Our ability to innovate and excel in technology is a prerequisite for defending our economic and regional interests, and our democratic values. Now is the time to make the right choices.
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ØYVIND HUSBY, CEO ICT – Norway
The warnings from Norway’s secret services have been very clear in the past two years: China and Russia are planning and carrying out mixed operations against Norway with the intent of harming Norway’s reputation and economic interests and with the intent of undermining the Norwegian authorities. Authority and ability to deal with crisis situations. Additionally, the intent is to be able to carry out attacks that harm critical Norwegian infrastructure.
The past two years have shown that the warnings were real, and a number of dangerous cyber operations were carried out against Norway. Fortunately, no major and malicious attacks have been carried out on Norwegian infrastructure, but there is reason to believe that this was planned and prepared, and that it is only a matter of time before that happens.
One of the most powerful cards Putin has now is to create an energy crisis in Europe. Today, Norway is Europe’s second most important supplier of gas, and everything that is part of Norway’s energy supply chain could be the next target for Russian operations. The slaughter of the Office of the Auditor General of Cyber Readiness for NVE related to the country’s energy supply a year ago shows how weak and ill-prepared Norway is in some critical areas.
Previous cyberattacks from Russia, such as a year ago, gave Russia access to the critical information and systems of more than 8,000 companies and organizations around the world. Russia had access to these companies for about a year before they were discovered, and Microsoft estimated that at least 1,000 Russian engineers were involved in carrying out this attack.
Many have wondered why Russia has not done so much damage after such extensive access to, among other things, sensitive information and management systems of critical infrastructure. One theory is that these were preparations for greater work that could be done when the time came.
Putin’s self-confidence during the operation against Ukraine, and threats that Western economic sanctions will be met with disproportionate countermeasures, are bad news against this backdrop. The agreement signed by Russia and China on the opening day of the Olympics on February 4 this year on “borderless” cooperation, among other things, artificial intelligence and cybersecurity, shows the seriousness and dimensions of the threats we now face. ICT-Norway proposes the following immediate measures:
- Norway must urgently address cybersecurity at the United Nations Security Council
- Norway should take the lead in intensive cooperation in the European Union, the United Nations and NATO in order to develop defensive and offensive cyber capabilities.
- Norway should promote education and further education in cyber resources
- Norway should establish much more inclusive and formal structures for public-private cooperation through the exchange of information and experiences and emergency preparedness exercises.
- Norway should establish a mandatory and systematic reporting system for cyber-attacks on Norwegian companies, institutions and organizations
- Norway should conduct an updated national survey as soon as possible of our cyber readiness and capacity for digital sovereignty – and implement the necessary measures at the local and national levels
Our ability to innovate and excel in technology is a prerequisite for defending our economic and regional interests, and our democratic values. Now is the time to make the right choices.
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