Chinese-made cameras installed on Britain's K3 Scout unmanned naval vessels have been found transmitting data to a Chinese internet address during routine security inspections. The cameras were automatically sending operational telemetry data while the vessels were online and operational.
The vessels are produced by British company Kraken Technology Group, and the Royal Navy procured 20 units under Project Beehive for £12.3 million.
The issue was discovered during cybersecurity assessments, and the UK Defence Ministry subsequently disconnected the internet connectivity of these cameras.
According to investigations, there is no evidence of unauthorized access to critical British military intelligence or Defence Ministry systems, nor any data breaches or transmission of information outside the UK.
Kraken, the manufacturing company, has also confirmed through investigations that no critical information was compromised.
However, this discovery has raised concerns about the use of foreign-made components in military equipment and the security of defence supply chains.
Ref: Technology Innovation
