Norway reports breach by Chinese-backed hacking group

The Norwegian government has officially accused the Chinese-backed hacking group known as Salt Typhoon of breaking into several organizations in the country. In a report published on Friday, the Norwegian Police Security Service stated that the hacking group targeted vulnerable network devices to conduct espionage. The security agency, which published the report on the hacking campaign, defines espionage as the practice of spying to obtain information. The agency also noted that the hacking group is believed to be working for the Chinese government. With this announcement, Norway has become the latest country to confirm a network intrusion related to Salt Typhoon’s operations.

The activity in Norway follows a broader pattern of behavior that has been observed across multiple countries. Salt Typhoon has for years stealthily hacked into the networks of critical infrastructure organizations around the world. These critical infrastructure organizations are defined as the essential systems and assets for the functioning of a society. These operations have previously targeted telecommunications providers in Canada and the United States. During those campaigns, the group allegedly intercepted the communications of senior politicians. This series of breaches subsequently put pressure on telecommunications companies in Canada and the United States to improve their security.

Because of the scale of these intrusions, senior U.S. national security officials have described the group as an “epoch-defining threat.” This characterization reflects the long-term nature of the group’s activities, which have targeted critical infrastructure organizations around the world for years. However, the newly released report from the Norwegian Police Security Service did not provide many details about the specific hacking campaign targeting the country. Following the publication of the report on Friday, a spokesperson for Norway’s embassy in the United States did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Why it matters

The confirmation from the Norwegian government indicates that the Salt Typhoon hacking group is continuing its espionage campaign against organizations around the world. Having previously targeted critical infrastructure in the United States and Canada, the group’s persistent activity highlights the ongoing vulnerability of network systems around the world.