"A sensitive issue": Concerns in the IDF regarding information leakage following the use of Chinese drones
Information security experts in the IDF are warning of a risk of operational information leakage due to the widespread use of Chinese drones. While procedures regarding Chinese technology have been tightened on bases, there is concern on the operational front regarding the monitoring of forces and a lack of regulation of frequencies. A military source told Walla: "The IDF is far from having order on this issue and there is a lot of mess."
Sources in the IDF are warning of information leakage regarding combat forces at the operational tip of the IDF. At the beginning of the war, about three years ago, huge donations flowed into the IDF ranks to fund weapons, including drones of various types. The drones, some of which are among the most advanced in the world, come in various configurations and are intended primarily to assist in collection, observation, reconnaissance, and attack missions.
In the Ground Forces, they began collecting the drones to regulate the issue after seeing, among other things, that there is no balance between units and no uniformity in the scope for each battalion. Some battalions received larger donations while others received none at all.
All this is happening in parallel with the IDF's effort to carry out massive procurement under a strict standard for the Ground Forces. In recent months, information security experts in the IDF have begun to warn about the risk of integrating Chinese-made drones into operational activity, with an emphasis on areas where various IDF units operate, which are striving to blur secret plans and maneuver moves from the enemy's eyes.
Those same sources told Walla today (Wednesday) that on one hand, the IDF decided to tighten the approach in the field of information security, and banned the entry of Chinese-made vehicles into IDF bases, similar to the Shin Bet. On the other hand, the army still allows widespread and uncontrolled use of Chinese technology, including in the field of drones at the tip of the IDF's fighting edge.
According to one of the sources, "In Sayeret Matkal, there is extra caution not to use any technological detail of Chinese manufacture that can collect information and transmit it back or lead to a clear signature from a distance."
According to him, there are drones sold with an application that not only operates the drone, but knows what similar drone is in the area of operation. The concern among commanders is that the enemy can monitor the activity and location of forces through the use of drones that are not "immune" to tracking.
A source familiar with the use of drones in the IDF explained that Chinese-made drones are very cheap, and therefore the army prefers them over drones of Israeli, American, or European manufacture, which are very expensive in every parameter.
In addition to this, another source claims that the IDF must regulate not only the quality and type of drones but also the use of frequencies:
"The IDF is far from having order on this issue and there is a lot of mess. They allocated frequencies to the Ground Forces and they don't really adhere to them. A sensitive issue."
IDF Spokesperson's response:
The IDF operates in accordance with mandatory regulations and security standards in the worlds of force buildup, including in the fields of weaponry, vehicles, technology, and digital components.
Systems that meet the requirements and security standards may be considered for adoption in the IDF, subject to the relevant guidelines and approval processes.
Systems that do not meet the requirements will be required to make the necessary adjustments, and in the event that they do not meet the conditions, they will not be approved for use in the IDF.
