the phone and remove the battery, then this will not help in any way.
How do special services work?
Special services in normal mode, without a request to the operators, can receive information about which devices and SIM-cards are located in the area in question. A sample for a month or a couple of weeks will filter out local residents, those who permanently reside in the area. Even at the stage of sampling, it is possible to analyze the information and obtain the full name of the owner or the immediate environment, through which the suspect can be de-anonymized. In this way, most of the options are cut off and only "potential" ones remain.
There are various possible options, but one of the technical possible is this:
A task force with a manual direction finder moves to the scene of the cell in which the suspect's phone is located. This is a simple radio receiver with an arrow that shows the signal strength and an antenna in the shape of the letter H, the letter F, a tricky tube or a hyperbolic / parabolic dish (often several antennas are included in the kit for different operating conditions). The base station has information on exactly what frequency the sought device is currently operating. Oper tunes the receiver to this frequency, turns the antenna around him and looks at the arrow. From where the signal is strongest, it goes there. He enters the staircase, climbs the stairs and measures the signal. In this way he finds the required floor, then an apartment and that's it, "anonymity" is over. For this, they can use the Rohde & Schwarz DDF0xE Digital Direction Finder,
How much does punching service cost on forums?
The range of services on the forums is quite large. There are also quite a few sellers who provide such services. There is a choice among all popular operators. The only thing that is different is the price. For example, the cheapest price for Beeline services. The largest price list for services for Yota. This is a small pleasure for the subscribers of this operator.
It is important to understand about location determination. It all depends on the number of BSs around. If there are 5-6 of them, then the signal can be received up to the level of the entrance or the house. The distance to each base station allows you to accurately determine the location of the subscriber. If 1-2, then the approximate location will be around 100-200 meters.
Conclusion
Mobile operators have a huge amount of information about their subscribers. It can be easily purchased from shady forums. Thus, having received information about the movement, contact numbers, SMS, turning on and off the device, as well as other information. This is a large leak, which can lead to deanonymization and obtaining a sufficient amount of information about the subscriber.
A mobile phone is a sensor that constantly collects information regardless of the phone's operating mode. It is in standby or talk mode. Cellular operators log all your actions and store it for a certain time (at least 6 months). Thus, contact numbers, owner's full name, duration of calls, turning on and off the phone, SMS content, using the Internet, moving around, using different SIM cards and devices fall into the hands of operators.
How do I stay anonymous? Refuse to use mobile operators or in any way? The fact is that all information about the SIM card is available to anyone for a certain amount. This means that knowing your number or name, you can get the full issue, including your current location and movement for the last 6 months. Operator employees sell this information. At the end of the article, we will analyze what services are provided on the shadow forums and how much it costs. First, let's figure out the terminology and dispel popular myths.
Basic terms
A cellular base station (BS) is a tower with antennas that is responsible for receiving and transmitting a signal from one subscriber to another. The coverage radius is from 0.5 to 10 kilometers.
Honeycomb is the coverage area of the BS operation. Each cell has a unique CI (Cell ID). The operator can get information about all subscribers who are in the same cell.
IMEI - a long series of numbers serves as a unique identifier by which the mobile operator recognizes the phone and registers its appearance on the network. This number can be used to identify the country of the device manufacturer. There are also global blacklists, where stolen or illegally obtained devices are added.
A SIM card is a contact smart card with its own processor that can register with the mobile network. "Simka" is able to find the nearest transmitting station and store information: numbers, SMS and other data.
Direction finding is a service that determines the location of a radiation source. The direction finder program or device determines the location of the mobile phone by the sim card number.
Umbrella is a type of breakout, which contains information on the 5 nearest subscribers by the phone number of interest.
Flash - instant identification of the location of the subscriber, indicating on a map or address.
Analysis of popular myths
# 1: If you use old Siemens, they won't be able to identify me
Each device, when connected to the network, connects to the base station with the strongest signal. After that, the operator has enough data to determine the location and receive other information, regardless of the make and model of the phone. Also, each device has an IMEI, which is also logged by cellular operators. Accordingly, you can determine which SIM cards went online with the same IMEI.
# 2: If you buy a SIM card for your left passport, they won't find me
When searching for phone numbers, information is requested from the entire cell (the coverage area of the base station). This information is stored for at least 6 months. The first action of the major comrade is to determine the nearest 5 subscribers to the phone. And further along the chain, cut off and collect information. If a personal phone is used together with a drop number, then it is easiest to determine it. After all, several samples from the cell will show that this phone was constantly as close as possible, although others were constantly changing their position.
# 3: If you turn off your real phone, and use a phone + SIM card issued for a drop, then I will not be calculated
Switching off and connecting to the base station is also logged. Thus, you can trace the switching on and off of the main phone and the work of the anonymous one. For example, the situation will be quite obvious if the logs indicate that immediately after turning off the real phone, a fake one began to be used. Such actions, judging by the logs, were repeated several times. Thus, the real owner can be identified.
# 4: Using different SIM cards will allow me to resolve all issues with anonymity
Firstly, if we are talking about different SIM cards, then we must also use devices with different IMEIs. After all, if this condition is not met, then it all comes down to finding a specific IMEI. Again, the nearest other phone numbers, receiving a printout of calls and contacts, allows you to reach services or other subscribers who were nearby, and then to the real owner.
# 5: The switched off phone can transmit coordinates. To avoid this, you need to remove the battery. Phones with built-in non-removable batteries appeared at the request of special services
Another myth that has been shown in hundreds of films. In fact, after turning off the phone, it does not interact with the base stations in any way. A similar situation will be if you switch the phone to airplane mode. At this moment, the operation of all receivers and transmitters is turned off. Another issue is that the operator still has the data and locations of the last calls. And if you have called from the same place for 10 years, and then suddenly decided to turn off the phone and remove the battery, then this will not help in any way.
How do special services work?
Special services in normal mode, without a request to the operators, can receive information about which devices and SIM-cards are located in the area in question. A sample for a month or a couple of weeks will filter out local residents, those who permanently reside in the area. Even at the stage of sampling, it is possible to analyze the information and obtain the full name of the owner or the immediate environment, through which the suspect can be de-anonymized. In this way, most of the options are cut off and only "potential" ones remain.
There are various possible options, but one of the technical possible is this:
A task force with a manual direction finder moves to the scene of the cell in which the suspect's phone is located. This is a simple radio receiver with an arrow that shows the signal strength and an antenna in the shape of the letter H, the letter F, a tricky tube or a hyperbolic / parabolic dish (often several antennas are included in the kit for different operating conditions). The base station has information on exactly what frequency the sought device is currently operating. Oper tunes the receiver to this frequency, turns the antenna around him and looks at the arrow. From where the signal is strongest, it goes there. He enters the staircase, climbs the stairs and measures the signal. In this way he finds the required floor, then an apartment and that's it, "anonymity" is over. For this, they can use the Rohde & Schwarz DDF0xE Digital Direction Finder,
How much does punching service cost on forums?
The range of services on the forums is quite large. There are also quite a few sellers who provide such services. There is a choice among all popular operators. The only thing that is different is the price. For example, the cheapest price for Beeline services. The largest price list for services for Yota. This is a small pleasure for the subscribers of this operator.
It is important to understand about location determination. It all depends on the number of BSs around. If there are 5-6 of them, then the signal can be received up to the level of the entrance or the house. The distance to each base station allows you to accurately determine the location of the subscriber. If 1-2, then the approximate location will be around 100-200 meters.
Conclusion
Mobile operators have a huge amount of information about their subscribers. It can be easily purchased from shady forums. Thus, having received information about the movement, contact numbers, SMS, turning on and off the device, as well as other information. This is a large leak, which can lead to deanonymization and obtaining a sufficient amount of information about the subscriber.
