EU Targets Fictitious Finnish Power Company in Cyberattack Test
(Bloomberg) -- The European Union began testing its cyber-defense responsiveness on Friday with a simulated attack on a fictitious Finnish power company as the bloc seeks to strengthen its digital defenses amid concern about a potential attacks.
Most Read from Bloomberg
Microsoft Buys Scandal-Tainted Activision in Bet on Metaverse
Fourth Pfizer Dose Is Insufficient to Ward Off Omicron, Israeli Trial Suggests
Covid-19 Infected Lions Prompt Variant Warning in South Africa
Microsoft Deal Wipes $20 Billion Off Sony's Market Value in a Day
Stock Selloff Deepens as Treasury Yields Climb: Markets Wrap
The start of the cyber exercise came the same day Ukraine fell victim to an actual attack that brought down around 70 government websites. Ukraine’s security service on Friday said it sees “some signs” that Russia was behind the attack. The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, warned the bloc’s defense ministers this week about the need to bolster the cyber capacities.
Read more: Cyberattack Hits Ukrainian Websites as Russia Tensions Mount
The Finnish attack is part of a six-week exercise to stress-test Europe’s resilience, strengthen preparedness and cooperation among member states, and improve the effectiveness of a joint response. The tests are expected to conclude during a meeting of EU foreign ministers at the end of February.
Read more: EU to Stage Large-Scale Cyberattack Exercise on Supply Chains
In the Finnish simulation, a major cyber security incident is detected in software used by a major energy company, according to diplomatic notes seen by Bloomberg. The high penetration of the software across sectors and member states risks spreading the impact across Europe, according to the notes.
The EU response foresees the activation of member states’ working groups on cyber issues to monitor the impact and find the origin of the crisis as well as taking possible actions to mitigate the consequences of the attack.
Most Read from Bloomberg Businessweek
Work From Home Is Becoming a Permanent Part of How Jobs Are Done
One Year Into His Term, Biden Finds Himself Boxed In on China
A Progressive Real Estate Firm Faces Accusations of Discrimination
©2022 Bloomberg L.P.