Latest news with #RussianHackers
Yahoo
a day ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Norway spy chief blames Russian hackers for hijacking dam
Russian hackers briefly hijacked a dam in Norway in early April and spilled millions of gallons of water before the attack was stopped, Norway's spy chief revealed Thursday. The hackers opened a floodgate at the Bremanger dam in western Norway to release the equivalent of about three Olympic-sized swimming pools of water during the four hours they had control of the dam's computer systems. Beate Gangaas, the head of Norway's security police service, blamed the cyberattack on Russian hackers during a speech on Thursday, first reported by Norwegian media. The Russian embassy reportedly denied involvement in the breach, per Reuters. This is the latest incident allegedly involving Russian hackers sabotaging Western energy systems in recent years. Russia was previously blamed for cyberattacks on Ukraine's power grid that led to widespread blackouts in 2015 and 2016. Russia-backed hackers have long targeted the energy sector. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
TechCrunch
a day ago
- Politics
- TechCrunch
Norway spy chief blames Russian hackers for hijacking dam
In Brief Russian hackers briefly hijacked a dam in Norway in early April and spilled millions of gallons of water before the attack was stopped, Norway's spy chief revealed Thursday. The hackers opened a floodgate at the Bremanger dam in western Norway to release the equivalent of about three Olympic-sized swimming pools of water during the four hours they had control of the dam's computer systems. Beate Gangaas, the head of Norway's security police service, blamed the cyberattack on Russian hackers during a speech on Thursday, first reported by Norwegian media. The Russian embassy reportedly denied involvement in the breach, per Reuters. This is the latest incident allegedly involving Russian hackers sabotaging Western energy systems in recent years. Russia was previously blamed for cyberattacks on Ukraine's power grid that led to widespread blackouts in 2015 and 2016. Russia-backed hackers have long targeted the energy sector.
Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Times
Russian hackers ‘opened taps on Norwegian dam'
The head of Norway's main security agency has said Russian hackers seized control of a dam for four hours in April. The cyberattack on the facility in Bremanger, 100 miles north of Bergen on the western coast, involved fully opening the flow valves, releasing nearly 500 litres of water a second. It is the first time the Norwegian authorities have publicly identified Russia as the culprit. Beate Gangas, director of the PST, Norway's security service, said the Bremanger incident was part of a new wave of attacks from 'pro-Russian cyber actors'. • NHS hospitals 'easy targets' for Russian hackers 'The aim of this type of operation is to influence and to cause fear and chaos among the general population,' she said in a speech. 'Our Russian neighbour has become more dangerous.' At the time of the hack, independent analysts said the damage had been minor and the real significance of the incident was symbolic. Hydroelectric dams produce more than 90 per cent of Norway's power and there is concern about the potential for sabotage. In this case, however, the dam on Lake Risevatnet is thought to primarily control the supply of freshwater to a nearby fish farm. The watercourse it supplies can handle significantly higher flow volumes than those unleashed by the hackers, and the fault was detected relatively quickly and remedied. • Civilisation depends on undersea cables. What happens if they break? Nor does the cyberattack appear to have been sophisticated: Breivika Eiendom, the dam's owner, indicated that the hackers had probably seized on a weak password. Yet the incident has driven home the vast scope for electronic sabotage of Europe's physical infrastructure, amid warnings that the Russian military intelligence service and its network of hackers have begun aggressively targeting private sector companies involved in supporting Ukraine. In February the PST's annual national security report said hackers working on behalf of Russia, China, Iran and North Korea posed a 'significant' and 'unpredictable' threat to Norway. It also noted an 'increased likelihood that Russian intelligence services will try to carry out sabotage operations in Norway'. Norwegian officials suspect that Russia orchestrated the sabotage of an underwater fibre-optic data cable linking the Svalbard archipelago to mainland Norway in January 2022, weeks before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, the Russian embassy in Oslo dismissed the claim that Russia was behind the attack on the dam as 'unfounded and politically motivated'.
The Guardian
2 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
Russian hackers seized control of Norwegian dam, spy chief says
Russian hackers took control of a Norwegian dam this year, opening a floodgate and allowing water to flow unnoticed for four hours, Norway's intelligence service has said. The admission, by the Norwegian Police Security Service (PST), marks the first time that Oslo has formally attributed the cyber-attack in April on Bremanger, western Norway, to Moscow. The attack on the hydropower dam, which produces electricity, released 500 litres (132 gallons) of water a second for four hours until the incident was detected and stopped. The head of PST, Beate Gangås, said on Wednesday: 'Over the past year, we have seen a change in activity from pro-Russian cyber actors.' The Bremanger incident was an example of such an attack, she added. 'The aim of this type of operation is to influence and to cause fear and chaos among the general population. Our Russian neighbour has become more dangerous.' The incident did not cause any injuries or damage because the water level of the river and the dam, which is close to the town of Svelgen, was a long way below flood capacity. The alleged perpetrators reportedly published a three-minute video, watermarked with the name of a pro-Russian cybercriminal group, on Telegram on the day of the attack. Kripos, Norway's organised crime police unit, told the Aftenposten newspaper it was 'aware this group brought together several actors who commit crime in the cyber domain' and had been linked to several cyber-attacks against businesses in the west in recent years. Gangås said: 'Russian intelligence services spend significant resources identifying, cultivating and recruiting contacts in Norway. Norwegian citizens could be good sources of information for them.' Intelligence services in Norway, which produces the majority of its electricity using hydropower dams, had previously warned of the potential risk of such attacks on energy infrastructure. Norway and Russia share a 123-mile (198km) border, with a crossing at Storskog, Europe's only open Schengen border with Russia. The Russian embassy in Oslo said Gangås's statements were 'unfounded and politically motivated'. It told Reuters news agency: 'It is obvious that the PST is unsuccessfully trying to substantiate the mythical threat of Russian sabotage against Norwegian infrastructure this year, which it itself invented in its February (annual) report.' Last year, Richard Moore, the head of Britain's Secret Intelligence Service, MI6, accused Russia of a 'staggeringly reckless campaign' of sabotage in Europe, in part to frighten countries from helping Ukraine. Moscow denies the allegation. The PST has been contacted for comment.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Politics
- ABC News
Norway's spy chief blames Russian hackers for dam sabotage
Russian hackers briefly took control of a dam in Norway earlier this year, the head of the Nordic country's counterintelligence agency has revealed. The hackers opened a flood gate at the dam in Bremanger, western Norway, on April 7, and released 500 litres of water per second for 4 hours before the attack was detected and stopped, authorities previously said. No-one was injured during the attack. Russia's involvement in the attack was revealed in a speech by Beate Gangås, the head of Norway's PST security police agency. "Over the past year, we have seen a change in activity from pro-Russian cyber actors," she said, adding that the incident at Bremanger was one such activity. Her comments marked the first time Oslo has officially attributed the cyber attack to its neighbour. Norway produces most of its electricity via hydropower dams, and intelligence authorities have previously warned of the risk of attacks on its energy infrastructure. "The aim of this type of operation is to influence and to cause fear and chaos among the general population," Ms Gangås said. In an email to Reuters, the Russian embassy in Oslo said the declarations were "unfounded and politically motivated". 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 the allegation. After her speech, Ms Gangås told Reuters that she was going public with the attribution to warn the general population and to try to prevent Russia from 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. Reuters/ABC
