Russia hacking phones of NATO troops in Poland: report
PR dla Zagranicy
Victoria Bieniek
05.10.2017 11:45
Russia tried to “compromise” the smartphones of some 4,000 NATO troops stationed in Poland and the Baltic states, according to the Wall Street Journal.
Photo: pixabay.com
Russia has been accused of trying to gain operational information, gauging troop strength and intimidating NATO soldiers by targeting smartphones, the paper said.
It added that “troops, officers and government officials of NATO member countries said Russia has carried out a campaign to compromise soldiers’ smartphones”.
The Wall Street Journal reported that US Army Lt Col Christopher L’Heureux, who took over as commander of a NATO base in Poland earlier this year, said a Russian IP address had been used to try to break through password protection on his smartphone while he was at shooting practice.
L’Heurex said at least six soldiers under his command had had their smartphones or Facebook accounts hacked, adding that he thinks Russian intelligence forces wanted him to know he was being tracked, the Wall Street Journal said.
According to the paper, if smartphones are compromised, a NATO response to Russian military action could be delayed, for instance, by fake instructions. (vb/pk)