Norway’s unprecedented public attribution of the April dam cyberattack to Russian hackers marks a significant escalation in the Nordic nation’s confrontation with Moscow’s hybrid warfare tactics, representing the first time Oslo has officially blamed its eastern neighbor for a direct assault on critical infrastructure. This bold disclosure by PST security chief Beate Gangaas signals Norway’s determination to expose Russian cyber operations despite potential diplomatic repercussions, highlighting the growing threat to European energy systems from state-sponsored hackers seeking to demonstrate their capabilities and sow fear among civilian populations.
Official Attribution and Security Concerns
Russian hackers briefly took control of a dam in Norway earlier this year, the head of the Nordic country’s counter-intelligence agency said on Wednesday, the first time Oslo has officially attributed the cyberattack to its neighbour.
While in command of the dam in Bremanger, western Norway, on April 7, the hackers opened a flood gate and released 500 litres (132 gallons) of water per second for four hours before the attack was detected and stopped, authorities previously said.
No one was injured during the attack.
Norway produces most of its electricity via hydropower dams and intelligence authorities have previously warned of the risk of attacks on its energy infrastructure.
Escalating Cyber Threats
“Over the past year, we have seen a change in activity from pro-Russian cyber actors,” Beate Gangaas, head of Norway’s PST security police agency, said in a speech.
The incident at Bremanger was one such activity, Gangaas added.
“The aim of this type of operation is to influence and to cause fear and chaos among the general population,” she said.
“Our Russian neighbour has become more dangerous.”
The Russian embassy in Oslo did not immediately reply to a request for comment.
Due to the high tensions across Europe about the Russian hybrid warfare activities, the timing of the Norwegian public attribution comes at a time when intelligence services are reporting increasingly complex cyber campaigns against critical infrastructure of all kinds, energy plants, water treatment plants, and others within NATO member countries. This calculated release is a trade-off as Norwegian authorities weigh the risk of letting their population know of the possible danger towards a potential loss of face with Moscow especially considering the fact that Norway has a common border with the Arctic just as it supplies Norway with much of its natural gas through vulnerable North Sea pipeline networks all of which are potential targets of sabotage by any potential future operations.
Last September, Britain’s spy chief accused Russia of waging a “staggeringly reckless campaign” of sabotage in Europe, partly to scare European countries from helping Ukraine. Moscow denies this is true.
Strategic Implications
After her speech, Gangaas told Reuters that she was going public with the attribution to warn the general population and to try to prevent Russia launching further attacks.
“I want Norwegians to be prepared,” she said in an interview.
NATO-member Norway shares a border with Russia in the Arctic. Like the other Nordic countries, it is a staunch supporter of Ukraine. It is also Europe’s largest supplier of gas, which is mostly transported via a network of pipelines under the North Sea.
The move by Norway to publicly accuse Russia of mounting the dam attack is evidence of the Norwegian challenge to Russia cyber aggression and their determination to deal with it successfully opening a precedent to other European countries concerned by the same scenario of attack on their critical infrastructures. This direct approach is indicative of the current trends of warfare that has resulted in cyberattacks being used as a source of intimidation as part of Russia and its more general efforts to sabotage support of Ukraine in the western world.
GCN.com/Reuters.