US and UK accused of hacking Sim card firm to steal codes

The Intercept says the revelations came from US intelligence contractor turned whistleblower Edward Snowden.
The Dutch company allegedly targeted – Gemalto – says it is taking the allegations “very seriously”.
It operates in 85 countries and has more than 40 manufacturing facilities.
The Intercept says that “the great Sim heist” gave US and British surveillance agencies “the potential to secretly monitor a large portion of the world’s cellular communications, including both voice and data”.
It says that among the clients of the Netherlands-based company are AT&T, T-Mobile, Verizon, Sprint and “some 450 wireless network providers around the world”.
Full investigation
The Intercept alleges that the hack organised by Britain’s GCHQ and the US National Security Agency (NSA) began in 2010, and was organised by operatives in the “Mobile Handset Exploitation Team”. Neither agency has commented directly on the allegations.
However GCHQ reiterated that all its activities were “carried out in accordance with a strict legal and policy framework which ensures that our activities are authorised, necessary and proportionate”.
BBC