Norway accuses Russia of data attack on parliament

Vladimir PutinPhoto: Mikhail Metzel / Sputnik / Kremlin Pool Photo via AP

Norwegian Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Søreide (H) says that the government assesses that Russia is behind the data attack on the email systems in the Norwegian parliament (Storting).

“This is a serious incident that affects our most important democratic institution,” Søreide noted in a press release.

She stated that the security and intelligence services are working closely on the handling of the incident.

“Based on the information the government has, it is our assessment that Russia is behind this activity,” Søreide noted.

“Digital security breaches can only be averted if both companies and private individuals contribute to preventive security work. All companies are recommended to follow the National Security Authority’s (NSM) recommendations on passwords and NSM’s basic principles for ICT security,” the Ministry of Foreign Affairs pointed out.

PST investigation

The Police Security Service (PST) stated that their investigation is independent of the government’s accusation that Russia is behind the computer attack on the Storting.

PST did not want to point to Russia in the current phase of the investigation, communications director Trond Hugubakken told news bureau NTB.

“There are several others who give the government information in this case, so you have to ask the government about the foundation for the accusation. 

“We are investigating the case, and the investigation is ongoing regardless of what the government comes out with,” Hugubakken noted.

He did not answer whether PST was investigating other possible culprits.

© NTB Scanpix / #Norway Today

1 Comment on "Norway accuses Russia of data attack on parliament"

  1. But as in the Navalny novichok and Skripals/Salisbury novichok cases, what would be the Russians’ MOTIVE?

    Norway did not participate in the U.S./British Barents Sea maneuvers because Norway thought that would be provocationist. So why would Russia attack Norway which is trying *not* to threaten it?

    On the other hand, during his NUPI virtual lecture last week, British Ambassador to Norway Richard Wood almost angrily kept pushing “the Russian threat” claim … apparently to justify the basing of British troops in Norway which violates The Nordic Balance understanding with Russia and can indeed threaten it.

    Extremely sophisticated cyberwar operations – like GCHQ, NSA, and/or other countries’ – can penetrate other major powers’ cyber facilities to simulate an attack launched from them.

    Is the information the government has from Britain??

    And other countries which might have had motive include China, which Prime Minister Erna Solberg rebuffed, when it tried to exert political pressure. (Or are the Russians so allied with China that they would have acceded to a Chinese request to penetrate Norway cybernetically?)

    And I am no fan of Russia at the moment, after its Pacific Fleet harassed/threatened our Alaska fishermen in our treaty-agreed half of the Bering Sea, but I see NO MOTIVE at all for the Russians doing this … except out of lockstep bureaucratic national security stupidity which can occur in any country, I suppose.

    It will be interesting to see what PST decides.

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