Faroese workplaces will test readiness for cyberattacks

Faroese workplaces and institutions will be able to test their preparedness for cyberattacks in a free exercise organised by the Faroese Telecommunications Authority, KVF reports.

The exercise, called Føroyar venja, will take place in October and will give participants the opportunity to practise handling a cyberattack before facing a real incident.

Participants will work in groups of around six to eight people and respond to hypothetical scenarios. In one example, hackers may have taken control of a workplace’s IT systems, leaving the group to choose how to respond from four possible options.

“If you are well prepared, a cyberattack can have less impact on a company. If you are not prepared at all, the company may come to a complete stop, at least for a while,” Bárður Christiansen, an IT security specialist at the authority, said.

The authority has already registered interest in the exercise. Two sessions will be held in Havn on October 8, one in the morning and one in the afternoon. The morning session is already fully booked.

Two further sessions will be held outside Havn: at Seglloftið in Tvøroyri on October 14 and at Hotel KG in Klaksvík on October 16.

Cyberattacks, including ransomware attacks, have also affected the Faroe Islands. In August 2022, hackers gained access to Effo’s IT systems and encrypted information, preventing the company from accessing it without paying a ransom. Klaksvík Municipality lost access to its computer systems in a similar attack in September 2024.