WASHINGTON, DC - Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton (R-MI), Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), and Communications and Technology Subcommittee Ranking Member Anna Eshoo (D-CA), today sent letters to AT&T, Verizon, CenturyLink, Frontier, Sprint, and T-Mobile requesting a briefing on the vulnerabilities of the Signaling System 7 (SS7).
A recent 60 Minutes segment profiled the potential vulnerabilities of SS7 - the routing system that underlies the legacy voice networks around the world - depicting how simple it is for wrongdoers to hack into a user’s cell phone using the system. The leaders write, “Given the role of SS7 in our global communications networks, these vulnerabilities expose anyone using a phone to a possible security breach."
The leaders continued, “In order for the Committee to gain a better understanding of any security flaws in the SS7 protocol and the risks they represent we request that the Chief Technology Officer of your company be available to brief the Committee."