Stolen SIM keys are powerful spy tools for US, UK agencies

Washington

IT would be another powerful tool in the arsenal of US and British spy services: encryption keys for a large share of the SIM cards used for mobile phones.

A report by the investigative news website The Intercept, citing leaked documents from former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden, said that the US and British agencies "hacked into" European manufacturer Gemalto to gain these keys.