Norway’s fragmented cyber-defence structure leaves digital security gaps, experts warn
Norway lacks a single authority for digital defence, leaving coordination weak and the country vulnerable to cyber attacks.
In a recent interview, Tonis Saar warned that Norway’s digital security is fragmented, with no single leader overseeing cyber defence. The Justice and Preparedness Department currently coordinates, while individual sector ministries handle their own parts, a setup Riksrevisjonen has called “critically lacking.” Annual threat assessments from NSM, PST and the Intelligence Service provide limited insight, and the latest public data dates back to 2023.
Analysts suggest three concrete steps: establish a digital resilience unit under the Prime Minister’s office with reporting duties, release unfiltered quarterly cyber-incident statistics, and launch a Nordic framework for shared security clearances and joint situational awareness. Without these reforms, Norway risks repeating the vulnerabilities exposed by recent attacks on the Stortinget website.
Why it matters
Weak cyber coordination could expose Norway’s critical infrastructure to disruptive attacks.
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