Interior Ministry detects possible data break-in

Hackers may have seized confidential telephone information from e-mail message sent by service provider TeliaSonera

print this

The Ministry of the Interior has detected suggestions that one or more hackers may have managed to seize sensitive confidential information concerning thousands of employees working for institutions controlled by the ministry.
      Earlier this year, the telecommunications service provider TeliaSonera sent personal and mobile telephone information on 7,700 of the ministry's employees in unprotected e-mail messages.
      According to Ritva Viljanen, the Permanent Secretary at the Interior Ministry, there is evidence that hackers have tried to infiltrate the ministry's network. Those responsible for these attacks "seem to be in possession of the list". "The police are currently looking into the matter", Viljanen confirms.
     
Back in February, the Ministry of the Interior advised the employees under its jurisdiction to avoid using their mobile phones to discuss sensitive issues because of the possible security breach.
      For the same reason, the ministry sped up its switching over to another service provider, Elisa. According to Viljanen, some of the workers have received not only new SIM cards but new mobile handsets as well.
      "Hackers attempt to attack and infiltrate our system 100,000 times a week, so the situation requires to be taken seriously."
     
On Tuesday, the Ministry of the Interior announced that it does not have any further claims against TeliaSonera. The company has agreed to the payment of an undisclosed sum in compensation for the caused damage.
      "In our scale the sum is minute", describes Juho Lipsanen, President of TeliaSonera Finland.
      Both the ministry and TeliaSonera agree that this was a matter of a human error, and not a security risk related to the network itself.
     
Earlier, the ministry and TeliaSonera had exhibited very different views of what had happened.
      According to the ministry, there was a security breach that put at risk the personal data of thousands of employees. This was caused by TeliaSonera, who sent information concerning mobile phones and their users in an e-mail message via Sweden to more people than had originally been agreed.
      The e-mail message travelled in a closed network, but unprotected.
      In the first instance TeliaSonera dismissed the risk of a security breach.


Previously in HS International Edition:
  Interior Ministry and TeliaSonera reported to be close to agreement on information security (20.3.2006)
  Ministry says TeliaSonera sent confidential information in unprotected e-mail messages (16.2.2006)

Helsingin Sanomat