--- title: "German Military Laptop With Classified Data Sold for $100 on eBay" description: "A team of security researchers bought a German armed forces laptop for only 90 euros ($99) on eBay that contained classified military information." date: "2020-03-17" modified: "2020-03-17" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/the-byte/german-military-laptop-classified-data-100-ebay" categories: - "Military" - "Science & Energy" tags: - "germany" - "military technology" - "the digest" --- # German Military Laptop With Classified Data Sold for $100 on eBay ![A team of security researchers bought a German armed forces laptop for only 90 euros ($99) on eBay that contained classified military information.]() *\Image: G Data via Der Spiegel\* ## Classified and Cheap A team of security researchers bought a German armed forces laptop for only 90 euros ($99) on eBay. As it turns out, the laptop came with some readily accessed classified military information, [according to German magazine *Der Spiegel*](). The hard drive even contained data on how to defeat the "LeFlaSys Ozelot" mobile air defense system that was first deployed 19 years ago and is still in use today, as [*Deutsche Welle* reports](). The system can react to air threats on a dime and can protect troops while moving. "Information on how to operate the target acquisition system, as well as the weapons platform itself, can be found on there, and, of course, instructions on how to destroy the entire system to prevent its use by enemy forces,"security expert Tim Berghoff told *DW*. It's not even the first time these kind of documents have been spotted on cheap eBay laptops. Last July, a German forester bought a laptop that contained instruction manuals for a rocket launcher called "Mars," [according to *Der Spiegel*](). ## Guest The 11 pound laptop was still running Windows 2000 and wasn't password protected. "The login for the program that contained the documentation of the weapons system was protected with a very easy-to-guess password," security team member Alexandra Stehr told *DW*. The login? Username: "Guest." Password: "guest." **READ MORE:** [German military laptop with classified data sold on Ebay]() \[*Deutsche Welle*\] **More on military secrets:** *[US Military Admits It Has Secret Footage of UFO Incident]()* ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()