Hamartia Antidote
Elite Member
To be fair this happens with other cars too and shows the security risks of cars these days.
Videos recorded by the rentals’ on-board cameras show the personnel using the cars, routes taken and gate codes to military facilities
Chinese-made cars filmed sensitive information during a Norwegian military exercise, including access codes at secure sites and officials’ comings and goings, raising concerns about the risks posed by connected vehicles.
During a security exercise at Oslo airport on September 14 to 18, waiting soldiers tapping on their vehicle’s screen discovered videos recorded by the on-board cameras, the Dagens Naeringsliv newspaper revealed.
The recordings showed who was getting in and out of the cars, the routes taken and even the codes used to open gates or doors to military facilities.
In its report three weeks after the exercise, the newspaper said the recordings came from rental vehicles – at least two of them Deepal brand cars, made by Chinese state-controlled carmaker Changan. They were supplied to the army by Hertz Norge, which is indirectly owned by the Chinese auto group Geely.
“Yes, soldiers from the Home Guard found videos from the vehicles’ sensors stored in their systems,” Norwegian Home Guard spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Per Gunnar Grosberghaugen confirmed.
It was not known if the recordings were shared with a third party, notably in China, but the officer could not rule out the possibility.
Even after discovering the leaks, the military continued to use the vehicles until the end of the exercise due to a lack of alternatives and the soldiers deleted the videos.
Judging that the impact of a general ban on Chinese-made vehicles would be disproportionate to the potential security gain, the military said it preferred security procedures tailored to each site, with possible local bans on vehicles equipped with cameras and sensors regardless of their origin.
Hertz Norge stresses that it complies with Norwegian and European regulations.
“Our customers’ data is safe with us,” said Hallvard Nerbovik, its marketing and communications director.
“No personal data related to our rentals is shared with car manufacturers, our owners or other third parties without explicit legal grounds,” he added, without specifying whether the on board videos may have been transferred.
Changan Group did not respond to questions.
Last year, tests carried out for Oslo’s Ruter public transport authority revealed that Chinese manufacturer Yutong could theoretically remotely immobilise its electric buses with their “over-the-air” update system.
Norway could use the buses one day to evacuate the population in the event of an emergency.
Ruter said it had since introduced mechanisms enabling it to monitor and delay incoming signals to control updates.
Modern vehicles are not the only potential Trojan horses.
Smartwatches and fitness apps such as Strava, popular with joggers, can also expose sensitive military information.
In 2018, data published by Strava made it possible to identify military sites and soldiers’ routes, notably in Afghanistan and Syria.
In March, French newspaper Le Monde was able to locate the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in almost real time in the eastern Mediterranean, thanks to a sailor on board using the app.
The Norwegian National Security Authority said modern vehicles were “rolling computers that collect information”.
“We don’t know for sure where the information is sent or what it’s used for,” authority official Andreas Skjold-Lorange said.
The organisation, which is responsible for minimising strategic risks including digital, said that beyond the data collected, Norway should be wary of excessive dependence on a single country – especially if that country did not cooperate with Norway on security matters.
“If we become too dependent on services or products from a given country, that makes us vulnerable, whatever that country may be,” Skjold-Lorange warned.
Videos recorded by the rentals’ on-board cameras show the personnel using the cars, routes taken and gate codes to military facilities
Chinese-made cars filmed sensitive information during a Norwegian military exercise, including access codes at secure sites and officials’ comings and goings, raising concerns about the risks posed by connected vehicles.
During a security exercise at Oslo airport on September 14 to 18, waiting soldiers tapping on their vehicle’s screen discovered videos recorded by the on-board cameras, the Dagens Naeringsliv newspaper revealed.
The recordings showed who was getting in and out of the cars, the routes taken and even the codes used to open gates or doors to military facilities.
In its report three weeks after the exercise, the newspaper said the recordings came from rental vehicles – at least two of them Deepal brand cars, made by Chinese state-controlled carmaker Changan. They were supplied to the army by Hertz Norge, which is indirectly owned by the Chinese auto group Geely.
“Yes, soldiers from the Home Guard found videos from the vehicles’ sensors stored in their systems,” Norwegian Home Guard spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Per Gunnar Grosberghaugen confirmed.
It was not known if the recordings were shared with a third party, notably in China, but the officer could not rule out the possibility.
‘Rolling computers’
The case highlights a paradox: while Europe’s armies are bolstering their protection against espionage and hybrid threats, the vehicles they use can collect sensitive information.Even after discovering the leaks, the military continued to use the vehicles until the end of the exercise due to a lack of alternatives and the soldiers deleted the videos.
Judging that the impact of a general ban on Chinese-made vehicles would be disproportionate to the potential security gain, the military said it preferred security procedures tailored to each site, with possible local bans on vehicles equipped with cameras and sensors regardless of their origin.
Hertz Norge stresses that it complies with Norwegian and European regulations.
“Our customers’ data is safe with us,” said Hallvard Nerbovik, its marketing and communications director.
“No personal data related to our rentals is shared with car manufacturers, our owners or other third parties without explicit legal grounds,” he added, without specifying whether the on board videos may have been transferred.
Changan Group did not respond to questions.
Last year, tests carried out for Oslo’s Ruter public transport authority revealed that Chinese manufacturer Yutong could theoretically remotely immobilise its electric buses with their “over-the-air” update system.
Norway could use the buses one day to evacuate the population in the event of an emergency.
Ruter said it had since introduced mechanisms enabling it to monitor and delay incoming signals to control updates.
Modern vehicles are not the only potential Trojan horses.
Smartwatches and fitness apps such as Strava, popular with joggers, can also expose sensitive military information.
In 2018, data published by Strava made it possible to identify military sites and soldiers’ routes, notably in Afghanistan and Syria.
In March, French newspaper Le Monde was able to locate the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle in almost real time in the eastern Mediterranean, thanks to a sailor on board using the app.
The Norwegian National Security Authority said modern vehicles were “rolling computers that collect information”.
“We don’t know for sure where the information is sent or what it’s used for,” authority official Andreas Skjold-Lorange said.
The organisation, which is responsible for minimising strategic risks including digital, said that beyond the data collected, Norway should be wary of excessive dependence on a single country – especially if that country did not cooperate with Norway on security matters.
“If we become too dependent on services or products from a given country, that makes us vulnerable, whatever that country may be,” Skjold-Lorange warned.
