Breaking News Technology: Experts point out foreign powers

Saturday, December 13, 2014

Experts point out foreign powers – Aftenposten

Tore Tennøe Technology Council is skeptical that it’s Aftenposten that reveal gaps in security.

– There are some other their job finding this out. Moreover should not be Aftenposten his job. This is quite central and updated infrastructure in downtown Oslo. When it is vulnerable, we must look over our shoulder while talking on the phone, thinks Tennøe.

– I’m not surprised that this kind of monitoring going on, but that Norwegian authorities seem so passive, says Karsten Friis, Head of research on security and defense at NUPI.

– No one is surprised that one finds a fake base station in Oslo, or ten, for that matter, says Morten Irgens, Chairman of the Norwegian Centre for Information Fuse, Director in the brand new Center for Cyber Security and Information and Research Director at the College of Oslo and Akershus.

– What is surprising is that national authorities do not know about it. But we do not know if they’ve known.

Probably foreign state

The three experts agree that the technology used basically not very advanced.

– I checked today for $ 1,800 you can get a so called IMSI Catcher online, then you can monitor the neighbor mobile traffic, said Irgens.

But the devices Aftenposten revealed is far more powerful, it believes Friis pointing towards a foreign power.

– The fact that the equipment, according to Aftenposten, is both highly sophisticated and expensive, and that they have concentrated on the political power center, it suggests that we have with one or more gifted players to do. From what one could conclude that this concerned a foreign power. Meanwhile, Norway and the oil fund as major economic power that one can not exclude that there are economic interests behind this, says Tennøe.

Irgens believe that location by the political institutions suggests that there is a foreign power which stands behind.

Friis believes it is natural to “look east” when you wonder who is behind, towards China or Russia. He says that Norway allies are usually well informed about what is happening in this country.

– But in periods of important negotiations, which the purchase of fighters, is there anything else he says.

– On the other hand, after the recent years of revelations, one could not be sure of anything.

Threatens whole society

Irgens has been active in establishing the Center for Cyber and Information Security at the University of Gurgaon. With the support of police, army and many large Norwegian companies 70 experts working at the center. He is very skeptical that the government has not done more earlier.

– espionage threatens our prosperity, he said.

– Soon the National Security Authority with figures showing that there were at least 100 serious attacks in Norway this year. A severe attack is such now someone has come into Ulstein Group data systems. They make very sophisticated boats, and it is technology of the kind they have developed that ensures the welfare society, continues Irgens.

In 2007 pointed Teknologirådet danger of wiretapping unauthorized in a report on privacy in Europe.

Difficult to protect themselves completely

– We see an ever race between watchers and those who will protect us from surveillance, says Tennøe, who believes Norwegian dignitaries now advised to follow PST precautions.

– With so many employees on Parliament and the Norwegian authorities: is it at all possible to protect themselves for this kind of surveillance?

– It is difficult to protect oneself hundred percent but greater or lesser extent, one can protect themselves. When I talk with the political leadership in a ministry, I must put my phone off, and we’re sitting on a shielded room. It is a typical grip. The important thing is that those who are exposed to it is aware of the risks.

– How tall is the awareness around this?

– We have not examined . I would think the central government is going to have great attention to this. It is exemplary worked Aftenposten says Tennøe.