Off topic Q related to Cell/Wireless Snooping

Wireless & IoT
1

At my job we use some embedded RF modules all running at the same frequency, (900 MHz range). While testing all the modules and their communication with a server, we hook up a seperate RF receiver directly to hyperterminal and just receive everything that is floating through the air. Because of data isn’t encrypted, everything can be seen.

My question pertains to cell phones. Can there theoretically be a similar device for cell phones? A standard receiver that just snatches all cellular data that is floating in the air (on a bit level) at a given location? I assume if it is wireless, if can be retrieved by anyone, despite the fact that its encrypted very well. (BTW does anyone know the encryption schemes for cell phones these days?)

Anyway, can such a device (cell data snatcher) be simply a receiver with a frequency that matches today’s cell phone protocol (GSM or GPRS around 916 MHz I believe right?).

Sorry, just an off-topic silly Question.

-zbalz

2

As I understand it both GSM and CDMA have some sort of encryption. I don’t know if they encrypt the audio stream or just the control messages, though. TDMA, which is only slowly going away, doesn’t, and can be easily snooped; and the old AMPS standard was just plain old FM audio and could be received on old TV sets :smiley: CDMA is technically difficult to snoop because of the power-level adjustment stuff though.

Unlike most other kinds of radio reception, though, cell phone snooping is illegal in the US (ECPA).

3

Yeah I figured that cell snooping was strictly illegal for privacy issues and whatnot. I was just curious if it was possible to using a standard embedded receiver module (like a Maxstream…or even any of the receivers sold here at Sparkfun) as long as the frequencies match. So that is correct though?

Anyone know the legal situation of Wifi snooping? I can’t even imagine someone being able to actually break the encryptions very easily if it was legal.