Norway intel: Russians likely behind parliament hacking
COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) — Norway’s domestic security agency said Tuesday that Russian hackers linked to Russia’s military intelligence service GRU are “likely” behind a cyberbreach earlier this year of the Norwegian parliament's email system.
The security agency said the email system handles information "of great interest to several foreign states’ intelligence services.”
The agency, known by its acronym PST, concluded that the network operation that targeted the Storting assembly on Aug. 24 was “part of a larger campaign nationally and internationally, which has been going on at least since 2019.” PST didn't elaborate.
The intelligence agency said that “it is likely" that the operation was carried out by the hacker group known as APT28, or Fancy Bear. "This actor is linked to Russia’s military intelligence service GRU, more specifically their 85th Special Services Center (GTsSS),” it said in a statement.
However, the probe didn’t provide “sufficient information” for an indictment after which it was decided to terminate the investigation, PST said.
The agency echoed the Norwegian parliament's own investigation into the breach in saying it found vulnerabilities such as insecure passwords. It said that common security mechanisms such as two-factor authentication, could stymie such cyberattacks.
Foreign Minister Ine Eriksen Soereide said Oct. 14 that “it is our assessment that Russia is behind this activity” and called it “a serious incident that affects our most important democratic institution.”
There was no immediate reaction from Moscow to the PST conclusion.
Russian officials have repeatedly denied any involvement by Moscow in any hacking attacks. They have similarly dismissed charges of Russian meddling in the 2016 U.S....
