Norway’s National Security Authority (NSM) has raised the country’s cyber risk level to “high”, the second-highest on its scale, citing a deteriorating security situation and events in recent months.
Announcing the decision at a news conference on Tuesday, NSM Director Arne Christian Haugstoyl urged Norwegian businesses to strengthen their digital defences and immediately address known software vulnerabilities.
The authority warned that rapid advances in artificial intelligence are enabling threat actors to identify and exploit security weaknesses more efficiently.
“Businesses therefore have hours, not days or weeks, to close known vulnerabilities,” Haugstoyl said.
In a press release, NSM called on Norwegian companies to implement preventive security measures without delay and published 21 recommended actions for businesses across the country.
Justice and Emergency Preparedness Minister Astri Aas-Hansen also urged companies to assess their IT security and rapidly address vulnerabilities, broadcaster NRK reported.
Stolen data sold on dark web
According to Haugstoyl, successful cyber operations targeting Norwegian businesses have tripled over the past year, with several incidents causing serious consequences.
One publicly known case involved the municipality of Lorenskog, where a large amount of data was stolen in a breach.
The stolen information was later sold on the dark web.
The elevated risk assessment highlights growing concerns over cyber threat actors’ ability to exploit digital vulnerabilities, particularly as artificial intelligence accelerates their capabilities.
