So how does 77th Brigade operate?
THE British Army’s secret cyber unit uses unconventional warfare to fight in the information age.
Nicknamed the ‘new Chindits’ after the British and Indian force which used unorthodox tactics during the Second World War, the 77th Brigade is now a key part of many military deployments.
Among its many functions, it carries out cyber attacks on terror networks, tackles propaganda online and engages in counterpiracy and counter-insurgency activities on the dark web.
The brigade currently has small teams in the Ukraine, where they are training government forces to protect computer systems from attack. Others perform a similar role in Iraq and North Africa.
Commanded by Brigadier Chris Bell, of the Scots Guards, the 1,200-strong unit is one of the most unorthodox formations in the Army although outwardly, its HQ , hidden in the Berkshire countryside alongside a garden centre, appears unremarkable.
Many of its members are computer science graduates headhunted to join one of three specialists teams: cyber warfare, psychological influence and information operations.
A senior source said: ‘These people are real-life Jason Bournes, operating closely with special forces, the security services and human intelligence. They bring a skillset we have not seen before.
‘Their task is to hoover up information and pick out the detail, while manipulating the enemy by digital and psychological means.
‘These people are experts in tech – they can use a phone to intercept, track and monitor other users and their skills are being used to train Special Forces about the use of their phones.’