United Kingdom

Report: UK Navy Spy Drones Secretly Sent Data to China

Was this a limited breach or a serious failure precipitated by Labour's embrace of China?

Published AUG 10

Report: UK Navy Spy Drones Secretly Sent Data to China

Story

Above: The K3 Scout drone displayed at the Port of Hamburg, Germany on March 30. Image credit: Marcus Brandt/picture alliance/Getty Images

The Facts

Cameras fitted to a fleet of unmanned sea drones used by the U.K.'s Royal Navy for surveillance secretly transmitted data to China, according to a report published in the Telegraph on Sunday.
The Telegraph
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Independent
The publication reported that cameras installed on K3 Scout drones — produced by British contractor Kraken Technology Group — had components made by a Chinese third-party supplier and were discovered to be transmitting "heartbeat communications" on whether they were online and functioning to an IP address in China.
The Telegraph
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Independent
It added that once the breach was discovered by the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence (MoD), the drones — which have been used by the Royal Marines since March — had their connection to the internet cut.
The Telegraph
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Metro
A statement from the MoD acknowledged the discovery of transmissions during a "routine cyber vulnerability assessment," but dismissed any wider threat or damage.
LBC
Independent
"A thorough investigation found no evidence of MoD data or systems being accessed, compromised or transmitted externally," the statement read.
LBC
Independent
"Our assurance and testing processes are designed to identify and address potential vulnerabilities early, and we continue to undertake routine security activity across our systems and equipment," it added.
LBC
Independent

Sources Split

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The Spin

Pro-government narrative

This breach was shown only to be sending information about whether a camera was functional and was quickly mitigated — proof of the efficacy of existing security precautions. The MoD will follow up with its own investigation into the security of procurement practices, but this matter is, essentially, closed.

Independent

Euractiv

Government-critical narrative

This security breach is a serious failure and comes after Britain has spent years failing to take a stronger stance against the existential threat posed by China. The government has approved a new Chinese mega-embassy in London despite its proximity to sensitive communication lines, while ongoing rights abuses continue to go unchallenged. No wonder Beijing is emboldened in its espionage practices.

The Telegraph