The German Ministry of Defense has restricted the use of mobile phones for its employees due to the threat of espionage from Russia and China.
This was reported by Spiegel.
According to media reports, back in mid-February, the ministry distributed a security directive stating that from now on, employees are prohibited from taking smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches to meetings where issues marked "secret" are being discussed.
This is especially true for meetings that involve planning exercises, operations, or the armyʼs combat readiness. Before such meetings, employees must leave personal gadgets in special lockers in the hallways.
The restriction also applies to office rooms where secret documents are stored — in fact, most of the rooms in Berlinʼs Bendlerblok complex.
The reason for these restrictions is the growing threat of espionage, which can also be used to prepare sabotage operations within the country. The department believes that the Bundeswehr is a priority target for foreign intelligence services, primarily Russian and Chinese.
Most employees of the German Ministry of Defense have company phones with enhanced security. However, due to restrictions on installing popular messengers such as WhatsApp, employees often use their own gadgets.
The German security service estimates that private phones are particularly vulnerable to attacks, as they can be identified through apps or phishing campaigns. Since the agency does not control these devices, spying can go undetected for a long time.
Despite this, Spiegel notes, the new rules at the Ministry of Defense are still softer than in some other structures. For example, in Germanyʼs Federal Intelligence Service, it is forbidden to bring personal gadgets at all, while in NATO their use is strictly regulated.
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