The discovery of a plot by Hamas operatives to hack into IDF soldiers' smartphones underscores the fact that the battle against terrorism doesn't end at the border fence. Senior IDF officials report that this time, thanks to the soldiers' alertness, no harm was done, but it is not impossible that other, more sophisticated spy rings are trying to use soldiers' devices to collect intelligence that in the past they would have had to wait for the perfect opportunity to collect.
Smartphones have long since become man's best friend, and there are few soldiers or civilians who don't have one. Irresponsible use carries many civilian risks as well as security and defense risks. They are excellent tools for collecting intelligence and can be hacked and operated remotely, without the person carrying it being aware that the device's camera or microphone are on. This is the reason why the military has banned officials from bringing smartphones into classified meetings. In recent months, smartwatches have also been prohibited.
But smartphones present dangers beyond allowing the enemy access to information. Devices can be used to threaten the lives of soldiers or civilians, like Fatah terrorist Amna Muna did when she beguiled Ofir Rahum into meeting her near Ramallah, where he was abducted and killed.
Another issue smartphones create for the army is that soldiers use them to pass the time while on guard duty, which could distract the troops who are charged with protecting their comrades' lives. IDF Ombudsman Maj. Gen. (res.) Yitzhak Brik discussed the problem in a report he published last week, in which he determined that "it is only a matter of time until a disaster takes place."
It's lucky that during Operation Protective Edge in the summer of 2014 Hamas didn't employ pinpointing technology to find soldiers, but it will undoubtedly happen in the next go-around.
Brik also reported that extensive smartphone usage could adversely affect contact between officers and soldiers. Because everyone uses smartphones to talk to everyone else, he argued, senior officers issue orders that don't go down the chain of command, creating a Wild West where everyone executes the order as he or she understands it.
"A culture of orders not being carried out and lack of discipline is developing in the military, something that could hurt the IDF's ability to function. Needless to say, this could have serious ramifications in war time," Brik wrote.
It is also impossible to ignore the problem of soldiers' privacy being violated. Male and female soldiers are sometimes photographed in embarrassing situations, and the images are sent out. A number of indictments have been served against soldiers involved in such situations.
The army also has to grapple with what soldiers say online, much of which goes through their smartphones. The army constantly has to reiterate that classified information must not be published on social media.
But that's not the only issue – the IDF is also concerned about soldiers' online activity hurting its image. For some time now, the military has been trying to make it clear to soldiers that social media is a public forum in every sense, and the same restrictions that apply to soldiers' conduct in public apply to what they say on social media platforms. A few months ago, Israel Hayom reported that the IDF was working on a new directive that would bar soldiers from expressing political opinions on open Whatsapp messaging app groups or "liking" specific political posts on Facebook.
Either way, smartphones are unquestionably here to stay. The potential for intelligence being leaked through a smartphone is enormous, so the IDF is right to invest time explaining the risks of smartphone use to soldiers and officers from the time they first enlist. But when it comes to checking what soldiers say online, particularly on social media, the army needs to think carefully about whether it might be going one step too far and striking a blow to freedom of expression in a democratic country.
