The National Insurance Agency (NSM) warns of waves of data attacks in the report “National digital risk picture”, which was presented today. In particular, “professionalised, targeted and advanced” cyber-attacks against the gas supply are brought forward. – Cyber security must be prioritized to avoid major social consequences, says director Sofie Nystrøm of the National Insurance Agency (NSM). In a normal year, revenues from oil, gas and electricity account for around NOK 500 billion in the Norwegian treasury. Last year, the same revenues were calculated at a record high NOK 1,457 billion as a result of the changes in the energy policy landscape after Russia invaded Ukraine. – In many cases, Russian-speaking hacktivists state that the motivation is Norway’s support for Ukraine. It is likely that there will be more attacks against Norwegian businesses in line with Norwegian support for Ukraine, says Nystrøm. Twice, submarine cables on the Norwegian seabed have been damaged under mysterious circumstances in recent years. Photo: Troms police district – Reminder that the cyber threat is very real In July, the government was exposed to a computer attack aimed at the computer platform of twelve ministries. – This is a reminder that the cyber threat is very real and a large part of the new insurance policy situation we live in, said Municipal and District Minister Sigbjørn Gjelsvik (Sp). – When the level of tension in international politics increases as much as it has in recent years, many of the challenges we knew about before are brought to the fore, says Lars Gjesvik at NUPI’s research center for digitization and cyber security. He characterizes it as “interesting, and obviously not good” that NSM believes that the preventive work is going slower than the development on the offensive side. – Then the situation is that we are less equipped to defend ourselves. In that sense, this is an attempt to raise the voice compared to the report from last year. - Scary, but not surprising. The report from the National Security Agency (NSM) is part of a series of reports that warn against an increased risk of threats. – This report is frightening, but not surprising, says Øyvind Husby, managing director of ICT Norway. He points out that Norway has spent seven years introducing the EU directive NIS 1, which is to ensure a high common level of security in network and information systems throughout the Union. Earlier this year, NVE, the Police, the Norwegian Petroleum Directorate, the Health Authority, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Justice were criticized by the National Audit Office for their work with digital security. – This could have serious consequences for critical societal functions and national security interests, said the report that was presented in February. Based on the alarm reports, ICT Norway launched a “Road map for cyber security in Norway” in October. Here, the missing cable was found outside Vesterålen. Much of Norway’s critical infrastructure is not sufficiently secured, according to NSM.Video: Institute of Marine Research, GO Sars / UiB – The company has tightened up planning and measures Earlier this year, PST, E-tenesta, the Petroleum Institute and the Norwegian Institute of Foreign Policy (NUPI) pointed out that the petroleum sector is a particular target for sabotage. – We are very concerned about this, and we have worked systematically over many years to strengthen our robustness against cyber attacks, says Gisle Ledel Johannessen in Equinor. He points out that the company is working with NSM to strengthen cyber defense through concrete measures. – We feel that the authorities have cyber security high on the agenda. This is a rapidly developing field that requires systematic work over time. Section manager in Offshore Norway, Aud Nistov, says they take into account the threat assessments that the Norwegian governing authorities prepare. – We have a close dialogue with our member companies, and we are aware that the companies have sharpened their planning and measures, she says. Cyber defence: – We have seen this development grow over time. The report to the National Security Agency also shows that there are several digital threats against the Armed Forces and the Defense sector. – The increase in volume must probably be seen in connection with the security policy situation that Norway and Europe are facing, says Knut H. Grandhagen in the Cyber Defence. He adds: – The armed forces have seen this development develop over time, and are taking ongoing measures to adapt their security mechanisms to that threat. Off the Norwegian coast, there are approximately 9,000 kilometers of pipes that transport oil and gas to and from Norway.
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New report sounds the alarm about waves of computer attacks – news Vestland
