Cyber operation against the Storting
Historical archive
Published under: Solberg's Government
Publisher: Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Press release | Date: 19/07/2021
On 10 March, the Storting (Norwegian parliament) disclosed that its email systems had been compromised. The breach exploited security vulnerabilities in the Microsoft Exchange software.
‘This was a very serious incident affecting our most important democratic institution. Following a detailed intelligence assessment, it is our view that the vulnerabilities have been exploited by actors operating out of China. Several of our allies, the EU, and Microsoft have also confirmed this. We expect China to take this issue seriously, and to ensure that such incidents are not repeated,’ said Minister of Foreign Affairs Ine Eriksen Søreide.
‘Allowing such malicious cyber activities to take place is in contradiction of the norms of responsible state behaviour endorsed by all UN Member States. Today, we have called in the Chinese Embassy and raised the issue directly,’ said Ms Eriksen Søreide.
The increasing use of digital solutions means that the threats against us have also shifted to the digital arena. The Government will continue its efforts to strengthen national cyber security. Norway will continue its international cooperation to promote responsible state behaviour in cyberspace.