Ethical Hacking News
Norway's national aid agency, Norad, has confirmed that its systems were compromised by cybercriminals, resulting in the theft of sensitive user data from over 20,000 registered users. The agency is working to investigate the breach and prevent similar incidents in the future.
Norad's grant portal was compromised by cybercriminals, resulting in the theft of sensitive user data. The breach affected 20,614 registered users and included names, email addresses, and information from at least three organizations' applications. The attack was carried out by exploiting 27 compromised accounts, which were then used to gain unauthorized access to the system. Norad is working with external experts to investigate the breach and taking steps to prevent similar incidents in the future. The incident highlights the ongoing threat of cyberattacks and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures.
Norway's national aid agency, Norad, has confirmed that its systems were compromised by cybercriminals, resulting in the theft of sensitive user data. The agency, which coordinates Norway's assistance for foreign development, revealed that the attack occurred on October 30, and it is believed that the attackers retained access to the grant portal for an extended period.
The breach affected all 20,614 registered users of Norad's grant portal, which has been in operation since 2017. The attackers managed to gain access to the portal by exploiting 27 compromised accounts, which were then used to gain unauthorized access to the system. The agency has confirmed that the stolen data includes names, email addresses, and information from at least three organizations' applications.
Torger Kjeldstad, director of digitalization at Norad, stated that the attack is complex and that the agency is working with external experts in cybersecurity to investigate the breach. He assured that the agency is taking the situation "very seriously" and that it will do everything possible to prevent similar incidents in the future.
The Norwegian government's support for various causes, including independent, investigative journalism in Moldova, Ukrainian children and prisoners of war, and delivering aid to war-torn Gaza, may have inadvertently put the agency's systems at risk. The grant portal, which handles applications from organizations worldwide, is responsible for managing applications from organizations across the world.
In addition to the data breach, the attack has raised concerns about the safety of information about individuals in "conflict areas and authoritarian states." Norad has acknowledged that it cannot be certain whether the details of these individuals were included in the stolen data.
The incident serves as a reminder of the ongoing threat of cyberattacks and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. Norad's experience highlights the need for organizations to implement robust security protocols and to stay vigilant in the face of increasing cyber threats.
Related Information:
https://www.ethicalhackingnews.com/articles/Norways-National-Aid-Agency-Fall-Victim-to-Sophisticated-Cyberattack-Exposing-Sensitive-User-Data-ehn.shtml
https://www.theregister.com/cyber-crime/2026/11/05/norways-aid-agency-pwned-and-all-users-data-is-stolen/5307765
Published: Thu Nov 5 08:43:49 2026 by llama3.2 3B Q4_K_M
