A device worth 5 euros betrayed the frigate HNLMS Evertsen

Inexpensive personal trackers have made finding items very easy, but they come with some security risks. Recently, a consumer device worth 5 euros was enough to briefly track the movements of a modern European warship, showing how easily these low-cost devices can be found in places they shouldn't be.

Dutch regional broadcaster Omroep Gelderland reported that one of its journalists observed the HNLMS Evertsen, a Dutch air defense frigate, during a deployment in the eastern Mediterranean. The ship was operating to help protect the French aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle from missile threats when the observation occurred.

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The breach did not require any specialized equipment. Journalist Just Vervaart hid a Bluetooth tracker inside a postcard. He then sent it to the ship using publicly available instructions from the Dutch Ministry of Defense, which were intended to help families send mail to loved ones living on board. This protocol provided enough details to locate the Bluetooth tracker on the ship.

Once delivered, the tracker transmitted location data for about 24 hours. During that time, it showed the Evertsen departing from Heraklion, Crete, traveling west along the island's coastline, and then turning east toward Cyprus. The signal stopped the next day when the ship was near Cyprus and has not been heard from again since.

Defence officials later confirmed to the broadcaster that staff discovered the device during internal mail sorting and deactivated it. However, the incident has already led to procedural changes. The department is now moving to ban greeting cards containing batteries and is reviewing broader guidelines for handling mail.

The incident showed that the Ministry's instructions and informational videos indicated that envelopes were not subjected to X-ray screening, unlike parcels. This loophole allowed the tracking device to pass through the mail.

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