The European Commission is giving staffers visiting the US on official business burner laptops and phones to avoid espionage attempts, according to the Financial Times.
The use of clean and locked-down hardware is common practice for anyone visiting China, Russia, and other states where aggressive electronic surveillance is expected. Apparently the European Union has added the United States to that list. “The transatlantic alliance is over,” an EU official told the newspaper, which reported the commission “is issuing burner phones and basic laptops to some US-bound staff to avoid the risk of espionage — a measure traditionally reserved for trips to China.” Four sources told the FT the EC had changed its guidance to ensure that visitors to America take serious precautions against cyber-espionage.
Read more…
Source: The Register
Sign up for our Newsletter
The latest news and insights delivered right to your inbox.
Related:
- EU says ransomware to blame for attack which caused chaos at airports
September 22, 2025
Hundreds of flights across Europe were cancelled and delayed after a ‘cyber-related disruption’ meant electronic customer check-in and baggage drop was taken offline. The EU’s cybersecurity agency ENISA has confirmed the disruption was linked to a ransomware incident, but did not reveal which particular strain was to blame. “The type of ransomware has been identified. Law ...
- Poland to receive new European Union’s SAFE loans programme to boost cyber defence among other capabilities
September 9, 2025
Poland will receive EUR 43.7 billion in low-interest loans from the European Union’s new SAFE programme to boost defence capabilities, Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Władysław Kosiniak-Kamysz said on Tuesday, confirming earlier reports. Calling the decision “a historic success,” Kosiniak-Kamysz said the funds will guarantee continued investment in Poland’s security and defence, including air and ...
- Digital Compliance Alert: UK Online Safety Act and EU Digital Services Act Cross-Border Impact Analysis
July 26, 2025
As of July 25, 2025, all sites and apps that allow pornography will need to have strong age checks in place, to make sure children can’t access that or other harmful content. This represents the most significant change to how adults access online content in the UK since the internet’s mainstream adoption. Gone are the days ...
- Ukraine: Authorities expose large-scale network of call centres involved in investment fraud
July 25, 2025
In Ukraine, the activities of organized criminal groups that committed financial fraud under the guise of call centers have been exposed and stopped. In Kyiv, Lviv region, Lutsk, and Odesa region, networks that defrauded citizens both within the country and abroad have been neutralized. This was reported by the Office of the Prosecutor General, writes ...
- Israeli spyware firm NSO to pay Meta $168m. in damages for hijacking WhatsApp servers
May 7, 2025
A federal jury in California handed Israel’s NSO Group a $168 million penalty on Tuesday for hijacking the servers of WhatsApp in order to hack users of the Meta-owned chat platform on behalf of foreign spy agencies. The case caps a six-year battle between the American social media giant and the surveillance firm. It has also ...
- TikTok fined €530M for EU data breach
May 2, 2025
TikTok has been hit with a €530 million penalty by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) for violating EU privacy laws following a probe into the platform’s transfer of European user data to China. The watchdog found that the company breached the bloc’s data protection rules through unlawful transfers of European user data to China, giving ...

