this post was submitted on 20 Dec 2025
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126
Denmark blames Russia for cyberattacks on water utility that left houses without water (apnews.com)
submitted 1 day ago by Sepia@mander.xyz to c/europe@feddit.org
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Russia carried out cyberattacks against infrastructure and websites in Denmark in 2024 and 2025, Danish authorities say in a new assessment published this week describing new cases not previously reported.

Moscow was responsible for “destructive and disruptive” cyberattacks on a Danish water utility company in 2024 and a series of denial of service attacks which overwhelmed Danish websites ahead of regional and local elections last month, Denmark’s Defense Intelligence Service said in a statement Thursday. The water company said the attack caused pipes to burst, leaving homes temporarily without water.

Jan Hansen, the head of the Tureby Alkestrup Waterworks southwest of the capital Copenhagen, said his advice to other companies was not to cut costs on cybersecurity and to take out cyber insurance. The attack happened, he said, because the waterworks switched to cheaper cybersecurity, which was not as secure as that previously.

...

The Danish intelligence service said the attacks were part of Russia’s “hybrid war” against the West and an attempt to create instability. It said Moscow’s cyberattacks are part of a broader campaign to undermine and punish countries which support Ukraine. Russian hackers have previously been accused of carrying out hacks on other water facilities in Europe — including on a Norwegian dam where Norwegian authorities said hackers opened valves to allow water to pour out.

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[–] kossa@feddit.org 5 points 17 hours ago (1 children)

Now eberybody with me: 'cyber' atrribution is near impossible. It might have been Russia, it might have been China camouflaging as Russia. It might have been Ethiopia camouflaging as Germany camouflaging as USA camouflaging as China camouflaging as Russia. You never can tell certainly if you're not able to look the hacker over the shoulder while doing it.

The only lesson you can take away: secure your shit, make it have a fallover. An IT outtake should never be the end of water supply. Next time it's not a hacker but a plain ol' software bug killing your water supply. So secure shit, make it harder for perpetrators to attack it and make it have an analogue fallover. It's not like Russia has or can pay millions of well educated hacking soldiers. So, to be a threat at scale they need unsecure systems on the other side. And you can do something about that.

[–] Sepia@mander.xyz 1 points 14 hours ago* (last edited 14 hours ago)

Sure, we need to secure our system. But there are malign state actors - particularly Russia and China - attacking European systems. And their interference is not limited to cyber activities.

[Edit typo.]

[–] Buffalox@lemmy.world 12 points 1 day ago (2 children)

For sure Russia is trying to "attack" Denmark as punishment for allowing Ukrainian weapons factories on Danish ground, and also for being a very strong supporter of Ukraine, both helping Ukraine build weapons production and maintain civilian infrastructure, and being very active internationally in support of Ukraine.

Russia has directly threatened Denmark on several occasions, claiming our actions make us a valid military target.

So in that light it is pretty lame even laughable that all they can do is to disturb us with a few drones, and make toothless cyberattacks on infrastructure that have barely caused any interruptions.

They have also failed completely in changing the political landscape in favor of Russia. The Parliament in Denmark is so overwhelmingly pro helping Ukraine that not a single party is against, and the Danish population is supporting this too.

Russia is powerless against Europe and most European countries. It may be tougher for some of the previous Eastern block countries, and in that regard praise to the Balkans and Poland for their strong support of Ukraine, despite the Russian threat must feel more real to them. But I know it is also because they know the Russian threat is real.

TLDR:
Russia is trying to punish Denmark, and is failing completely.

[–] jaxxed@lemmy.world 3 points 14 hours ago

Denmark and Sweden are the most s8gnificant threat the the RU Baltic fleet, so it makes sense to keep them on edge.

[–] DaTingGoBrrr@lemmy.world 4 points 1 day ago

Russia has been making threats towards Sweden as well for as long as I can remember and at this point their threats towards other countries are just plain embarrassing. They are still at it with their "special military operation" 🤣 Putin is a paper tiger and I hope that one day the Russian people can have their own freedom from oppression.