Signaling system 7 (SS7) network security

This paper examines vulnerabilities present within SS7 networks-vulnerabilities whose threat has been magnified by deregulation and emerging trends in network technology. First, it provides an overview of the SS7 network and protocol. Then it explains how modem deregulated telephone networks combine with next-generation technologies in a manner that poses a threat to the security of the telecommunications signaling network. This paper details several attack scenarios made possible by accepting the assumption that an SS7 signaling point may be compromised to allow insertion of message traffic.