Terrorists can duplicate your IMEI number to a China-made cellphone in just two minutes
Terrorists can duplicate your IMEI number to a China-made cellphone in just two minutes
On July 11, 2006, seven serial blasts over 11 minutes on Mumbai's suburban train network killed 188 people and injured 800.
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Investigators tracked the culprits by using the burnt pieces of the cellphones used to trigger the explosives and through phone calls made to Pakistan.
The fact is, your cellphone could have been used to detonate the blasts or further acts of terrorism. And here's how.
Every cellphone has a unique 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number, which is allotted for identification.
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Mangled remains of the first class compartment of a Virar-bound local, on July 11, 2006. Cellphones were used to detonate the seven blasts. |
In just two minutes, a machine can duplicate your IMEI number and encode it on a Chinese unbranded cellphone, which do not have an IMEI number.
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The IMEI number is given to registered cellphone numbers only. And the technology to decode and encrypt the number on to an unbranded phone is through a home PC and a very simple software.
IMEI numbers help intelligence agencies to keep a tab on mobile phone users. If a person uses mobile phone for anti-national activities, the IMEI number can be used to track the set and catch the culprit.
Sanjay Tungar, the cyber cell in-charge at Pune, said the possibility of identity theft of IMEI has always existed.
"By using special software these IMEI numbers taken from a branded phone can be copied to unbranded handsets, but the culprits can eventually be tracked though it may take time to investigate," said Tungar.
A cellphone expert demonstrated the simplicity of the encryption process to this paper and it took under two minutes to transfer an IMEI number from a computer screen to an unbranded phone.
Added Prashant Bora, the founder and CEO of Beyond, which manufactures cellphones in China, "The IMEI number of your cell phone can go into the wrong hands not only when it is lost or stolen.
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If an employee steals these IMEI numbers and sells it off, the number can be duplicated. Even if you are using your own branded cellphone, you may not know that someone is also using it," he added.
Recently, the government asked all mobile service providers to block calls to cellphones that do not have IMEI numbers.
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Most Chinese-made phones that are available in the grey market, at a much lower price do not have IMEI numbers.
Rohit Srivastava, a security technologist and director of technology and network operations for the Commonwealth Games 2010, said, "Changing the IMEI number is child's play.
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The software needed to do it can even be easily downloaded from the Internet."
The Other SideAshwani Budhiraja, Director for Mobile Standard Alliance of India, Delhi, who is responsible for issuing IMEI numbers to handsets, said, "Cloning of IMEI numbers is a serious problem.
We are working with the government to solve this problem. In June last year, there were reports that more than 50 Chinese handsets were procured by terrorists having similar IMEI numbers.
We are doing our best to ensure that people get genuine IMEI numbers."
What is an IMEI Number?The 15-digit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) number is a unique number, which is allotted to every mobile phone for identification.
It represents the name of the mobile manufacturer, the type of phone and it gets registered with the mobile phone operator as soon as the mobile set is activated.
Cellphone TerrorOn July 11, 2006, seven Integrated Explosive Devices were triggered in the first-class bogies on the western railway network using automated cellphones. Over 188 people were killed and 800 injured in the serial blasts.
Cellphones were also used to trigger the twin blasts at Lumbini Park and Gokul chat centre in Hyderabad that killed 42 on August 25, 2007.
The blast at Mecca Masjid in May 2007, was also triggered by a cell phone.
Cellphones were also instrumental in the blasts in Jaipur, New Delhi and Malegaon last year.
'#06#Key it on your phone and get your IMEI number
On November 30...
As per government directives, handsets with a false IMEI would stop working on all networks on November 30.
So, for customers to get their IMEI number validated, the Mobile Service Providers' Association had chosen eight centres across the city.
Customers had to go to these centres, download the software at a cost of Rs 199 and get a new IMEI number.
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But on November 30, seven of these centres were shut and everyone descended on Jayshree Enterprises in Kurla the only shop that provided the Genuine IMEI implantation programme.
At one point, the numbers were so huge that the police had to be called in.u00a0
Ankita Shah
