Finnish intelligence names Russia, China as main suspects of espionage

Finland is “a continuous target of state-sponsored cyber espionage”, with China and Russia being among the main suspects, according to the National Security Overview published by the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service’s (Supo).

The report states that cyber espionage is here to stay and shows no sign of decline, not even in the long term. It names private companies, educational institutions and individual policymakers as being in the firing line.

Though the motives for cybercrimes are primarily financial, some can put the country’s national security at risk, according to the report. Possible extortion attempts might target health care, water supplies and other critical infrastructure, with profound implications.

Large-scale foreign intelligence and influencing operations are likely to continue, the report believes. Russia and China, in particular, continue to carry out such operations.

Finnish parliament has already been a target of a cyber-attack. In the summer of 2020, intruders gained access to computer networks via Microsoft Exchange servers. Later, Britain’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) named hacker groups APT40 and APT31 as those responsible. Both are said to be Chinese state-backed actors linked to China’s state security ministry.

(Pekka Vänttinen | EURACTIV.com)