this post was submitted on 19 Sep 2024
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Privacy

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This should be far more secure and privacy friendly than a Sim card of a cellular connection. Why isn't this done more often? What are the Pros and Cons. I bet the price is similar as well.

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[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (3 children)

You can keep your cell number with jmp.chat. Call over wifi or data. They offer eSIM. View text messages on any device/program with XMPP support. 2FA works 100% like normal unlike VoIP. All data, calls, texts are routed through their VPN first, then the cell network. Any other inhouse XMPP chat not going to networks stay within XMPP. I have no affiliation with jmp.chat, I am satisfied with the service.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

I would switch to jmp immediately if only it were available in Germany.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

I could see this being a problem for me

Note: While JMP does provide phone numbers and voice/SMS features, it does not provide 911, 112, 999 or other emergency services over voice or SMS.

How do you deal with it?

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago (1 children)

That is true, but there is a good reason. For example, you may call 911 in North America without any cell plan, or without a SIM. As you long as you are within physical range of any cell tower (whether your phone shows bars or not) the 911 call will go through. This is required by law. So, like your quoted text indicates, 911 calls would just need to be routed through your phone's native dialer instead of, let's say, Cheogram's dialer (jmp.chat's phone/message app).

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago
[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Is an eSIM vulnerable to the same security risks as a physical SIM?

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 month ago (1 children)

What security risks are you considering for physical SIM?

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

SIM cards are a computing device that can execute closed source code on your device, sent from a cell tower

Most of the zero days used by NSO Group that were reported by Citizen Lab only worked if you had a SIM card. By eliminating SIM cards, you decrease the surface area of attack by magnitudes

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 month ago

Thanks for enlightening me. That is certainly concerning. I am not knowledgable enough to say if eSIM would be outside the scope of that attack. There are some differences in how the tech is implemented, but heck my eSIM still connects to the cell tower at the end of the day (and to multiple carriers, at that, unlike physical SIM). If there is a surface area, there is a chance for attack vectors.