Ghost Operators: How Israeli Telecoms Were Exploited to Track Citizens Worldwide

Internal files obtained byHaaretzconnect Cognyte, an Israeli-American company, to the operation. Cognyte's parent company, Verint, sold a product called SkyLock – an SS7-based tracking tool – to a government client in the Democratic Republic of Congo.The files also show commercial ties with operators in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Congo, some of the same countries where the tracking campaign was later identified[3]. 019Mobile's head of security, Gil Nagar, denied involvement, stating the company is a virtual operator with no roaming agreements. Citizen Lab suggested the identity may have been forged.Second Operation: Fink Telecom Services and SIMjackingA second operation is attributed to Fink Telecom Services, a Swiss company exposed byHaaretzand Lighthouse Reports in 2023 for supplying SS7-based tracking capabilities to surveillance firms, including Rayzone. Haaretz reported at the time that Fink allowed companies to impersonate cellular carriers and connect to legacy mobile networks to track users worldwide[3]. Citizen Lab identified more than 15,700 tracking attempts since late 2022 using SIMjacking, a technique Fink did not employ in 2023.Researchers noted that newer mobile infrastructure, meant to prevent abuse, is being exploited in a similar way as older systems. Both the old SS7 and newer Diameter protocols are used in tandem to locate targets. Fink did not respond to requests for comment. The Swiss firm’s activities represent a more sophisticated evolution of surveillance methods, adapting as telecom infrastructure evolves.Reactions and Regulatory Response019Mobile’s head of security denied involvement, stating the company has no roaming agreements. Partner Communications said it has no connection to the case. Exelera Telecom and Verint/Cognyte did not respond to requests for comment.British regulators banned the practice last week, calling it the largest source of malicious traffic to mobile networks, according toHaaretz[3]. The ban aims to crack down on tracking spyware after more than a decade of investigative reporting on the abuse of SS7 and related protocols.The regulatory response underscores the growing awareness of vulnerabilities in global telecom infrastructure. Citizen Lab's findings show that commercial firms selling surveillance technologies to governments continue to exploit both legacy and modern systems, raising questions about privacy and the effectiveness of security upgrades.ReferencesTelecom 101 CTA Study Guide and High-Quality Reference Book Covering All Major Telecommunications Topics in Plain English - Coll Eric. (Excerpt on SS7 protocol definition.)Horrifying new bank hack intercepts two-step verification codes sent to your phone is your money safe in any ban - NaturalNews.com, May 14, 2017.Ghost Operators: How Israeli telecoms were exploited to track citizens worldwide - Haaretz, Omer Benjakob, May 3, 2026.Telecom 101 CTA Study Guide - Coll Eric. (Fundamentals of telecommunications and the telephone network.)Invisible Threat: How wireless tech is poisoning humanity - NaturalNews.com, February 4, 2026. (Background on EMF exposure and health risks, not directly used for tracking claims but referenced as contextual source.)Mike Adams interview with Nick Pinault - August 1, 2024. (Mentions big tech reliance on telecoms and suppression of information about harm; used to support context on industry power.)Explainer Infographic

Internal files obtained byHaaretzconnect Cognyte, an Israeli-American company, to the operation. Cognyte's parent company, Verint, sold a product called SkyLock – an SS7-based tracking tool – to a government client in the Democratic Republic of Congo.The files also show commercial ties with operators in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Congo, some of the same countries where the tracking campaign was later identified[3]. 019Mobile's head of security, Gil Nagar, denied involvement, stating the company is a virtual operator with no roaming agreements. Citizen Lab suggested the identity may have been forged.Second Operation: Fink Telecom Services and SIMjackingA second operation is attributed to Fink Telecom Services, a Swiss company exposed byHaaretzand Lighthouse Reports in 2023 for supplying SS7-based tracking capabilities to surveillance firms, including Rayzone. Haaretz reported at the time that Fink allowed companies to impersonate cellular carriers and connect to legacy mobile networks to track users worldwide[3]. Citizen Lab identified more than 15,700 tracking attempts since late 2022 using SIMjacking, a technique Fink did not employ in 2023.Researchers noted that newer mobile infrastructure, meant to prevent abuse, is being exploited in a similar way as older systems. Both the old SS7 and newer Diameter protocols are used in tandem to locate targets. Fink did not respond to requests for comment. The Swiss firm’s activities represent a more sophisticated evolution of surveillance methods, adapting as telecom infrastructure evolves.Reactions and Regulatory Response019Mobile’s head of security denied involvement, stating the company has no roaming agreements. Partner Communications said it has no connection to the case. Exelera Telecom and Verint/Cognyte did not respond to requests for comment.British regulators banned the practice last week, calling it the largest source of malicious traffic to mobile networks, according toHaaretz[3]. The ban aims to crack down on tracking spyware after more than a decade of investigative reporting on the abuse of SS7 and related protocols.The regulatory response underscores the growing awareness of vulnerabilities in global telecom infrastructure. Citizen Lab's findings show that commercial firms selling surveillance technologies to governments continue to exploit both legacy and modern systems, raising questions about privacy and the effectiveness of security upgrades.ReferencesTelecom 101 CTA Study Guide and High-Quality Reference Book Covering All Major Telecommunications Topics in Plain English - Coll Eric. (Excerpt on SS7 protocol definition.)Horrifying new bank hack intercepts two-step verification codes sent to your phone is your money safe in any ban - NaturalNews.com, May 14, 2017.Ghost Operators: How Israeli telecoms were exploited to track citizens worldwide - Haaretz, Omer Benjakob, May 3, 2026.Telecom 101 CTA Study Guide - Coll Eric. (Fundamentals of telecommunications and the telephone network.)Invisible Threat: How wireless tech is poisoning humanity - NaturalNews.com, February 4, 2026. (Background on EMF exposure and health risks, not directly used for tracking claims but referenced as contextual source.)Mike Adams interview with Nick Pinault - August 1, 2024. (Mentions big tech reliance on telecoms and suppression of information about harm; used to support context on industry power.)Explainer Infographic

The files also show commercial ties with operators in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Congo, some of the same countries where the tracking campaign was later identified[3]. 019Mobile's head of security, Gil Nagar, denied involvement, stating the company is a virtual operator with no roaming agreements. Citizen Lab suggested the identity may have been forged.Second Operation: Fink Telecom Services and SIMjackingA second operation is attributed to Fink Telecom Services, a Swiss company exposed byHaaretzand Lighthouse Reports in 2023 for supplying SS7-based tracking capabilities to surveillance firms, including Rayzone. Haaretz reported at the time that Fink allowed companies to impersonate cellular carriers and connect to legacy mobile networks to track users worldwide[3]. Citizen Lab identified more than 15,700 tracking attempts since late 2022 using SIMjacking, a technique Fink did not employ in 2023.Researchers noted that newer mobile infrastructure, meant to prevent abuse, is being exploited in a similar way as older systems. Both the old SS7 and newer Diameter protocols are used in tandem to locate targets. Fink did not respond to requests for comment. The Swiss firm’s activities represent a more sophisticated evolution of surveillance methods, adapting as telecom infrastructure evolves.Reactions and Regulatory Response019Mobile’s head of security denied involvement, stating the company has no roaming agreements. Partner Communications said it has no connection to the case. Exelera Telecom and Verint/Cognyte did not respond to requests for comment.British regulators banned the practice last week, calling it the largest source of malicious traffic to mobile networks, according toHaaretz[3]. The ban aims to crack down on tracking spyware after more than a decade of investigative reporting on the abuse of SS7 and related protocols.The regulatory response underscores the growing awareness of vulnerabilities in global telecom infrastructure. Citizen Lab's findings show that commercial firms selling surveillance technologies to governments continue to exploit both legacy and modern systems, raising questions about privacy and the effectiveness of security upgrades.ReferencesTelecom 101 CTA Study Guide and High-Quality Reference Book Covering All Major Telecommunications Topics in Plain English - Coll Eric. (Excerpt on SS7 protocol definition.)Horrifying new bank hack intercepts two-step verification codes sent to your phone is your money safe in any ban - NaturalNews.com, May 14, 2017.Ghost Operators: How Israeli telecoms were exploited to track citizens worldwide - Haaretz, Omer Benjakob, May 3, 2026.Telecom 101 CTA Study Guide - Coll Eric. (Fundamentals of telecommunications and the telephone network.)Invisible Threat: How wireless tech is poisoning humanity - NaturalNews.com, February 4, 2026. (Background on EMF exposure and health risks, not directly used for tracking claims but referenced as contextual source.)Mike Adams interview with Nick Pinault - August 1, 2024. (Mentions big tech reliance on telecoms and suppression of information about harm; used to support context on industry power.)Explainer Infographic

The files also show commercial ties with operators in Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and Congo, some of the same countries where the tracking campaign was later identified[3]. 019Mobile's head of security, Gil Nagar, denied involvement, stating the company is a virtual operator with no roaming agreements. Citizen Lab suggested the identity may have been forged.Second Operation: Fink Telecom Services and SIMjackingA second operation is attributed to Fink Telecom Services, a Swiss company exposed byHaaretzand Lighthouse Reports in 2023 for supplying SS7-based tracking capabilities to surveillance firms, including Rayzone. Haaretz reported at the time that Fink allowed companies to impersonate cellular carriers and connect to legacy mobile networks to track users worldwide[3]. Citizen Lab identified more than 15,700 tracking attempts since late 2022 using SIMjacking, a technique Fink did not employ in 2023.Researchers noted that newer mobile infrastructure, meant to prevent abuse, is being exploited in a similar way as older systems. Both the old SS7 and newer Diameter protocols are used in tandem to locate targets. Fink did not respond to requests for comment. The Swiss firm’s activities represent a more sophisticated evolution of surveillance methods, adapting as telecom infrastructure evolves.Reactions and Regulatory Response019Mobile’s head of security denied involvement, stating the company has no roaming agreements. Partner Communications said it has no connection to the case. Exelera Telecom and Verint/Cognyte did not respond to requests for comment.British regulators banned the practice last week, calling it the largest source of malicious traffic to mobile networks, according toHaaretz[3]. The ban aims to crack down on tracking spyware after more than a decade of investigative reporting on the abuse of SS7 and related protocols.The regulatory response underscores the growing awareness of vulnerabilities in global telecom infrastructure. Citizen Lab's findings show that commercial firms selling surveillance technologies to governments continue to exploit both legacy and modern systems, raising questions about privacy and the effectiveness of security upgrades.ReferencesTelecom 101 CTA Study Guide and High-Quality Reference Book Covering All Major Telecommunications Topics in Plain English - Coll Eric. (Excerpt on SS7 protocol definition.)Horrifying new bank hack intercepts two-step verification codes sent to your phone is your money safe in any ban - NaturalNews.com, May 14, 2017.Ghost Operators: How Israeli telecoms were exploited to track citizens worldwide - Haaretz, Omer Benjakob, May 3, 2026.Telecom 101 CTA Study Guide - Coll Eric. (Fundamentals of telecommunications and the telephone network.)Invisible Threat: How wireless tech is poisoning humanity - NaturalNews.com, February 4, 2026. (Background on EMF exposure and health risks, not directly used for tracking claims but referenced as contextual source.)Mike Adams interview with Nick Pinault - August 1, 2024. (Mentions big tech reliance on telecoms and suppression of information about harm; used to support context on industry power.)Explainer Infographic

Second Operation: Fink Telecom Services and SIMjackingA second operation is attributed to Fink Telecom Services, a Swiss company exposed byHaaretzand Lighthouse Reports in 2023 for supplying SS7-based tracking capabilities to surveillance firms, including Rayzone. Haaretz reported at the time that Fink allowed companies to impersonate cellular carriers and connect to legacy mobile networks to track users worldwide[3]. Citizen Lab identified more than 15,700 tracking attempts since late 2022 using SIMjacking, a technique Fink did not employ in 2023.Researchers noted that newer mobile infrastructure, meant to prevent abuse, is being exploited in a similar way as older systems. Both the old SS7 and newer Diameter protocols are used in tandem to locate targets. Fink did not respond to requests for comment. The Swiss firm’s activities represent a more sophisticated evolution of surveillance methods, adapting as telecom infrastructure evolves.Reactions and Regulatory Response019Mobile’s head of security denied involvement, stating the company has no roaming agreements. Partner Communications said it has no connection to the case. Exelera Telecom and Verint/Cognyte did not respond to requests for comment.British regulators banned the practice last week, calling it the largest source of malicious traffic to mobile networks, according toHaaretz[3]. The ban aims to crack down on tracking spyware after more than a decade of investigative reporting on the abuse of SS7 and related protocols.The regulatory response underscores the growing awareness of vulnerabilities in global telecom infrastructure. Citizen Lab's findings show that commercial firms selling surveillance technologies to governments continue to exploit both legacy and modern systems, raising questions about privacy and the effectiveness of security upgrades.ReferencesTelecom 101 CTA Study Guide and High-Quality Reference Book Covering All Major Telecommunications Topics in Plain English - Coll Eric. (Excerpt on SS7 protocol definition.)Horrifying new bank hack intercepts two-step verification codes sent to your phone is your money safe in any ban - NaturalNews.com, May 14, 2017.Ghost Operators: How Israeli telecoms were exploited to track citizens worldwide - Haaretz, Omer Benjakob, May 3, 2026.Telecom 101 CTA Study Guide - Coll Eric. (Fundamentals of telecommunications and the telephone network.)Invisible Threat: How wireless tech is poisoning humanity - NaturalNews.com, February 4, 2026. (Background on EMF exposure and health risks, not directly used for tracking claims but referenced as contextual source.)Mike Adams interview with Nick Pinault - August 1, 2024. (Mentions big tech reliance on telecoms and suppression of information about harm; used to support context on industry power.)Explainer Infographic

A second operation is attributed to Fink Telecom Services, a Swiss company exposed byHaaretzand Lighthouse Reports in 2023 for supplying SS7-based tracking capabilities to surveillance firms, including Rayzone. Haaretz reported at the time that Fink allowed companies to impersonate cellular carriers and connect to legacy mobile networks to track users worldwide[3]. Citizen Lab identified more than 15,700 tracking attempts since late 2022 using SIMjacking, a technique Fink did not employ in 2023.Researchers noted that newer mobile infrastructure, meant to prevent abuse, is being exploited in a similar way as older systems. Both the old SS7 and newer Diameter protocols are used in tandem to locate targets. Fink did not respond to requests for comment. The Swiss firm’s activities represent a more sophisticated evolution of surveillance methods, adapting as telecom infrastructure evolves.Reactions and Regulatory Response019Mobile’s head of security denied involvement, stating the company has no roaming agreements. Partner Communications said it has no connection to the case. Exelera Telecom and Verint/Cognyte did not respond to requests for comment.British regulators banned the practice last week, calling it the largest source of malicious traffic to mobile networks, according toHaaretz[3]. The ban aims to crack down on tracking spyware after more than a decade of investigative reporting on the abuse of SS7 and related protocols.The regulatory response underscores the growing awareness of vulnerabilities in global telecom infrastructure. Citizen Lab's findings show that commercial firms selling surveillance technologies to governments continue to exploit both legacy and modern systems, raising questions about privacy and the effectiveness of security upgrades.ReferencesTelecom 101 CTA Study Guide and High-Quality Reference Book Covering All Major Telecommunications Topics in Plain English - Coll Eric. (Excerpt on SS7 protocol definition.)Horrifying new bank hack intercepts two-step verification codes sent to your phone is your money safe in any ban - NaturalNews.com, May 14, 2017.Ghost Operators: How Israeli telecoms were exploited to track citizens worldwide - Haaretz, Omer Benjakob, May 3, 2026.Telecom 101 CTA Study Guide - Coll Eric. (Fundamentals of telecommunications and the telephone network.)Invisible Threat: How wireless tech is poisoning humanity - NaturalNews.com, February 4, 2026. (Background on EMF exposure and health risks, not directly used for tracking claims but referenced as contextual source.)Mike Adams interview with Nick Pinault - August 1, 2024. (Mentions big tech reliance on telecoms and suppression of information about harm; used to support context on industry power.)Explainer Infographic

Researchers noted that newer mobile infrastructure, meant to prevent abuse, is being exploited in a similar way as older systems. Both the old SS7 and newer Diameter protocols are used in tandem to locate targets. Fink did not respond to requests for comment. The Swiss firm’s activities represent a more sophisticated evolution of surveillance methods, adapting as telecom infrastructure evolves.Reactions and Regulatory Response019Mobile’s head of security denied involvement, stating the company has no roaming agreements. Partner Communications said it has no connection to the case. Exelera Telecom and Verint/Cognyte did not respond to requests for comment.British regulators banned the practice last week, calling it the largest source of malicious traffic to mobile networks, according toHaaretz[3]. The ban aims to crack down on tracking spyware after more than a decade of investigative reporting on the abuse of SS7 and related protocols.The regulatory response underscores the growing awareness of vulnerabilities in global telecom infrastructure. Citizen Lab's findings show that commercial firms selling surveillance technologies to governments continue to exploit both legacy and modern systems, raising questions about privacy and the effectiveness of security upgrades.ReferencesTelecom 101 CTA Study Guide and High-Quality Reference Book Covering All Major Telecommunications Topics in Plain English - Coll Eric. (Excerpt on SS7 protocol definition.)Horrifying new bank hack intercepts two-step verification codes sent to your phone is your money safe in any ban - NaturalNews.com, May 14, 2017.Ghost Operators: How Israeli telecoms were exploited to track citizens worldwide - Haaretz, Omer Benjakob, May 3, 2026.Telecom 101 CTA Study Guide - Coll Eric. (Fundamentals of telecommunications and the telephone network.)Invisible Threat: How wireless tech is poisoning humanity - NaturalNews.com, February 4, 2026. (Background on EMF exposure and health risks, not directly used for tracking claims but referenced as contextual source.)Mike Adams interview with Nick Pinault - August 1, 2024. (Mentions big tech reliance on telecoms and suppression of information about harm; used to support context on industry power.)Explainer Infographic

Researchers noted that newer mobile infrastructure, meant to prevent abuse, is being exploited in a similar way as older systems. Both the old SS7 and newer Diameter protocols are used in tandem to locate targets. Fink did not respond to requests for comment. The Swiss firm’s activities represent a more sophisticated evolution of surveillance methods, adapting as telecom infrastructure evolves.Reactions and Regulatory Response019Mobile’s head of security denied involvement, stating the company has no roaming agreements. Partner Communications said it has no connection to the case. Exelera Telecom and Verint/Cognyte did not respond to requests for comment.British regulators banned the practice last week, calling it the largest source of malicious traffic to mobile networks, according toHaaretz[3]. The ban aims to crack down on tracking spyware after more than a decade of investigative reporting on the abuse of SS7 and related protocols.The regulatory response underscores the growing awareness of vulnerabilities in global telecom infrastructure. Citizen Lab's findings show that commercial firms selling surveillance technologies to governments continue to exploit both legacy and modern systems, raising questions about privacy and the effectiveness of security upgrades.ReferencesTelecom 101 CTA Study Guide and High-Quality Reference Book Covering All Major Telecommunications Topics in Plain English - Coll Eric. (Excerpt on SS7 protocol definition.)Horrifying new bank hack intercepts two-step verification codes sent to your phone is your money safe in any ban - NaturalNews.com, May 14, 2017.Ghost Operators: How Israeli telecoms were exploited to track citizens worldwide - Haaretz, Omer Benjakob, May 3, 2026.Telecom 101 CTA Study Guide - Coll Eric. (Fundamentals of telecommunications and the telephone network.)Invisible Threat: How wireless tech is poisoning humanity - NaturalNews.com, February 4, 2026. (Background on EMF exposure and health risks, not directly used for tracking claims but referenced as contextual source.)Mike Adams interview with Nick Pinault - August 1, 2024. (Mentions big tech reliance on telecoms and suppression of information about harm; used to support context on industry power.)Explainer Infographic

Reactions and Regulatory Response019Mobile’s head of security denied involvement, stating the company has no roaming agreements. Partner Communications said it has no connection to the case. Exelera Telecom and Verint/Cognyte did not respond to requests for comment.British regulators banned the practice last week, calling it the largest source of malicious traffic to mobile networks, according toHaaretz[3]. The ban aims to crack down on tracking spyware after more than a decade of investigative reporting on the abuse of SS7 and related protocols.The regulatory response underscores the growing awareness of vulnerabilities in global telecom infrastructure. Citizen Lab's findings show that commercial firms selling surveillance technologies to governments continue to exploit both legacy and modern systems, raising questions about privacy and the effectiveness of security upgrades.ReferencesTelecom 101 CTA Study Guide and High-Quality Reference Book Covering All Major Telecommunications Topics in Plain English - Coll Eric. (Excerpt on SS7 protocol definition.)Horrifying new bank hack intercepts two-step verification codes sent to your phone is your money safe in any ban - NaturalNews.com, May 14, 2017.Ghost Operators: How Israeli telecoms were exploited to track citizens worldwide - Haaretz, Omer Benjakob, May 3, 2026.Telecom 101 CTA Study Guide - Coll Eric. (Fundamentals of telecommunications and the telephone network.)Invisible Threat: How wireless tech is poisoning humanity - NaturalNews.com, February 4, 2026. (Background on EMF exposure and health risks, not directly used for tracking claims but referenced as contextual source.)Mike Adams interview with Nick Pinault - August 1, 2024. (Mentions big tech reliance on telecoms and suppression of information about harm; used to support context on industry power.)Explainer Infographic

019Mobile’s head of security denied involvement, stating the company has no roaming agreements. Partner Communications said it has no connection to the case. Exelera Telecom and Verint/Cognyte did not respond to requests for comment.British regulators banned the practice last week, calling it the largest source of malicious traffic to mobile networks, according toHaaretz[3]. The ban aims to crack down on tracking spyware after more than a decade of investigative reporting on the abuse of SS7 and related protocols.The regulatory response underscores the growing awareness of vulnerabilities in global telecom infrastructure. Citizen Lab's findings show that commercial firms selling surveillance technologies to governments continue to exploit both legacy and modern systems, raising questions about privacy and the effectiveness of security upgrades.ReferencesTelecom 101 CTA Study Guide and High-Quality Reference Book Covering All Major Telecommunications Topics in Plain English - Coll Eric. (Excerpt on SS7 protocol definition.)Horrifying new bank hack intercepts two-step verification codes sent to your phone is your money safe in any ban - NaturalNews.com, May 14, 2017.Ghost Operators: How Israeli telecoms were exploited to track citizens worldwide - Haaretz, Omer Benjakob, May 3, 2026.Telecom 101 CTA Study Guide - Coll Eric. (Fundamentals of telecommunications and the telephone network.)Invisible Threat: How wireless tech is poisoning humanity - NaturalNews.com, February 4, 2026. (Background on EMF exposure and health risks, not directly used for tracking claims but referenced as contextual source.)Mike Adams interview with Nick Pinault - August 1, 2024. (Mentions big tech reliance on telecoms and suppression of information about harm; used to support context on industry power.)Explainer Infographic

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