[gaius]

And now they have, that's the point

Right now there are employees of GCHQ, NSA, Mossad, whatever the KGB is called this week, smirking at that assertion, they've probably had the capability for years. All this does is level the playing field a little.

[silentOpen]

I know for a fact that real-time A5/1 has been privately available commercially since at least 2006. It is my understanding from talking to a relevant engineer that if the algorithm wasn't known-broken when released, it was broken by intelligence services within the first year.

In conclusion, don't talk on cell phones when you're talking about sensitive things. In some locations (mid east), it has compromised you for years.

[caf]

A5/1 has been publically known broken for _years_. I am struggling to see what is new in this story at all.

[scythe]

GCHQ = Google Corporate Headquarters or something I haven't heard of?

[didroe]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Government_Communications_Headq...