Government Official States MoD Looking at Security Risk from Chinese Cars, with Staff Advised to Refrain from Secret Talk in Vehicles.
A defence official has revealed that the Ministry of Defence is currently examining the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and personnel have been instructed to avoid talking about secret information in any cars.
Safety Guidance for MoD Staff
During a recently aired appearance on a radio station, Luke Pollard commented on reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about classified material while travelling in Chinese cars.
The minister said that the MoD is “investigating” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, however emphasised that security is a concern in all contemporary vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of vehicles in the MoD and those vehicles represent a tiny fraction.
But whether you’re traveling in a Chinese car or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our staff is to avoid connecting MoD devices into their vehicle, not to have conversations at a classified level in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of surveillance that exist in every single vehicle, to restrict those confidential talks in secure locations. That’s a wise and sensible thing for anyone concerned about security.
After it was suggested that it would be prudent for the ministry to stop using all Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: ‘That’s exactly what we’re investigating at the present time.”
Wider Defence Background
This revelation comes as claims from Norway and Denmark have warned the UK to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese-made buses, which could allow the Chinese government to switch off buses and bring chaos to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russia intelligence vessel has been shining laser beams at RAF pilots, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence environment highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, including transport use to communication habits.