Norway holds Russia responsible for cyberattack on parliament, Moscow rejects allegations

Norway has blamed Russia for a cyberattack on the email system of the Norwegian parliament in August, calling it a serious incident affecting country’s “most important democratic institution.” Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide said in a statement that the security and intelligence services are cooperating closely to deal with the matter.

“Based on the information the Government has, it is our view that Russia is responsible for these activities,’ the statement read.

The Norwegian government said that the incident demonstrates the importance of strong security measures and it will continue its efforts to strengthen national cybersecurity and expand international cooperation in the digital arena. It stressed that businesses, organisations, and private individuals must participate in preventive security efforts to avoid breaches in digital security. 

Russia rejected the claim and said that such “serious deliberate provocation” is disastrous for bilateral relations. Russian Embassy in Norway said that millions of cyber-attacks on Russia are committed every year from abroad but it does not give the right to indiscriminately blame the authorities of the countries from where the attacks are launched.

“No evidence was presented. We consider such accusations of our country unacceptable,” said the embassy in a statement. 

Read: Nazi Warship Found Off Norway Coast After 80 Years; See Pics Of 'most Fearsome Ship'

Read: 1,200-year-old Norse Temple From Ancient Iron Age Unearthed By Archaeologists In Norway

Recent hacking allegations

Russia has frequently faced allegations of carrying cyberattacks on European countries. In July, Britain had accused Russian hackers of trying to steal coronavirus vaccine research. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) published an advisory on July 16, detailing tactics and techniques of a hacker group commonly known as ‘APT29’, also known as ‘the Dukes’ or ‘Cozy Bear’.

The British government said that experts at NCSC are almost certain that APT29, which has targeted medical research and development organisations, is a part of the Russian Intelligence Services. According to the NCSC assessment, coordinated with Canada’s Communications Security Establishment (CSE), it is highly likely that this activity was to collect information on COVID-19 vaccine research or research into the novel coronavirus itself.

Read: Central Cabinet Gives Nod To Cybersecurity Cooperation Pact Between India And Japan

Read: ASEAN-India Summit: MEA Stresses On Importance Of Cybersecurity Amid COVID Related Frauds