Risks and Vulnerabilities Associated with the Use of Mobile Phones by Active Personnel in Military Structures

Military infrastructures are the fundamental pillars for ensuring the security and integrity of any military activity. Communication systems provide essential services, disruption of their functioning can introduce errors in the level of management and weapons systems, with serious effects on the safety, economy and stability of forces and assets. In this context, mobile phones, although they represent an indispensable tool for rapid communication and for maintaining effective coordination of actions, can introduce significant vulnerabilities that can be exploited for malicious purposes. This paper, based on the lessons learned from the Ukraine war, analyzes the risks associated with the use of mobile phones for effective communication and proposes a series of protective measures, of which educating personnel for the conscious use of these devices minimizes the value of electronic and cyber vulnerabilities, thus contributing to strengthening of military unit’s security.