Cyberattack delays welfare payments in Lørenskog municipality

A cyberattack on Lørenskog municipality has caused significant delays in welfare payments for NAV recipients ahead of Norway’s Constitution Day, local officials confirm.

According to a report by Dagbladet, several residents relying on social assistance have yet to receive their scheduled payments, which were due Friday afternoon. The municipality acknowledged the issue in a press release Wednesday, warning of extended processing times.

“This is absolutely our highest priority,” said Kristin Riddervold, Lørenskog’s communications director. “With a public holiday yesterday and Constitution Day on Sunday, this is critical for many people.”

The municipality has increased staffing to address the backlog, with employees working shifts to process applications. “There’s a strong sense of solidarity—everyone is rolling up their sleeves to help as many as possible,” Riddervold added.

Payments will be issued on an ongoing basis as the system is restored. The cyberattack, which occurred on May 9, disrupted multiple municipal IT services, though officials stated there is no evidence that sensitive personal data was leaked. Authorities received a letter from the attackers but have declined to disclose further details, citing the ongoing investigation.

A crisis management team was established to handle the incident, which remains under investigation.