Norway’s National Security Authority (NSM) has raised the country’s cyber risk level to “high,” the second-highest level on its scale, citing the deteriorating security situation and events in recent months.
– Announcing the decision at a news conference on Tuesday, NSM Director Arne Christian Haugstoyl urged Norwegian businesses to strengthen their digital defenses and address known software vulnerabilities immediately.
– The authority warned that the rapid development of artificial intelligence is enabling threat actors to identify and exploit security weaknesses much more efficiently.
– “Businesses therefore have hours, not days or weeks, to close known vulnerabilities,” Haugstoyl said.
– In a press release, NSM called on Norwegian companies to implement preventive security measures without delay and published a list of 21 recommended actions applicable to businesses across the country.
– Justice and Emergency Preparedness Minister Astri Aas-Hansen also urged companies to assess their IT security and rapidly address vulnerabilities, broadcaster NRK reported.
– According to Haugstoyl, successful cyber operations targeting Norwegian businesses have tripled over the past year, with several incidents resulting in serious consequences.
– One publicly known case involved the municipality of Lorenskog, where a large amount of data was stolen in a breach.
– The stolen information was subsequently sold on the dark web.
– The elevated risk assessment underscores growing concerns about cyber threat actors’ ability to exploit digital vulnerabilities, particularly as artificial intelligence accelerates their capabilities.