Minister States MoD Looking at Security Risk from Vehicles from China, as Staff Instructed to Avoid Secret Talk in Cars.
A defence official has confirmed that the Ministry of Defence is actively investigating the potential threats posed by Chinese cars, and staff have been advised to refrain from talking about classified information in all vehicles.
Safety Guidance for Defence Staff
In a recently aired interview on LBC, Luke Pollard addressed reports that Ministry of Defence officials have been told not to talk about secret material while riding in China-made vehicles.
He explained that the ministry is “examining” Chinese vehicles within its vehicle pools, but emphasised that security is a concern in all modern vehicles.
Our department has a fleet of tens of thousands of cars in the MoD and those vehicles represent a very small number.
But whether you’re traveling in a vehicle from China or a non-Chinese car, what we’ve asked our people is not to plug MoD devices into their vehicle, to avoid having conversations at a secret classification in any kind of vehicle, because of the growing threats of eavesdropping that exist in every single automobile, to only have those secret conversations in secure locations. This is a prudent and reasonable thing for everyone worried about security.
After it was put to him that it would be prudent for the MoD to stop using every Chinese vehicles, Pollard responded: That is exactly what we’re investigating at the moment.”
Wider Defence Background
The revelation follows reports from Scandinavian countries have alerted the United Kingdom to the presence of multi-purpose kill switches in Chinese electric buses, which could allow China to switch off public transport and cause disruption to public transit.
Furthermore, a Russian spy ship has been directing lasers at RAF aircrew, described as a “extremely risky” act by government representatives.
The wider defence situation highlights the importance of robust measures and vigilance in all areas of government activities, from transport usage to communication habits.
