Military intelligence is not always an oxymoron. However, today we are discussing a case where it does seem to be one. Because reality always surpasses fiction.
A blunder committed by the US military over the course of a decade may have taken a serious turn, potentially jeopardizing the exchange of sensitive information with countries like Russia.
In just the past week alone, nearly 1,000 messages were accidentally sent to email addresses ending in .ml – a domain representing the African nation of Mali – instead of military domains (.mil) due to a simple one-character typographical error.
As a result, Dutch entrepreneur Johannes Zuurbier, responsible for managing the .ml domain, has issued a stern warning to the United States: this information could end up in Russian hands.
A typographical error that can be fatal
Zuurbier, who has collected around 117,000 erroneous messages since January, wrote to the US government earlier this month warning them of the potential consequences: “This risk is real and could be exploited by adversaries of the US.”
The 10-year contract for managing the .ml domain is set to expire on Monday, which means access to the .ml domain will be transferred to Malian authorities, who will have access to the diverted emails.
Given that Mali maintains close political, economic, and military ties with Russia, Zuurbier fears that sensitive information from the United States could end up in the wrong hands.
While none of the emails are labeled as classified, it is reported that their content includes X-rays, medical data, identities, ship crew lists, base personnel lists, facility maps, and more.
So, the next time you make a mistake and send an email with a misplaced letter, don’t worry, it happens to everyone. Even to the most powerful military on Earth, endangering the security of their nation.
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