Denial-of-service attacks target Nordea in Finland, raising security concerns

Recent denial-of-service attacks targeting Nordea have been notably unusual, according to Nina Arkilahti, head of Nordic SME business at the bank. The institution has faced repeated disruptions for several weeks, with Arkilahti stating in an interview that new and varied attacks are continuously being directed at the bank.

Technical changes have also contributed to some of these issues; for example, on Tuesday, unexpected complications arose while implementing improvements and updates, leading to a temporary shutdown and reboot of systems. In a denial-of-service attack, the attacker overwhelms the service with traffic, causing it to slow down and ultimately become unresponsive, while sensitive information remains secure.

Arkilahti emphasized that there have been no data breaches at Nordea. “Throughout this period, customer accounts, information, and assets have been completely safe,” she assured.

The ongoing disruptions have caught the attention of governmental entities, with the parliamentary bank authority requesting a report on Nordea’s online banking issues. Arkilahti expressed her sincerest apologies for the distress caused to customers in recent weeks, stating she is not aware of any customer losses stemming from these problems. She also believes that Nordea’s security measures are on par with those of other banks.

Most attacks on various services, however, never come to light and do not cause service interruptions, noted cybersecurity expert Samuli Könönen from the Cyber Security Center. Mikko Rauhamaa, head of the Cyber Crime Combat Center, emphasized that protecting services is a constant race; as criminals’ technologies evolve, so too must protective measures. The full discussion is available on Yle Areena.