[ad_1]
No later than Wednesday, there was a meeting in the “protected room” in the basement of the Storting. Some members of the committee went to the basement to read classified documents related to the defense of Norway.
MALICIOUS ATTACK: Storting Director Marianne Andreassen met with the press to report on the cyber attack that has affected Storting elected representatives and employees. The attackers should not have had access to classified information.
Photo: Torstein Bye / NRK
To protect information that could harm Norway and be allies against foreign powers, the Storting has created a room in the basement that is well protected, has space for about 20 people and cannot be intercepted.
On Tuesday it emerged that several Storting politicians and employees have been targeted by hackers and that the attackers have managed to download documents and information.
LONG HISTORY OF SECRET DOCUMENTS: This Government Security Committee document had the highest “Top Secret” security rating until it was downgraded in 1998.
Photo: Ståle Hansen / NRK
But the Storting system for qualified documents means that unauthorized people cannot hack into the most important secrets.
Monitored while reading
One of those who was hacked is Liv Signe Navarsete (Sp), who is part of the defense and foreign affairs committee. Confirm that there is space to read classified documents.
– When we need to read qualified documents, we need to retrieve them from safe cabinets and they take care of us while reading. We are not allowed to write or take anything in or out of the room, neither a PC nor a telephone, says Navarsete.
TRIED THE HACK: Someone tried to hack into Liv Signe Navarsete’s account, but couldn’t get in.
Photo: Lise Åserud / NTB scanpix
Everyone reading qualified documents at the Storting must be in the basement.
Documents are scored if the content is likely to harm Norway or the country’s allies, the relationship with foreign powers, or other vital national security interests, if the information becomes known to unauthorized persons.
There are no qualified documents in the hacked computer system.
– The Storting is subject to the Security Act and handles classified information in accordance with the requirements of the legislation, writes the director of the Storting, Marinne Andreassen, in an email to NRK.
Not everything should be available electronically
Although information stolen by hackers is not qualified or classified, confidential information can be misleading.
Ludwig Sandell, an ethical hacker and a leader at security firm Dignatio AS, notes that information can be both sensitive and harmful, even if it’s not qualified.
ETHICAL HACKER: – It’s still impossible to hack paper documents, says ethical hacker, Ludwig Sandell, who believes that some secrets still work better on paper.
Photo: Kai Hansen
– The incident that became known on Tuesday is a good indication that a large amount of information should not be available in electronic form, either in the cloud or as part of an email. It’s still impossible to hack good old documents, says Sandell.
On Wednesday, the Police Security Service opened an investigation, they fear that the computer attack on the Storting could be part of an intelligence operation against Norway.
The investigation is carried out in close collaboration with other security and intelligence organizations in Norway.
