Military parade in Norway and supermarkets in France disrupted — China linked to espionage incidents

Gaps in the West’s security defences are no longer confined to military bases. The problem is now emerging in ordinary cars and supermarket refrigeration systems.

TodayPress TV reports that rental cars used by soldiers during a military exercise in Oslo, Norway, were reportedly recording their movements.

According to reports, the cameras captured military personnel’s routes, people getting in and out of the vehicles, the length of time spent at various locations and even security codes used to access sensitive military facilities. The vehicles’ links to a Chinese company have drawn particular attention to the issue.

In France, the threat came from a different direction. According to reports, a cyberattack caused disruptions at around 150 stores belonging to the Intermarché supermarket chain. The attack reportedly affected the stores’ refrigeration and heating systems, resulting in food losses and damage estimated at millions of euros.

These incidents expose serious gaps in the West’s approach to security. Western countries may do their utmost to protect military bases and borders, but civilian infrastructure and everyday technologies are being overlooked. As a result, dependence on foreign technology becomes an open door for adversaries. The enemy no longer needs to line up tanks at the border; it can use a rental car to obtain military security codes or launch a cyberattack to cripple a retail network. The fact that the West still cannot fully protect itself against these invisible, everyday threats while challenging other countries is another matter entirely.

Jala Rovshan