Strengthening the mobile security defense line: SIM card key technology protects privacy in the digital age **——Industry experts call for attention to the upgrade of the underlying authentication mechanism**

Strengthening the mobile security defense line: SIM card key technology protects privacy in the digital age

**——Industry experts call for attention to the upgrade of the underlying authentication mechanism**

October 15, 2023, Beijing——Today, as the number of global mobile users exceeds 8.3 billion, an invisible offensive and defensive battle around 2.5 mm chips is unfolding. According to the latest report of CipherTrace, an international cybersecurity agency, SIM card hijacking attacks surged by 178% year-on-year in the first half of 2023, exposing the vulnerability of the underlying authentication system of mobile communications, and making the SIM card key technology, which has been silent for many years, return to the center of the security stage.

Key system: the "last gate" of mobile security

The 128-bit Ki key built into each SIM card is like a biometric identification code in the digital world. When the device is connected to the cellular network, the operator confirms the user's identity through a two-way dynamic key verification mechanism. "The unreadable design of the Ki key should have built an absolute defense line, but the physical properties of the physical chip make it a key breakthrough in the attack chain." GSMA security architect Elena Marquez pointed out at the MWC Shanghai Summit.

Darknet market monitoring data shows that the price of black industry chain services for cloning SIM cards has dropped to $500 per time. After attackers obtain user information through social engineering, they can trick operators into copying SIM cards, thereby breaking through core digital assets such as bank dynamic verification and social media accounts.

eSIM Revolution: From Hardware Cracking to Air Attack and Defense

As eSIM technology is rolled out in 56 countries around the world (Counterpoint data), the security battlefield has moved to the cloud. Apple's iPhone 14 series completely cancels the design of physical card slots, pushing eSIM users to exceed 320 million. This embedded solution uses remote configuration management, dynamically loads operator profiles through QR codes or applications, and stores keys in dedicated security chips (TEE).

"The SOAP protocol of eSIM uses a three-layer encryption system, but attackers are beginning to turn to supply chain penetration." Wang Liejun, head of the Qi'anxin Threat Intelligence Center, revealed, "We have monitored that APT attacks on operator management platforms increased by 47% in Q2 2023, and attackers attempted to tamper with the air card issuance process."

Quantum security algorithm: "Gene modification" of the next generation of SIM cards

Facing the threat of quantum computing, GSMA and ETSI launched the "post-quantum SIM" standard formulation work. In the experimental scheme demonstrated by China Mobile Research Institute, the traditional ECC algorithm was upgraded to a lattice-based LAC cryptographic system to achieve anti-quantum cracking capabilities while maintaining the existing physical structure of the SIM card. This "soft upgrade" strategy can maximize the protection of 5 billion existing users worldwide.

User Protection Guide

1. Enable the SIM card lock function provided by the operator (such as PIN code)

2. Be alert to abnormal situations such as "signal loss" and contact the operator in time

3. Be vigilant to suspicious calls that require ICCID numbers

4. High-end users can apply for the operator's enterprise-level SIM card reinforcement service

"Mobile security is a system project," said a relevant person in charge of the Cyber ​​Security Administration of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology. "my country is promoting the revision of the "Cellular Internet of Things Security Baseline Requirements" and will force the Internet of Things SIM cards to use the national secret algorithm SM9 to build an independent and controllable authentication system."

In this war of security without gunpowder, the evolution from plastic cards to virtualized chips confirms the underlying logic of security protection in the digital age-real security is often hidden in those invisible key confrontations.