MI6 is launching its own dedicated portal on the dark web in the hope of attracting new spies online, notably from Russia.
Secure messaging platform Silent Courier aims to strengthen national security by making it easier for the intelligence agency to recruit, the Foreign Office said.
Potential agents in Russia and around the world will be targeted by the UK, it adds.
Outgoing MI6 Chief Sir Richard Moore On Friday appealed to potential spies globally to anonymously access the dark web by following instructions on MI6’s own YouTube video.
In his final public speech as MI6 Chief, Sir Richard launched the worldwide recruiting drive targeting potential spies in Russia, China, Iran, North Korea and elsewhere.
In the same speech delivered from Istanbul on Friday morning, he expressed scathing criticism of President Putin, saying “there is no evidence” the Russian president has any interest in a negotiated peace, “short of Ukrainian capitulation”.
“He is stringing us along”.
He added that Putin cannot succeed in Ukraine and said Putin has “bitten off more than he can chew”, adding that Russia’s economy and demography are in long term decline and “Putin’s war is accelerating”.
The MI6 Chief also accused China of supporting Russia’s war effort both diplomatically and through dual use goods like “chemicals that end up in their shells and electronic components that end up in their missiles”.
China’s support, he said, along with Iran and North Korea’s is preventing Putin from making a sensible deal.
Later this month Sir Richard is due to hand over to Blaise Metreweli.
Ahead of Friday’s announcement about the new dedicated portal, Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper said: “National security is the first duty of any government and the bedrock of the prime minister’s Plan for Change.
“As the world changes, and the threats we’re facing multiply, we must ensure the UK is always one step ahead of our adversaries.
“Our world-class intelligence agencies are at the coalface of this challenge, working behind the scenes to keep British people safe.
“Now we’re bolstering their efforts with cutting-edge tech so MI6 can recruit new spies for the UK – in Russia and around the world.”
Anyone who wants to securely contact the UK with sensitive information relating to terrorism or hostile intelligence activity will be able to access the portal from Friday.
Instructions on how to use the portal will be publicly available on MI6’s verified YouTube channel.
Users are recommended to access it through trustworthy VPNs and devices not linked to themselves.
The launch follows a similar approach by the US’s Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), which published videos on social media channels to target potential Russian spies in 2023.
The CIA previously suffered a disastrous loss of its agents in China after their connections to the dark web were breached by Beijing’s Ministry of State Security.
Officials said it was one of the worst security breaches of recent years.
