Exfiltration

Exfiltration is the unauthorised removal of data from a system or network by an attacker, often the final stage of a targeted intrusion. In telecom, exfiltration may target subscriber databases, call detail records, or lawful-interception material; defences include strict egress filtering, DLP tooling, monitoring of unusual outbound flows, and segmentation of high-value data stores.

Categories: Identity and SubscriberThreats and Attacks

Exfiltration in context

Subscriber identifiers (IMSI, SUPI, MSISDN, IMEI) anchor authentication, charging and lawful interception. Any protocol that leaks a permanent identifier is treated as a privacy defect, which is why 5G introduced SUCI concealment on the air interface.

Telecom threats range from opportunistic SMS phishing and SIM swap to nation-state grade location tracking. The common thread is that most attacks exploit the inherited trust model of legacy signaling protocols.

To place Exfiltration in the wider telecom-security picture, review Artificial Traffic Inflation, Cell Phone (Mobile Phone), CGNAT, CPE, Event Logging and Firmware — each entry cross-references back to this page so you can walk the topic in either direction.

Related terms

More from the TelcoSec Glossary

Browse the full TelcoSec Glossary, the Ultimate Guide to Mobile Network Security, or the P1 Arsenal of telecom-security tools.