Advertisement

Norway accuses Russia over cyber attack on parliament

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Norway accuses Russia over cyber attack on parliament
The parliament building in Oslo. File photo: AFP

Norway's government on Tuesday said that it believes Russia was behind an August cyber attack targeting the email system of the country's parliament.

Advertisement

The attack was detected in August, when Norway announced hackers had attacked the parliament's email system, gaining access to some lawmakers' messages.

"Based on the information the government has, it is our view that Russia is responsible for these activities," foreign minister Ine Eriksen Søreide said in a statement.

The foreign ministry did not specify what information prompted its conclusions, but encouraged companies to follow guidelines on cyber security.

"This is a very serious incident, affecting our most important democratic institution," she added.

Advertisement

In its annual threat assessment published in February, Norway's PST domestic intelligence service warned of "computer network operations" which they said represented a "persistent and long-term threat to Norway".

In 2018, NATO member Norway arrested a Russian national suspected of gathering information on the parliament's internet network, but released him several weeks later due to lack of evidence.

The two countries, which share a common border in the Arctic, have generally enjoyed good relations but those have become strained since Russian annexation of the Crimean peninsula in 2014.

READ ALSO: Norway's parliament attacked by hackers

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

Anonymous 2020/10/13 20:27
Ridiculous and risible. Russia is the scapegoat that systematically accused by the west whenever something goes wrong. It is all part of this western mental disease called Russophobia.

See Also