Russian Hackers Target Norwegian Dam, Spill Water
The head of Norway’s security police service, Beate Gangaas, revealed that Russian hackers briefly took control of a dam in Norway, releasing millions of gallons of water before being stopped. The cyberattack occurred at the Bremanger dam in western Norway, where the hackers opened a floodgate and released the equivalent of three Olympic-sized swimming pools of water over a four-hour period.
Gangaas directly attributed the attack to Russian hackers during a speech, as reported by Norwegian media. However, the Russian embassy denied any involvement in the breach, according to Reuters.
This incident is just the latest in a series of alleged cyberattacks by Russian hackers targeting Western energy systems. In the past, Russia has been blamed for similar attacks on Ukraine’s power grid, resulting in widespread blackouts in 2015 and 2016. Hackers backed by Russia have a history of targeting the energy sector.