PRIORITISED AREAS 3 3.4 Detect and handle cyber attacks Subsidiary goals: Strategic goal: Society has improved ability to detect and handle cyber attacks. 1. Norwegian companies take responsibility for handling cyber attacks targeted at their own business and for sharing information about these with the authorities and other relevant actors. Cyber attacks can constitute a threat to critical national functions, the security of society in general and Norwegian sovereignty. The ability to withstand cyber attacks in order to ensure freedom of action has become a key element of our national defence. Threat agents may be other states, non-state groups or private legal entities. The possible objectives of cyber attacks span a broad spectrum: from crime for profit to state-sponsored espionage, sabotage and hybrid operations. Cyber attacks can interrupt, influence and obstruct national decision-making processes. The use of cyber capacities has increasingly become an integrated part of military operations. Depending on conditions such as the purpose and legitimacy of the attack, its strength and consequences, a cyber attack may be considered an “armed attack” – in which case it triggers a nation’s right to self-defence (see Article 51 in the UN Charter). Norwegian emergency preparedness follows the principle of responsibility, in that whoever is responsible for an organisation under normal condition is also responsible in a crisis situation. The authorities will improve national preparedness and the ability to detect and handle cyber attacks. To do this, roles and responsibilities must be defined, and relevant stakeholders must have a good understanding of the situation and consequences. There must be adequate coordination, collaboration and sharing of information between the key actors responsible for identifying and dealing with serious cyber attacks. See section 3.5 about police responsibility. 2. The authorities continue developing frameworks that define roles, responsibility and governance structures for handling serious cyber attacks. 3. The authorities have improved capacity to assist with and coordinate measures to counter cyber attacks. 4. The authorities facilitate the sharing of information and transfer of experience between relevant parties with the purpose of detecting and countering serious cyber attacks. 5. The authorities continue developing international collaboration to increase national ability to prevent, detect, alert, attribute and counter serious cyber attacks.3 6. The authorities facilitate national exercises and establish conditions for Norway to participate in international exercises. 3 In this context “attribute” is taken to mean identifying the actor or actors responsible for a cyber attack. National Cyber Security Strategy for Norway | 19