Rayhunter: A Cheap New Tool from EFF to Detect Cellular Spying

The Electronic Frontier Foundation has developed a tool called Rayhunter to help fight against cellphone surveillance by Stingray cell-site simulators. Rayhunter uses an open-source software package to detect IMSI catchers, which are often used by law enforcement agencies. The tool runs on an old Orbic Speed RC400L mobile hotspot, which can be purchased for around $10 on Amazon or even cheaper on eBay. An installation script is available for Macs and Linux to automate the setup process. Once installed, the Rayhunter software collects data on suspicious cell towers it detects. The use of IMSI catchers is often shrouded in mystery, with law enforcement agencies reluctant to disclose their methods. The EFF project aims to gather more information on how and where IMSI catchers are used. This information will help protestors take steps to protect their privacy. The Rayhunter tool is part of a broader effort to shed light on the use of cellphone surveillance technology. By using Rayhunter, individuals can help gather data on the prevalence of IMSI catchers and stay one step ahead of those who seek to use them for surveillance.