Norway proposes NOK 200m for digital security

The Norwegian Government has proposed allocating a further NOK 200 million to increase digital security in 2022 as a result of digital attacks against Norway having become more likely.

The equivalent of more than £17 million, the Norwegian Government statement said that Russia’s attack on Ukraine has created a new security policy situation and that the country will act quickly to strengthen its efforts to combat digital attacks.

Emilie Enger Mehl, Minister of Justice and Public Security, said that this will increase digital security in prevention, detection, and handling at the local, regional and national levels.

The Norwegian Government will allocate NOK 15 million to strengthen the National Security Authority’s ability to combat digital attacks, as well as NOK 40 million so that more organisations introduce digital intruder alerts which send notifications to NSM. The purpose of the NSM is to prevent, detect, and coordinate the handling of serious digital attacks. Since 2019, NSM has seen the number of data attacks with serious consequences for enterprises in Norway tripled.

Strengthen digital security in the municipalities, it is proposed that NOK 50 million is allocated to allow the municipalities to avail themselves of cyber security expertise, and to establish a scheme to increase the municipalities’ competence and capacity to prevent and handle digital incidents. The purpose of this measure is to increase the municipalities’ ability to detect, prevent and handle digital attacks.

The Norwegian Government also proposes increasing the allocation to the Norwegian Center for Information Security (NorSIS), improving systems for communication and interaction in connection with national crisis management efforts, establishing support tools for enterprises, establishing a single digital security portal for the authorities, developing and securing the Norwegian Police Security Service’s IT systems, and implementing measures to speed up the security clearance process by the Norwegian Civil Security Clearance Authority.

In September 2020, the Norwegian Parliament was victim of a ‘significant cyber attack’.