Greens' computer system hacked
Election strategy and financial information sought
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Both the Security Police (SUPO) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) have examined reports that the aide of a Member of Parliament of the Left Alliance had tried to hack into the databases of other parties to get confidential information. Reportedly the Greens' intranet was breached in the attempts.
The aide is suspected of having logged onto chat rooms and e-mail lists of other parties using false names, and of having tried to break into their computer systems with the help of special software.
The acting head of SUPO, Hannu Moilanen, will not confirm or deny the report.
"I will not comment on operative questions", he said on Friday. The NBI was also unwilling to comment on the report.
Helsingin Sanomat has learned that the hacking activities, and attempts at hacking, had continued for a long period of time. Some of the attempts were successful, as some information from the Greens had leaked to outsiders. The information gleaned included material concerning the party's election strategies and the party's finances.
The lengthy background work of the police did not lead to an actual preliminary criminal investigation.
Officials saw the acts as so minor that they were considered a complainant offence, which would have required the victim of the crime to file a complaint. However, none of the parties that were the target filed any such complaint.
Greens' Chairwoman Tarja Cronberg says that no complaint was filed, because nobody from SUPO or the NBI had been in contact with the party.
The possibility of a computer break-in has also been examined at the party offices of the National Coalition Party.
The party offices have also been in contact with each other over the matter. No signs of a break-in were found. The party offices report that information about suspected hacking attempts came last week, when a journalist from the weekly magazine Apu asked them about it.
Party Secretary Ari Heikkinen says that the Greens have also asked Parliament's computer services department if anything suspicious had been detected. According to the answer, there was no suspicious signs.
National Coalition Party Chairman Jyrki Katainen says that the reports mean that his party will examine its own systems very carefully. He added that the police had not been in touch over the matter.
National Coalition Party Secretary Harri Jaskari noted that a possible case of computer hacking is sad; he says that the party wants to be open and transparent about its politics. In spite of openness, all parties have certain information that they want to keep to themselves.
"Naturally campaign strategies, or the timing of certain initiatives, for instance, would be of use to others, allowing them to either make preparations, or to get an earlier start", Jaskari said.
Helsingin Sanomat
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| 18.9.2006 - TODAY |
 Greens' computer system hacked
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