The American newspaper reports that the Finnish and Swedish authorities are preparing for a possible increase in cyber attacks.
According to Hyppönen, the hacker groups are already late if they want to have a concrete influence on public opinion about joining NATO. Pete Anikari
The Wall Street Journal reports that the Finnish and Swedish authorities are preparing for possible cyber attacks, the risk of which has further increased after the countries applied for NATO membership.
Director of Research at F-Secure Mikko Hyppönen tells the newspaper that cyber attacks are likely to increase in Finland as possible retaliation against government decisions and NATO membership.
However, according to Hyppönen, the hacker groups are already late if they want to have a concrete influence on public opinion about joining NATO.
– I am concerned about the direct cyber attacks by the Russian government or its representatives, which Russia is targeting Finland and Sweden, Hyppönen added to the newspaper.
Sanctions against Russia, including a ban on the acquisition of state-of-the-art equipment, are made by the director of the Rise Cyber Security Center, a Swedish state-owned research institute. Kim Elman according to the cyber attack on Finland and Sweden an even more attractive option. Both countries have high-tech research and development and would therefore be favorable targets for espionage, according to Elman.
The hackers may be a research engineer at the Swedish National Defense Research Institute David Lindahlin damages Swedish websites and disseminates disinformation.
Although cyber-attacks in Sweden or Finland have not intensified in recent months, Sweden’s application for NATO membership means that “we have changed the situation” about Lindahl.
“We are prepared for all dangers”
According to the magazine, the Finnish and Swedish cyber security authorities have received more notifications and requests for information in recent months from companies and individuals who have had questionable or shared information about cybersecurity.
The pages of Finland’s two ministries collapsed at the same time as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyi addressed Parliament. Matti Matikainen
Director General of the Cyber Security Center Sauli Pahlman tells the newspaper that the center now assesses cyber threats more systematically from outside Finland, when before the war it focused primarily on domestic threats.
Analysts say Pahlman has studied recent cyber attacks on Ukraine to learn how to defend against similar attacks. Communication with critical infrastructure actors has also been stepped up.
The TWSJ also mentions a cyber security development program set by the Finnish government, which was launched before the Russian invasion and aims to improve cyber security in Finland.
Authorities interviewed by the newspaper say the war has helped them focus on concrete threats.
– The situation in Ukraine has changed our thinking and perhaps made our discussions even more intense, the director of information management at the Ministry of Defense told the newspaper Mikko Soikkeli.
– We are prepared for basically all the dangers at this stage, Head of the National Security Unit of the Ministry of the Interior Petri Knape commented to the magazine.