Government Official States Ministry of Defence Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, with Staff Advised to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
An defence minister has confirmed that the MoD is actively examining the potential security risks associated with Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to refrain from discussing classified information in any cars.
Safety Advice for MoD Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been instructed not to discuss classified information while travelling in Chinese vehicles.
The minister stated that the ministry is “investigating” cars from China within its vehicle pools, but stressed that security is a issue in every modern cars.
We have a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the Ministry of Defence and Chinese ones account for a tiny fraction.
But regardless of if you’re driving a vehicle from China or a car from another country, our instruction to our staff is to avoid connecting Ministry of Defence devices into their vehicle, not to have discussions at a classified level in any kind of car, because of the growing risks of eavesdropping that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential conversations in protected areas. This is a prudent and sensible thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Broader Security Background
The revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have alerted the United Kingdom to the existence of dual-use kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could enable the Chinese government to disable buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been directing laser beams at Royal Air Force pilots, labeled a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the significance of strong protocols and vigilance in all aspects of government operations, from vehicle use to discussions practices.
