Spies can now apply to the British Secret Service via the darknet.
The British secret service wants to recruit new foreign spies on the darknet via a new messaging platform, with a particular focus on Russia.
(Image: YouTube / MI6 - Secret Intelligence Service)
The British secret service MI6 wants to recruit spies, preferably from Russia, via a newly launched messaging platform called Silent Courier on the darknet. According to the British Foreign Office, the platform will make it safer and easier for potential informants to contact the UK than before.
Silent Courier is designed to enable individuals to anonymously pass on confidential messages and information about enemy intelligence services or terrorism. The official MI6 YouTube channel reveals how to access the platform securely.
The channel not only features two promotional videos for Silent Courier reminiscent of a James Bond film, but also instructional videos in eight different languages – including Russian. They explain how to access the portal, for example via VPN or Tor browser. The long onion address can also be found in the description of each video.
(Image:Â YouTube / MI6 - Secret Intelligence Service)
The text urgently warns against using private computers, smartphones or devices in general that can be associated with your own identity. Instead, MI6 recommends new and non-personalized devices and a dedicated email address.
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We noticed that Silent Courier requires JavaScript to operate. The secure heise mailbox, for example, which uses the SecureDrop web application for anonymous tips, cannot be accessed with JavaScript enabled for security reasons. How secure Silent Courier is is, of course, impossible to assess.
The US secret service tried to recruit new spies similarly back in 2023. British Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has now stated that the UK supports MI6's efforts to recruit new spies for the country using the latest technology – in Russia and around the world.
(aki)
