British troops on exercise in Poland have been told not to bring their mobile devices with them for fear they may be hacked by Russian spies.
Lt Col Justin Kingsford of the King’s Royal Hussars disclosed the unusual step in a regimental newsletter, according to The Telegraph.
It apparently states the following:
“There is a very clear and evident counter-intelligence threat which means that we have had to leave personal electronic devices such as mobiles and tablets at home. Although I appreciate that this has made it more difficult to stay in touch with your loved ones, I have to observe that a few weeks ‘off wifi’ has been good for everyone in terms of forcing us all to socialize with each other more.”
The move was apparently made after British intelligence decided that internet-connected devices would be a prime target for Russian spies and/or state-sponsored hackers.
Exercise Black Eagle will take place in south-west Poland this month in a show of strength designed to prove Britain’s commitment to the Nato cause following recent Russian aggression.
Under president Putin, Russia has invaded Ukraine and annexed Crimea.
Andy Settle, chief cyber-security consultant at defense contractor Thales UK, argued that the rivalry between the West and Russia is now being played out online.
“Nation-state cyber espionage is becoming a growing concern for the Ministry of Defence. The MoD is taking a risk managed approach, basing its decision partly on the view that ‘connected = hackable’,” he said.
“However, restrictions on personal devices to protect security and intelligence could be problematic for soldiers in the future if this becomes the MoD’s default method for avoiding cyber-espionage. Especially so if ‘reasonable’ alternatives are not provided.”
In future, the army would do well to implement strong encryption and enforce strict security standards or risk individuals finding workarounds which could put safety and security at risk, he added.