Unidentified hackers breached a Norwegian dam's control system in April, opening its valve for hours due to a weak password.
In a concerning incident this April, unidentified hackers managed to breach the control systems of a Norwegian dam. Reportedly, hackers breached the control systems of a Norwegian dam, causing its water valve to open fully. The incident occurred at the Lake Risevatnet dam, situated near the city of Svelgen in Southwest Norway. The valve remained open for four hours before the unauthorized activity was detected.

According to the Norwegian energy news outlet, Energiteknikk, the hack did not pose a danger, as the water flow barely exceeded the dam’s minimum requirement. The valve released an additional 497 litres per second, but officials noted that the riverbed could handle a much larger volume, up to 20,000 litres per second.
The incident was discovered on April 7 by the dam’s owner, Breivika Eiendom. Norwegian authorities, including NSM (National Security Authority), NVE (Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate), and Kripos (a special agency of the Norwegian Police Service), were alerted on April 10, and an investigation is now underway.

Officials suspect the breach occurred because the valve’s web-accessible control panel was protected by a weak password. Breivika technical manager Bjarte Steinhovden speculated this was the likely vulnerability. The initial point of entry allowed attackers to bypass authentication controls and gain direct access to the operational technology (OT) environment.