Finnish Defence Forces targeted in cyber attacks

The Finnish Defence Forces have been the target of cyber attacks, according to a report by Yle.

Engineering Captain Petteri Hanhimäki of the Defence Forces’ Management System Centre stated that the cyber campaigns against the Defence Forces have been similar to those targeting other entities. He noted that the Defence Forces are not immune to such attacks.

Hanhimäki said there is no definitive evidence that Russia is behind the attacks on the Defence Forces, adding that identifying the attacker is often difficult. He also pointed out that state actors may not always carry out the attacks themselves but can outsource such work.

According to Hanhimäki, the attackers have not achieved significant success with their strikes. He hinted that the Defence Forces’ systems are not easily accessible via the internet. He added that these attacks have not caused major damage in Finland so far.

Hanhimäki also mentioned that the Defence Forces may have been targeted “by accident” when data was collected from other targets. Defence Forces personnel may have been subjected to phishing attempts, with their contact information ending up in the hands of attackers from other systems.

Another way to become a target by accident is through software vulnerabilities, which have also exposed Defence Forces equipment and software to attacks.

Hanhimäki stated that state actors are naturally interested in the Defence Forces’ activities and are likely trying to find their systems.