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Resilience Minister Lisbeth Bech-Nielsen called for more infrastructure investment and a rethink of which critical equipment needs internet connections.
Denmark needs to spend more on digital infrastructure and reassess internet connections for critical equipment, Resilience and Preparedness Minister Lisbeth Bech-Nielsen said on October 23, warning that cyberattacks could erode confidence in public institutions.
The minister's comments followed website shutdowns by governments and businesses in Denmark and elsewhere after serious vulnerabilities in a commonly used programming language prompted millions of hacking attempts. Danish municipal IT company Kombit said it suspended several services, among them the country's school communication platform.
Bech-Nielsen said Denmark had gained substantially from adopting digital systems early, but that reliance also left it more exposed to cyber threats. Digital infrastructure supports utilities, healthcare and financial services.
She said even incidents with little operational impact could damage trust in authorities, while repeated reports of attacks could harm society. Denmark should expect daily attacks from actors including Russia and hackers seeking financial gains, she said.
Citing an incident involving remotely controlled freezers in France, Bech-Nielsen questioned whether local systems closed off from the internet could improve security. She said fundamental changes to Denmark's digital infrastructure would affect how people live and businesses operate.