Security News > 2021 > May > Nuclear Flash Cards: US Secrets Exposed on Learning Apps
US troops charged with guarding nuclear weapons in Europe used popular education websites to create flash cards, exposing their exact locations and top-secret security protocols, according to the investigative site Bellingcat Friday.
To familiarize themselves with things like which shelters in various locations had "Hot" vaults with live nuclear bombs, with security patrol schedules, and with identification badge details, the soldiers created digital flash card sets on apps like Chegg Prep, Quizlet and Cram.
"By simply searching online for terms publicly known to be associated with nuclear weapons, Bellingcat was able to discover cards used by military personnel serving at all six European military bases reported to store nuclear devices," wrote Foeke Postma, the author of the Bellingcat article.
Another card from the same set indicated that five of the eleven vaults were "Hot" with nuclear bombs while the other 6 were "Cold," and specified which vaults.
A set of 80 cards on the Cram flashcard site detailed hot and cold vaults at Aviano Air Base in Italy, and revealed how a soldier should respond in activating them based on the different level of alarms they receive.
Other cards exposed secrets at bases in Turkey, Belgium and Germany.