Researcher: "Gemalto was specifically targeted by GCHQ"

The chip maker based in the Netherlands Gemalto was indeed a specific target of the British secret service GCHQ, although Gemalto denies this in a press release. Yesterday The Intercept dropped on the basis of documents that the NSA and GCHQ in 2010 had broken at Gemalto .

In addition, the encryption keys were to secure mobile communications captured. In a press release states that Gemalto would appear from the publication that it was not necessarily the target. "It was an attempt to maximize net eject and as many mobile phones as possible to reach, with the aim to monitor the mobile communications without the consent of telecom providers and users."

Andrew Fishman, researcher and journalist at The Intercept let on Twitter know that Gemalto was indeed the target of the secret services. Codenamed "Dapino GAMMA" which appears in the documents of the GCHQ are namely GCHQ code name for Gemalto. In an operation of the British secret service, named HIGHLAND FLING, Gemalto is even named. This operation was intended to access the email accounts of Gemalto employees in France and Poland. Because of the revelations is the share of Gemalto on the AEX stock market currently more than 6% in the minus.

NSA And GCHQ Would Have Hacked Sim Manufacturer Gemalto

The American and British secret services were established in the Netherlands SIM card manufacturer Gemalto five years ago there have been hacked and stolen the encryption keys used to secure mobile communications. Thus, the NSA and the British GCHQ would mobile communications eavesdropping without permission of telecom operators and foreign governments.

That claims The Intercept using documents whistleblower Edward Snowden. Gemalto product annually honors 2 billion SIM cards and is one of the largest manufacturers in the world SIM card. According to a presentation in 2010 of the GCHQ, different computers are infected with malware Gemalto that the British secret service at the time thought full access to the network.

Gemalto CEO Paul Beverly called the news disturbing. "The important thing for me is to understand how this could happen just so we can take steps to prevent it does not happen again," he tells The Intercept opposite. After being informed Gemalto's security team has conducted an investigation, but could find no trace of any hack. However, the slides of Snowden dating five years ago.

D66 MP Gerard Schouw call it incredible. He and other policymakers will ask for clarification from the government and want to know whether the AIVD knew Gemalto was a target. "We have a law in the Netherlands on the activities of secret services and hacking is not allowed," said the MP. He also does not think Plasterk such operations would approve by foreign secret services.