Four German military officials discussed what targets German-made Taurus missiles could potentially hit if Chancellor Olaf Scholz ever allowed them to be sent to Kyiv, and the call had been intercepted by Russian intelligence.
According to German authorities, the “data leak” was down to just one participant dialling in on an insecure line, either via his mobile or the hotel wi-fi.
The exact mode of dial-in is “still being clarified”, Germany has said.
“I think that’s a good lesson for everybody: never use hotel internet if you want to do a secure call,” Germany’s ambassador to the UK, Miguel Berger, told the BBC this week. Some may feel the advice came a little too late.
Eyebrows were raised when it emerged the call happened on the widely-used WebEx platform - but Berlin has insisted the officials used an especially secure, certified version.
Professor Alan Woodward from the Surrey Centre for Cyber Security says that WebEx does provide end-to-end encryption “if you use the app itself”.
But using a landline or open hotel wi-fi could mean security was no longer guaranteed - and Russian spies, it’s now supposed, were ready to pounce.
How the f*ck do you think you can have a “secure” call over uncontrolled networks, devices and locations?
The stupidity!
Called in via SIP or unencrypted mobile network, i bet. Probably because the client via VPN was “too slow”
The point of encryption and signature is to allow just that.
Sensitive conversations on government level are preferably held in controlled environments, https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sensitive_compartmented_information_facility , or offices that are fit for the purpose. Not hotel rooms.
Depending on the what information level , technology can be present but in that case controlled technology that users can’t screw up by connecting to insecure wifi networks or even use if they are tampered with.
You don’t have sensetive conversations over customer grade cellphones with a encrypted app.
Consumer grade cellphones are generally considered insecure and uncontrollable.
Even hints to it in the article:
““I think that’s a good lesson for everybody: never use hotel internet if you want to do a secure call,” Germany’s ambassador to the UK, Miguel Berger, told the BBC this week. Some may feel the advice came a little too late. Eyebrows were raised when it emerged the call happened on the widely-used WebEx platform - but Berlin has insisted the officials used an especially secure, certified version.”
A normal WebEx connection is encrypted but not the the level of government use. Encryption and certificates isn’t a 100% guarantee that things are secure enough on a government level.
Likely use of a uncontrolled device over a uncontrolled connection in a uncontrolled environment or one of them.
For all we know, they were on speaker & the room was bugged