World’s largest SIM manufacturer investigating claims US and British spies stole its encryption keys

Gemalto, the world’s largest supplier of SIM cards, says it’s investigating claims that US and British spies hacked into its systems to steal encryption keys, reports Reuters.

The Franco-Dutch company, which calls itself a “world’s leader in digital security”, also makes smart chips for bank cards and biometric passports.

It’s responding to claims by NSA-whistleblower Edward Snowden, published by The Intercept, that the NSA and GCHQ gained access to the keys and were able to decrypt voice and data communications without alerting users, networks or governments.

In a statement, the company says: “We take this publication very seriously and will devote all resources necessary to fully investigate and understand the scope of such sophisticated techniques.”

Earlier this month, a UK court ruled that GCHQ illegally accessed millions of personal communications collected by the NSA.

➤ Gemalto says investigating hacking report [Reuters]

Image credit: Gemalto