The Election Directorate (Valgdirektoratet) sharpened IT security and will thoroughly test their systems before the parliamentary elections this autumn.
The reports about unsubstantiated ’Russian attempts to influence elections in the US’, have led to increased concern about incidents of foreign powers attempting to influence Norwegian election results.
The Election Directorate told VG newspaper that there have been no specific specific threats revealed toward their field of work, but that they have heightened security ‘because of the potential threat.’
‘With the intensifying threat assessment, we are being more stringent as well. It is quite natural. We have the same safeguards, both technical, and concerning
those involved, but we must also emphasise that there is an increased, and upgraded, threat assessment’, said director, Bjorn Berg, of the Election Directorate.
IT systems will have been put through their paces before the autumn, including through the use of ‘trial hacking’. The Election Directorate believes that they
are well equipped against any attempt at influence from China or Russia.
‘We must be aware that these potential threat actors have incredible capacity. But, there is no identified threat to our work as of today’, said Berg.
In the past week, the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST) chief, Benedicte Bjørnland, said that she does not think Russia will try to influence the outcome of the Norwegian parliamentary elections.
‘We can, of course, not rule it out, but unlike many other countries, there is consensus in Norway on Norwegian foreign policy. This means that there is not much to gain for Russia by influencing election results’, said Bjørnland.
Source: NTB scanpix / Norway Today
