Ride the Lightning

Russia Reportedly Hacking Phones of NATO Troops

October 9, 2017

I guess the title of this post should come as no surprise. As Endgadget reported, the Wall Street Journal has learned that Russian hackers are targeting the phones of individual NATO soldiers, particularly those deployed in Poland and the Baltic states. They are compromising phones or Facebook accounts, in some cases grabbing data from handsets and erasing contacts. While the Russians have issued standard denials, officials seem to have little doubt that Russia is responsible for the attacks.

The attacks are very well-coordinated, and the equipment used is probably too sophisticated for criminals. A probe spotted a portable antenna used to compromise phones, for example, while drones are also part of the campaign. Even the way soldiers learn of the hacks suggests an official Russian campaign: American soldiers have had strangers (probably Russian agents) come up to them citing details of their personal lives.

It's pretty easy to defeat these campaigns. In response to one incident, soldiers pulled SIM cards from their phones and were barred from going online beyond specific, locked-down hotspots. Estonian recruits are barred from using smartphones during operations.

The attacks thus far have not done much and are primarily harvesting data that is public. Officials think they are primarily intended as intimidation. "We're watching you" seems to be the message.

They may also be a way of finding out whether or not troop levels at a specific base are larger than NATO claims on the record. The real concern is that there may come a time where these hacks cause serious damage. A hacked phone might serve as a Trojan horse if it connects to a secure network, for example. The recent hacks no doubt have armies rethinking their smartphone policies to eliminate even the slightest risk of hacking attempts on the front lines.

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