Government Official Confirms MoD Examining Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Staff Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence minister has stated that the Ministry of Defence is actively examining the potential threats posed by Chinese-made cars, while personnel have been told to refrain from discussing secret information in all cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Personnel
In a recently aired interview on LBC, a defence minister commented on claims that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to discuss classified information while riding in Chinese vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its fleets, but stressed that security is a issue in all modern cars.
We have a collection of thousands of vehicles in the Ministry of Defence and those vehicles account for a tiny fraction.
However regardless of if you’re driving a Chinese car or a car from another country, our instruction to our people is not to plug Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, to avoid having discussions at a secret classification in any vehicle, due to the increasing threats of eavesdropping that are present in all vehicle, to only have those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a prudent and sensible thing for everyone concerned about security.
When it was put to him that it would be wise for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, the minister replied: That is precisely what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Broader Defence Context
This announcement follows reports from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the existence of multi-purpose shutdown mechanisms in Chinese electric buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring disruption to transport systems.
Additionally, a Russian intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at RAF pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong measures and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, including vehicle use to communication practices.
