Cyber vulnerability sweep picks up Royal Navy drones sending data to China

A Royal Navy drone boat's cameras were discovered transmitting data to a Chinese IP address during a routine cybersecurity check, according to a recent Ministry of Defence report. The Kraken Unmanned Surface Vessel sub-system in question is responsible for sending heartbeat signals to confirm the camera's online status. While the Ministry of Defence (MoD) noted that no sensitive data or systems were accessed or compromised, the incident has sparked concerns about supply chain security and espionage risks.

The MoD emphasized their rigorous assurance and testing processes to identify and rectify vulnerabilities, reaffirming their commitment to national security. The incident has reignited debates surrounding China-linked cyber threats, which have grown more pronounced in recent years, including a security advisory issued by the National Cyber Security Centre in April regarding covert networks comprised of compromised routers and edge devices.