Insights For Success

Strategy, Innovation, Leadership and Security

IMEI

CWTA launches their Protect your data campaign

technologyEdward Kiledjian

The Canadian Wireless Telecommunications Association and the major Canadian carriers are joining forces to stop mobile device theft in Canada. By the end of September 2013, they will implement a new device verification process to ensure the device being activated hasn’t been declared lost or stolen. The purpose is to eliminate the secondary market for stolen devices making theft less attractive.

In preparation of this initiative, the CWTA has launched a special protectyourdata website to help consummers.

Le CWTA rend disponible un site web spécial qui aide les consommateurs à protéger leur appareil mobile et l'information contenue dans ces appareils. La version française est disponible ici.

 

Canada wants to make changing the IMEI illegal

technologyEdward Kiledjian

A member of parliament representing the NDP (a major Canadian political party) has submitted a bill making tampering of a devices IMEI illegal. The IMEI is a unique serial number embedded in all GSM devices that allows the network to uniquely identify it. Carriers can use this to pair a device with a user or to prevent a stolen device from being activated on someone else’s account.

Read the NDP press release here

 “Cell phone theft is primarily a crime of opportunity, because any stolen mobile device can easily be reactivated with a different carrier,” said Sullivan. “This will make it easier to track lost or stolen phones and will cripple the illegal cell phone trade by making it a criminal offence to tamper with the cell phone identification numbers.” - NDP MP Mike Sullivan (York South – Weston)