Cyber Incident Victim: Altaposten
Date:
May 2025
Location:
Norway
Summary
Altaposten experienced a data attack that disabled a server, halting production of its print and electronic editions. The incident also affected the Samiska newspaper Avvir, which canceled its print issue, and forced Radio Alta to suspend its broadcast while other systems were shut down as a precaution. The outlet’s website remained operational, with most articles made freely available due to the print disruption. IT specialists worked locally and externally to limit the impact, and the case was reported to police and the data protection authority.
| CIA Posture | Motives | Tactics, Techniques & Procedures |
|---|---|---|
| Available to members | 2 motives | 1 technique |
| Threat Actors | Type | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 0 actors | Available to members | Available to members |
Description
On Tuesday morning employees of Altaposten arrived for work unaware that a data attack had disabled one of the newspaper's servers. The disruption prevented the production of both the paper edition and the electronic edition of the newspaper. As a result the paper edition of Altaposten did not appear, marking the first time in 51 years that the print issue was not published. The Sami newspaper Avvir, which shares infrastructure, was also affected and had to cancel its paper edition for the same day.
When the attack was detected, additional systems were shut down as a precautionary measure, which forced the suspension of Radio Alta's broadcast. IT specialists from the local area and external partners began working immediately to limit the damage and restore services. Editor Rolf Edmund stated that the incident would be reported to the police and routinely notified to the Data Protection Authority. Editor Lund added that, despite the print outage, the newspaper's website remained fully operational and articles published that day were made freely available.
Lund also noted that the evening bingo broadcast on Radio Alta was expected to proceed normally after the interruption. The newspaper's online platform, Altaposten.no, continued to function without disruption. Officials characterized the consequences as locally limited, noting that while print production was halted, the digital edition remained accessible to readers. The incident represents the first interruption of the paper edition in the newspaper's five‑decade history.