Når samfunnet lammes. Militær bistand ved et dataangrep

This study examines the role of military support to civil authorities in the event of a national cyber crisis in Norway, with special emphasis on the Norwegian Cyber Force. In later years, Norway’s nationwide mobile network has collapsed at several occasions. In March 2013, it was revealed that the Norwegian telecom corporation, Telenor, was itself exposed to industrial espionage. The ensuing investigation unveiled a sophisticated Indian cyber attack infrastructure compromising corporations and governments worldwide. In principle, Norway’s military should defend the nation against external threats, whereas the police should handle domestic threats. The police, however, have neither sufficient resources nor the competence to handle large-scale cyber terrorism. The Norwegian Cyber Force, on the other hand, has technology, expertise and experience from operating, monitoring and defending its own nationwide infrastructure. In the event of a cyber crisis, coordinating expert organs such as the Norwegian National Security Authority with its CERT will step in (the NSA reporting both to the Minister of Defence and the Minister of Justice). Regular civilmilitary cooperation and exercise is vital to preventing security threats, as was shown in the autumn of 2013, when Telenor initiated a large-scale exercise together with NorCERT, the police, several banks, private computer security companies, and the Norwegian Cyber Force. If civilian e-com infrastructure is targeted by an attack that puts vital social interests, life or health in danger, the Norwegian Cyber Force will be able to support the civil authorities with various special competencies, ranging from smaller teams of advisors to large military units