Britain’s foreign intelligence service, MI6, is launching a new online portal called Silent Courier, aimed at using the dark web to entice potential spies to send it secrets, particularly targeting Russia.
The service will rely on the Tor internet browser, which will allow anonymous access to a secure MI6 messaging platform. Instructions for using Silent Courier was given on MI6’s new YouTube channel on Friday morning.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said the UK was “bolstering their efforts with cutting-edge tech so MI6 can recruit new spies for the UK – in Russia and around the world.”
The service will require users to take significant precautions of their own to safely use it. A press release announcing the launch from the UK Foreign Office, which handles MI6’s communications, said: “MI6 advises individuals accessing its portal to use trustworthy VPNs and devices not linked to themselves, to mitigate risks which exist in some countries.”
The launch comes after the outgoing chief of MI6, Richard Moore, used a rare public speech in Prague in July 2023 to appeal to Russian citizens to spy for the UK. In the same year, the CIA launched a similar online mechanism to Silent Courier, also on the Tor network, also appealing for potential spies to pass them secret information. Moore used his valedictory speech – delivered Friday in Istanbul where he served as ambassador – to launch the new service. “Our virtual door is open to you,” he said.
Continue reading the complete article on the original source
