The TETRA standard is used in radios worldwide. Security researchers have found multiple vulnerabilities in the underlying cryptography and its implementation, including issues that allow for the decryption of traffic.
  • Takatakatakatakatak@lemmy.dbzer0.com
    01·
    1 year ago

    We use the same licensed VHF network at work for the last 30 years. Ever since our local cops switched to ‘digital’, ‘encrypted’ radio comms, we regularly pick them up on our VHFs across the entire district, regardless of what frequency we are on.

    It’s like their whole thing is leaking across the bands, which should not be possible given that it’s encrypted but here we are. If it were anyone else, we’d be pursuing them for abusing the frequency band that we pay for but it doesn’t feel like a battle that we want to start.

    • joshuanozzi@lemmy.ml
      1·
      1 year ago

      You should absolutely report it to the FCC. It’s unlikely they even know it’s happening and regardless it’s illegal. Whoever maintains the equipment ought to know better and correct the problem. If it’s broadband interference it’s not likely to be limited just to those you’re using. There’s something very wrong with their system.

      Source: I’m an Extra-class licensed amateur operator. I’ve reported improper interference from “official” systems and gotten results quickly using basic logs.

      Adding note: I’m not an expert on trunking systems but understand the basics. Unless your business shares the trunking system with the local police (unlikely given the age of your system and that you specifically mention the encrypted / maybe just digital system they’re now using), you shouldn’t be sharing the same set of frequencies. If you were on the same system, you’d have “talk groups”, and if your radio is configured to hear all groups instead of yours, you’d hear their traffic. Our city/county system shares a trunk system among all kinds of city services, using talk groups. I think there’s a business or two that leases space but I can’t remember, so it’s not impossible for a business to lease space on a shared county system. In that case either their radios are misconfigured vis-a-vis proper talk groups or yours is. Maybe both? 😂

      • Takatakatakatakatak@lemmy.dbzer0.com
        0·
        1 year ago

        We have a similar organisation to the FCC that deals with these matters. I will take this up with our radio specialist first though.

        The bit that has me scratching my head is that it is our analogue VHF system that is picking up these communications.

        All emergency services are supposed to have moved to digital, encrypted channels and yet I am sitting here listening to the police despatch co-ordinate units to chase an agitated man with a bat as we speak. It’s happening daily, especially early in the morning but it just doesn’t make any sense to me.

        Unless some part of their network is still analogue, we shouldn’t be hearing anything.

        I do not know enough about the technical side of these technologies to understand this, I just use them regularly.

        We have an extensive network of private repeaters set up all over the state on our own land. I just hope it is not us that are somehow causing this problem. We have the requisite licenses for all of our bands and nothing has really changed for us. Trouble only started when they went digital.