Danish businesses are being hit by increasing numbers of cyber attacks: "There are new balls being added to the pot"

It is "scary" and "something that gives you a bad feeling in your gut."

This is the reaction from Telenor so far regarding the unexplained data cable breaks in the Baltic Sea.

Also read: After another possible sabotage in the Baltic Sea: Denmark should listen for submarines and strengthen cyber defense, experts say ( )

As a telecommunications company, Telenor manages large parts of the Danish digital infrastructure – and is also itself a target of daily attacks, says Per Olsen, security chief in Telenor's Danish division.

And there are significant consequences if hackers get through their defenses.

- Ultimately, we would be shut down. So it could be that you can't use your mobile phone, that you can't get any data. There's a lot at stake before we get there, but it would be the worst imaginable scenario, says Per Olsen.

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'Not just funny pictures'

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Digitalization has now reached all corners of Danish society.

Because of this, there is now much more digital infrastructure at risk, says Poul Noer, who is an expert in the field at the organization Danish Business.

- This is not just a matter of sending funny pictures. It is the entire foundation for business life to function, and for the public sector to function, he says.

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> We're already being taken to the mat on this

> Per Olsen, security chief, Telenor

And it is being exploited by those who want to do us harm.

Also read: Threat level for destructive cyber attacks is raised ( )

- It is clear that we are facing a significantly changed threat landscape. The recent events have also indicated this, even if we don't have the full picture yet.

- But what we can see is that there are significantly more cybersecurity attacks against companies than there were a year ago. There is a significant increase, so there are new challenges when it comes to cybersecurity, says Poul Noer.

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Not just specialists

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Danish business faces a major challenge in securing itself digitally.

Because there are many vulnerabilities around, evaluates Poul Noer.

- There is nothing that suggests that Danish companies are better prepared than others. And that's quite alarming, because we are very digitalized in Denmark. So it seems that our cybersecurity level has not kept pace with our digitalization level, he says.

And it is not a problem that can be solved with a snap of the fingers.

- Companies that may not have been used to working with digitalization and cybersecurity through the last 20 years are suddenly having to recruit highly educated specialists to create cybersecurity solutions. And that's quite a challenge, says Poul Noer from Danish Business.

But it is not just an issue that rests with the experts.

Every single employee is a potential bulwark – or weakness.

- There are also some very practical things that have to do with educating employees. That means that employees know that if they receive an email that looks a little suspicious, they don't necessarily have to open it and accept all possible conditions, says Poul Noer.

Also read: Russian hackers target Danish companies again and again: Our own 'tracks' on the computer can help identify them ( )

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Deeply interconnected

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For Telenor, it is not new to work with digital security.

On Wednesday, the company also hosted a conference on this very topic – among other things, to push for more collaboration in this area.

- I think we need to work a little closer together in the bus than we have before. We can collaborate across sectors, industries, and also with authorities in order to be strengthened in relation to this, says security chief Per Olsen.

A problem for one company or one industry can quickly become a problem for all.

- We (Telenor, ed.) are deeply dependent on energy. Energy is deeply dependent on the telecommunications industry and healthcare, and so on. So we have a deep dependence on each other in our society. And I don't really feel that we're talking enough across sectors, he says.

And it's something that needs to happen quickly, he emphasizes.

- We were busy a year ago, and two years ago as well. This is something where we're already being taken to the mat, I really think we should tighten our belts and bite the bullet here.

He acknowledges that the government recently established a new ministry for preparedness and security, but there is more to it.

- I think it's going too slowly, says Per Olsen.

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