Norway heightens security alert for petroleum sector as AI-driven state cyber threats reach historic levels

Norway braces for state-sponsored cyber attacks as intelligence agencies identify Russia, China, and Iran as major threats to Europe’s vital energy infrastructure.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 6, 2026, 9:36 AM EST

Source: The information in this article was sourced from Computer Weekly

Intelligence agencies sound the alarm

Norway's three national intelligence agencies, including the police intelligence service (PST), issued a grave assessment on Friday regarding "persistent and serious" threats to the nation's critical national infrastructure (CNI). As Europe has become increasingly dependent on Norwegian oil and gas following the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the country has become a primary target for foreign military cyber operations. Intelligence reports indicate that Russia and China have been actively mapping offshore industrial and digital infrastructure, using proxies and AI-enhanced tools to infiltrate networks and supply chains.

Vulnerabilities in operational technology

The National Security Authority (NSM) highlighted that much of Norway’s critical infrastructure runs on operational technology (OT) designed decades ago without modern cybersecurity considerations. These legacy systems, which control everything from pipelines to power plants, are increasingly being connected to the internet, exposing unpatched and unmonitored software to remote access by state-sponsored actors. Sokratis Katsikas, director of the Norwegian Center for Cybersecurity in Critical Sectors, noted that while these vulnerabilities have existed for years, the ability of adversaries to exploit them has increased many-fold due to the integration of AI.

The dual nature of AI in the energy sector

While AI poses a significant threat as a weapon for cyber sabotage, it is simultaneously being embraced by Norway’s petroleum industry to drive efficiency. Major producers like AkerBP and Equinor are integrating operational data with cloud computing and AI to modernize production. However, the NSM has identified this reliance on "foreign" cloud services—specifically those dominated by American firms like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon—as a potential national security risk. These services are seen as potential points of failure that could weaken the integrity and availability of vital data during a conflict.