Norwegian Military's Use of Chinese Rental Cars Raises Security Concerns

• •Chinese rental cars used by Norwegian military recorded sensitive footage during exercises.
• •Dashcams captured soldiers typing security codes, raising operational security concerns.
• •Experts caution against framing the incident as deliberate espionage without further evidence.

Norwegian forces used Chinese-made rental cars during a military exercise, which recorded sensitive footage of soldiers and security codes. The cars, rented from Hertz Norway, contained dashcams that captured soldiers entering and exiting the vehicles, as well as typing gate codes. Although the footage was deleted by soldiers after discovery, the incident has raised significant concerns about data security and operational security within the Norwegian Armed Forces. Experts indicate that while the risks are real, they do not necessarily indicate deliberate espionage by China. The incident highlights vulnerabilities in military practices and the implications of using connected civilian technologies. The exact extent of data access and whether it was transmitted outside the vehicles remains unclear.