Overview#

Librem AweSIM comprises a family of cellular data plans provided by Purism with a focus on user privacy:

  1. SIMple

  2. SIMple Plus

  3. AweSIM

See also

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Privacy#

Risks of a traditional SIM#

Any device that uses a particular Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) leaves a digital footprint accessible to a Mobile Network Operator (MNO), also referred to as a “carrier.” Curation of unified customer identifiers enable carriers to identify users across multiple devices, typically for the purpose of delivering targeted advertising, but capable of much more. Traditional carrier infrastructure is designed to grant a large number of employees access to sensitive customer details, revealing usage history, upgrade logs, and device swaps. The biggest risk of using a SIM card issued by a traditional carrier is the potential exposure of personal data through malicious or negligent access.

Some of this available personal data includes:

  • Device identifiers

    • IMEI

    • ICCID

    • IMSI

  • Payment details

    • Account name

    • Account addresses

    • Last 4 digits of your payment method

    • Plan rates

  • Personal records

    • PIN codes

    • Call records

  • Options to activate new lines of service

If a malicious actor gains access to an account with the carrier, whether in-store or via customer service, they may have the capability to gather sufficient information to use specialized equipment to locate and track all SIM cards globally associated with that account. This level of exposure creates a significant security risk, allowing bad actors to hijack your account and SIM cards, compromising your privacy.

How is Librem AweSIM different?#

Unlike traditional carriers, Librem AweSIM takes extra precautions to ensure that user identity and network activity is shielded from external parties. Sanitization of personal data and financial records combined with advanced misattribution techniques ensure that SIMs cannot be traced back to customers or their organizations. Librem AweSIM SIM cards appear identical to standard SIM cards, meaning that there is no visible network signature or performance reduction.

With Librem AweSIM, your privacy is never compromised. Your information will never be sold. Whether you are a business owner seeking to protect your communications or a privacy-minded individual, our services provide a level of security that simply is unavailable with traditional carriers.

SIM swap protection#

A SIM swap attack is a type of fraud where a malicious actor tricks a mobile provider into transferring a victim’s phone number to a SIM card they control, allowing them to intercept calls and texts, including security codes. SIM swap protection is enabled for all AweSIM subscribers to mitigate this concern, preventing malicious actors from transferring a number from one SIM card to another.