Internet crimes in Iceland – New report

Increasingly the Network and Information Security department of Iceland’s Post and Telecom Administration is warding of information hijacks and extortionists attacking Icelandic Internet users. Cases where Icelandic IP´s are the perpetrators in internet attacks against foreign parties and extortion against an Icelandic firms are increasing as well according to RUV’s report based on the annual report of Cert-ís, published on the Post and Telecom website.

Last year saw an unusual amount of cases where people´s info was hijacked for ransom, in such cases people are advised against paying for their data but rather to report to the police.

The report also cites a number of pressure attacks on the infrastructures of Icelandic information and communication outlets. The biggest one was the Anonymous attack because of Icelandic whale hunting in November. During that attack the webpages of the government offices of Iceland were down for 13 hours.

The report only cites a few so-called APT cases, those are said to be the most difficult and severe cases where culprits covertly try to gain foothold in the informational and communication systems of governments and or firms and gain information, those cases are not thought to be directed against Iceland.

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