Comments on: Stolen mobiles story http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/07/28/stolen-mobiles-story/ Security Research, Computer Laboratory, University of Cambridge Sun, 06 Jul 2008 12:17:59 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.5.1 By: S. Lo Presti http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/07/28/stolen-mobiles-story/#comment-882 S. Lo Presti Mon, 31 Jul 2006 14:52:16 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/07/28/stolen-mobiles-story/#comment-882 Oh and if you want to have a record of your IMEI, use this website: https://www.immobilise.com/ Oh and if you want to have a record of your IMEI, use this website:
https://www.immobilise.com/

]]> By: S. Lo Presti http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/07/28/stolen-mobiles-story/#comment-881 S. Lo Presti Mon, 31 Jul 2006 14:51:05 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/07/28/stolen-mobiles-story/#comment-881 Hi, What about going further than the current EIR solution with a truly international CEIR? And making life of street gangsters harder by using next-generation security (Trusted computering) to prevent IMEI reprogramming? Though I agree with you that the solution is manyfold, I think technically there's already a lot that can be done. Hi,

What about going further than the current EIR solution with a truly international CEIR? And making life of street gangsters harder by using next-generation security (Trusted computering) to prevent IMEI reprogramming? Though I agree with you that the solution is manyfold, I think technically there’s already a lot that can be done.

]]> By: Richard Kelsall http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/07/28/stolen-mobiles-story/#comment-868 Richard Kelsall Sat, 29 Jul 2006 16:14:52 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/07/28/stolen-mobiles-story/#comment-868 What surprised me back in December 2001 when my phone was stolen was that the police had no central record of stolen phones, nor did they want to record the IMEI. As phones have the IMEI printed inside them as well as containing the number electronically it would be fairly obvious from physical examination of a phone that it has either been stolen or 'reprogrammed' if they had a central list of stolen phones. With time and much skill it would be possible to change both the label and the electronic copy of the IMEI undetectably to a different valid number, but during this time the thief is in possession of an identifiably stolen or illegally altered item. It would seem useful to me to know whether a mobile is stolen whenever an arrest or search uncovers one. With the Home Office taking an interest in the IMEI does that mean the police now have a central record of stolen phones and their IMEIs which they can easily query in this fashion? What surprised me back in December 2001 when my phone was stolen was
that the police had no central record of stolen phones, nor did they
want to record the IMEI. As phones have the IMEI printed inside them
as well as containing the number electronically it would be fairly
obvious from physical examination of a phone that it has either been
stolen or ‘reprogrammed’ if they had a central list of stolen phones.
With time and much skill it would be possible to change both the
label and the electronic copy of the IMEI undetectably to a different
valid number, but during this time the thief is in possession of an
identifiably stolen or illegally altered item. It would seem useful
to me to know whether a mobile is stolen whenever an arrest or search
uncovers one. With the Home Office taking an interest in the IMEI does
that mean the police now have a central record of stolen phones and
their IMEIs which they can easily query in this fashion?

]]> By: Richard Clayton http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/07/28/stolen-mobiles-story/#comment-853 Richard Clayton Fri, 28 Jul 2006 17:06:21 +0000 http://www.lightbluetouchpaper.org/2006/07/28/stolen-mobiles-story/#comment-853 A couple of years ago I attended a talk by the police officer leading the Mobile Phone Crime Unit. He made the point that although there was a certain amount of "mugging", two major contributors to the crime wave were "bullying" (kids stealing from other kids -- and it just happened to be a mobile that was stolen, in other circumstances it might be backpacks or dinner money) and "insurance fraud" (people who dropped their mobile into the loo and found insurance didn't cover accidental damage would then report it stolen). Once you appreciate that "mugging" is only a part of the problem then IMEI blocking can be seen to be only a part of the solution! It's also worth noting that IMEI blocking isn't even an especially new solution... in Feb 2002, the claim was that this would be in place <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/1838960.stm" rel="nofollow">within six weeks</a>. A couple of years ago I attended a talk by the police officer leading the Mobile Phone Crime Unit. He made the point that although there was a certain amount of “mugging”, two major contributors to the crime wave were “bullying” (kids stealing from other kids — and it just happened to be a mobile that was stolen, in other circumstances it might be backpacks or dinner money) and “insurance fraud” (people who dropped their mobile into the loo and found insurance didn’t cover accidental damage would then report it stolen).

Once you appreciate that “mugging” is only a part of the problem then IMEI blocking can be seen to be only a part of the solution!

It’s also worth noting that IMEI blocking isn’t even an especially new solution… in Feb 2002, the claim was that this would be in place within six weeks.

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