Clearly spying is practiced in Iceland

A completely transformed worldview in security and defense and the importance of international cooperation for Iceland was at the top of the National Commissioner of Police’s conference on security in Iceland. « We do not have war, but there are also no peace hours. We live in this gray area in between,  » said Sigríður Björk Guðjónsdóttir, the National Commissioner of Police, when she held the conference.

The Hotel Natura conference hall was crowded and had Karl Steinar Valsson, The Chief of Police and the Head of Security and Analysis of the National Commissioner of Policethe word that the organizers were not based on such good attendance. Therefore, it would be a pleasant surprise how many people were interested in this issue and that a larger hall could have been ordered.

Karl Steinar presented an analysis of Iceland’s current position, which has been issued to the government. It will be open to the public when it will be better introduced.

The invasion turning point

He said there were changing assumptions in security and defense and that the most serious threats were civil.

« The situation is different from what we have seen for a long time, » said Karl Steinar, mentioning the turning point as Russia’s invasion into Ukraine in February 2022.

It can be said that the multifaceted impact of the war was the red thread in the conference – online attacks, illegal intelligence, fake news, vandalism, organized crime and spying.

Karl Steinar also mentioned increased weight in arms sales and how much crime groups benefits from it. Thus, there is a short distance between government and organized crime groups. Then he said a clear connection between organized crime groups and terrorist groups.

Internet attacks the main threat

« A very sensitive security situation in Europe, » said the police officer, adding that in Iceland there was a significant increase in security related projects.

He said the information and the fake news in the West did not help and can influence the development of the Alliance.

Karl Steinar said the most likely threats were offenses that try to break into the computer system of the control system, which the Russian government has supported.

In this context, he mentioned a case that was being examined by the National Commissioner of Police last summer, warning of imminent terrorism. The threat was made to interfere with the police and the government in their daily work. Karl Steinar said cooperation with foreign organizations has been the key to finding out that the information was false.

Russians, Chinese and Iranians are spying

Karl Steinar said it was clear that spying was being spied in Iceland and said the need The spy in Europe has never been greater.

He said Russia’s spies have worked under their embassies. Therefore, they had to find new ways to spy after numerous intelligence agencies were expelled from European countries. It makes monitoring their spy even more difficult.

Then he said the Chinese are also spying. It has been delicate topics to discuss, but it is timely to open the debate.

He said the Chinese gather information used for military purposes and use private companies, but private companies in China are obliged to share information with the government. In this context, he mentioned Chinese research activities at Kárhóli based on Northern Lights studies.

Karl Steinar also said full reason to worry about Iran’s spy.

He said a challenge for all the West to know who is spying and mentioned that Russia has tried to place spies within Interpol.

Karl Steinar said it was timely to open the debate on the Chinese spies.

mbl.is/karitas

Can’t sit by

Therefore, the need for international cooperation and conversation has never been greater.

Karl Steinar said there is a full need for the Icelandic government to be wary of how we are acting internationally.

We think we don’t have information that doesn’t matter, but we can’t afford to sit by.

In Iceland, exactly the same dangers prevail as elsewhere in the West.

In more detail, the conference’s presentation will be reported on mbl.is later today.