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One Of The Largest Norwegian Companies Was Brutally Hacked – Their Response Set A New Standard For The Entire Cybersecurity Industry

By
Luda Berdnyk
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Earlier this year, Norwegian aluminum company, Norsk Hydro, was brutally hacked. The effects were catastrophic, as more than 22,000 computers were hit across 170 different offices in 40 different countries. 

Hundreds of aluminum-producing machines had to be halted and manually worked on, and more than 35,000 employees had to resort to using pen and paper as their computers were rendered useless thanks to the cyber attack.




CIO Jo De Vliegher spoke about the ransom note that appeared on computers all over the company. It read: “Your files have been encrypted with the strongest military algorithms… without our special decoder it is impossible to restore the data.”

However, what Norsk Hydro did was something completely unusual: 

They refused to pay the ransom. 




In fact, nobody knows how much the hackers wanted in the first place, because Norsk Hydro didn’t even bother to ask. Instead, they simply started the recovery process, which has cost them upwards of $60 million USD to this day.

Although this number seems astronomical, the company has gained something that not even money could buy — a reputation, to not be messed around with. 




The company’s response is being described as “the gold standard” by the information security industry. Not only did they refuse to pay the hackers, but Norsk Hydro has also been completely transparent about what happened to the company. During the first few minutes of the attack, the company made a brief post on their social media pages and has been updating ever since. 

Mr. De Vliegher notes, “I think in general it’s a very bad idea to pay,” he says. “It fuels an industry, and it’s probably financing other sorts of crime. It goes against our company values and we have good foundations and good people.“



Sweden Knocks Germany Out Of World Cup & Advances To Semi-Finals

By
Luda Berdnyk
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0




Sixteen minutes into the game was all it took for German soccer player Lina Magull to score a goal against Sweden. 

The crowd gasped. Was this a continuation of the 24-year curse that haunted Sweden every time they played against Germany? Ever since a match at the Euro 1997 games, Sweden has consistently been beaten by Germany: at the European Championships in 2001, the World Cup in 2003, and even the quarter-final at OS 2008. 




But not this time. No less than six minutes after the initial goal, Sweden’s Sofia Jakobsson fought back and scored the first goal for her team by lining up the perfect angle and shooting the ball right past the goalkeeper. 

The next big success for Sweden, came in the second half of the game when Stina Blackstenius scored a second goal for her team and propelled the Swedish national team into the Women’s World Cup semi-final round. There they’ll face off against the Netherlands, hopefully making their way to the final. 




After the final buzzer signaled the end of the game, the Swedish team couldn’t contain their joy as they danced on the field to celebrate their big win.

Defender Hanna Glas stated, “I can hardly believe it’s true. Finally. I can hardly understand it. It [was] a whole team effort. From Hedvig to backline, to midfield and attack. It was everything we did together.”




Are you excited to see team Sweden face off against the Netherlands? Who do you think will win the championship? Let us know in the comments below!

Featured image: Bildbyrån



The Unexpected Reason Behind Iceland’s Tourism Collapse

By
Luda Berdnyk
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0




Over the past couple of years, Iceland has been the country on every traveler’s bucket list. Unquestionably so. How could you not be struck by the unreal nature or the wild uninhabited lands?

The facts speak for themselves: In 2010, only 500,000 travelers visited Iceland. In 2018, that figure grew to 2.3 million – an increase of 360 percent in just eight years. 

Now, however, it appears that the bubble is about to burst.




The government of Iceland is already predicting a downturn in tourism just halfway into the year. For all of 2019, the number of visitors could drop 17%, according to forecasts from the Keflavik Airport’s operators. 

Hotel owners are already feeling the pressure, with overnight stays falling an annual 5% in April, as well as an increase in employee layoffs in May. 




“We are prepared for the possibility of a deeper recession, and the numbers we are getting on tourist arrivals seem to indicate that that may happen,” Governor Mar Gudmundsson said in an interview “There may be a fall in tourism numbers […] but hopefully we’ll be out of this early next year.”

So what seems to be the cause behind the tourism decrease in Iceland?

There are a few main factors.




Icelandic budget airline Wow Air delivered a massive blow to the Icelandic economy by declaring bankruptcy. Thousands of passengers were left without a ticket and had to hastily make changes to their plans. As a result of there being one less Icelandic budget airline, the average price of a ticket to Iceland rose significantly. 

READ: The End of an Era: Wow Air Folds. 




Another, perhaps unexpected, reason was the end of Game of Thrones. There were dozens of filming locations that came from Iceland, such as Hengilssvæðið, Thingvellir National Park, and Skogafoss. After the show ended in May, the demand dropped, and so did tourism.

“May’s drop in tourist numbers is larger than what we were expecting,” said Skapti Orn Olafsson, a spokesman for the Icelandic Travel Industry Association.




 

 

Although 17 percent seems like a large drop, the country remains optimistic: 

“Even though we are going through a slump, we will regain our former strength,” said Olafsson at the travel industry lobby. “In 18 to 24 months we will hopefully be back on track.”



These Swedish Artists Will Pay You To Do Absolutely Nothing

By
Luda Berdnyk
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0




Is your regular job burning you out? Do you wish you had more time to do things you actually enjoy? Are you one of those people who actually like to watch paint dry?

If you answered yes to one (or all three) of these questions, we have the perfect “job” for you.

As part of a conceptual art project, Swedish artists Simon Goldin and Jakob Senneby are hiring someone to do absolutely nothing.




The job post, which spans 9 pages, is essentially looking for an “eternal employee” to work at the Korsvägen train station in Gothenburg, Sweden.

“The position holds no duties or responsibilities, other than that it should be carried out at Korsvägen,” the job description states.

The only requirement would be for the employee to punch in and out when they come to work.




By punching the time clock, the employee turns on a set of lights over the train platforms so that everyone knows that you’re at work.

Heck, the “employee” can even leave and go do other things, like take a walk in the park, go shopping, or meet up with friends for a bit of fika. Just make sure that you’re not heading off to a second job (which is against the rules!). When the employee is ready to go home, they need to head back to Korsvägen and turn off the lights by clocking out.

That’s great, you might think, but does this job actually pay anything?




You’re in luck because the “eternal employee” receives a starting salary of 21 600 SEK (or about $2,250 USD) per month. The position comes with full benefits that include healthcare, an annual salary boost, vacations, and even a retirement fund.

However, that’s not even the best part. As mentioned in the title, the “eternal” employee has this job for life and can retire whenever they want to. Should you wish to quit or retire, you would be replaced by someone new.




If you’re keen on applying, you have plenty of time to perfect your CV. Applications are taken until December 15, 2025, and the winning employee is expected to start March 15, 2026. The job is open to citizens from around the world.

Would you want to work and “do nothing”? Let us know in the comments below!



IKEA Wants To Show You How Our Homes Will Look Like In The Future

By
Luda Berdnyk
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0




In recent years, people have taken a natural interest in the future, especially with changes in the climate, expanding cities, and new technology coming out every day. What will the future look like? Will there be robots? Will our apartments clean themselves? If these questions tickle your interest, then look no further than IKEA’s newest project!

IKEA, along with developer Ikano Bostad and design lab Space10, showcased its idea during the Democratic Design Days this past Tuesday in Älmhult, Sweden. The town in which IKEA’s founder, Ingvar Kamprad, came from. 




“We’re going to have to share much more in the future,” Evamaria Ronnegard, development leader at IKEA, said in an interview. She’s hinting at the recent estimates that 70% of the world’s population will want to live in cities by 2050.

“In some cultures, people are very open to sharing and live in large family constellations whereas we, here in Sweden, are used to having our own private sphere,” Ronnegard said.




The Democratic Design Days were chock-full of amazing ideas this year. Here are just a few that we think will change the future:

 

 

  • Robotic Furniture

IKEA is collaborating with Ori, an MIT-based startup, to present Rognan, a robotic furniture solution. With a few light touches, you’ll be able to transform a small living space into the ideal configuration you need, such as turning a table into a cupboard.

The first launch of Rognan furniture will be in Hong Kong and Japan in 2020, two places known for their population density and lack of space.

 

 

 

  • IKEA x Saint Heron Collaboration

Solange Knowles’s creative agency, Saint Heron, describes itself as “a cultural hub, building an inclusive community based on artist and artisan collaborations and collective work.”




 

  • Recycling Ocean Plastic and Using it in New Products

The fabric in the Musselblomma collection is made from recycled plastic that was collected by Spanish fishermen from the Mediterranean Sea. As people slowly begin to focus on ways to stop polluting the ocean, so does IKEA: You can expect a bag, two cushion covers, and a tablecloth, which will roll out first in Italy and Spain.

 

 

 

Which of these are you most excited about? We’re particularly intrigued by the reusable plastic textiles, but all of them sound amazing. Let us know in the comments below!



The New Swedish Trend of Flight Shaming Hits Europe

By
Luda Berdnyk
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2




How many train journeys’ worth of CO2 do you think one flight from Stockholm to Gothenburg takes? 10? 500? 2,000?

According to SJ, Statens Järnvägar, the national railway company in Sweden, a single flight between Sweden’s two biggest cities, Stockholm and Gothenburg, generates as much CO2 as 40,000 train journeys!




Are you surprised? You’re not alone: There has been an increasing number of Swedes who are turning into eco-conscious tourists and changing the way they travel.

There’s even a term, “Flygskam” (flight shame) which translates to a feeling of embarrassment or being ashamed to fly due to the environmental impacts of air travel. Likewise, you might also see the hashtag #jagstannarpåmarken on social media, meaning #Istayontheground and shows off savvy travelers taking more earth-friendly means of transport (such as buses or trains) to get to their destination.




This shift in the tourism industry is largely thanks to the effects of global warming, which have made its mark in southern Sweden this past year.

READ: It’s Heating up! Southern Sweden Has Hottest Day on Record

The movement was spearheaded by Greta Thunberg, a young girl from Sweden who is leading a movement to fight climate change. On 15 March 2019, more than 1.4 million students in 112 countries around the world joined her call in striking and protesting, and she was even nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize. 




READ: Greta Thunberg Nominated For The Nobel Prize

The SJ survey also notes that for the first time ever, climate change was the number one reason why travelers chose the train over an airplane. According to the survey, 37% of respondents chose to travel by rail instead of air, compared with 26% last autumn and 20% in early 2018.

The results mirrored those from Swedavia, which operates Sweden’s 10 busiest airports. The company said domestic passenger numbers fell by 8% from January to April and an overall 3% fall in the whole of 2018.




But what about airline companies? Rickard Gustafson, chief executive of Scandinavian Airlines, notes: “Airlines, like other infrastructure, are needed in order for us to have the societies we want…,” he said in an interview at SAS’s headquarters in Stockholm. “It’s important that people can continue to meet and that the world can continue to travel. But we can’t continue to just travel without adjusting to a sustainable way.”

“The journey toward a fossil-free footprint will be long, but I’m a technology optimist,” Gustafson said. “One day a scientist will figure out how to replace the current jet engine, and I think those planes will become available to all of us in, say, 20 years’ time.”




As for now, are you “on board” with taking the train? There’s a term you can use: “tågskry,” which literally translates as “train brag.” If not, no worries – you can “smygflyga,” or “fly in secret.” 



Barack and Michelle Obama Signs Deal With Swedish Streaming Giant Spotify

By
Luda Berdnyk
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0




The Obamas and Spotify.

At first glance, it sounds like the previous President of the United States is about to drop the hottest album of 2019, but it’s actually much more interesting than that.

In an effort to expand the podcast industry, Spotify has signed on Barack and Michelle Obama to produce a series of podcasts exclusively for the streaming platform. Under the contract, Spotify and Higher Ground Productions (the Obama’s production company) are planning to produce podcasts on a wide range of topics. There are no specifics just yet, but we can already imagine the thought-provoking conversation and dialogue that will come from the partnership.




 

“We’ve always believed in the value of entertaining, thought-provoking conversation,” President Obama said in a statement provided by Spotify.

 

Michelle Obama added, “We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to amplify voices that are too often ignored or silenced altogether, and through Spotify, we can share those stories with the world. Our hope is that through compelling, inspirational storytelling, Higher Ground Audio will not only produce engaging podcasts but help people connect emotionally and open up their minds — and their hearts.”




 

Swedish giant Spotify expects to invest around $400 million-$500 million in podcasts in 2019, which includes the acquisition of two podcasting companies. For them, bringing on the Obamas was a natural choice:

 

“President Barack Obama and Michelle Obama are two of the world’s most important voices and it is a privilege to be working with them to identify and share stories that will inspire our global audience, which looks to Spotify for unique, breakthrough content,” said Spotify chief content officer Dawn Ostroff.




 

Barack thinks so too. He ended his interview with a positive note:

 

“We’re excited about Higher Ground Audio because podcasts offer an extraordinary opportunity to foster productive dialogue, make people smile and make people think, and, hopefully, bring us all a little closer together.”

 

Are you excited for this partnership? Let us know in the comments!

 

Featured image: Pete Marovich/Bloomberg via Getty Images 



Avicii’s Posthumous Album “Tim” Releases On Sweden’s National Day

By
Luda Berdnyk
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0




It’s been more than a year since the passing of Swedish DJ & producer, Tim ‘Avicii’ Bergling.  Loved and adored by fans across the world, Tim’s legacy came full circle yesterday, when an album of 12 songs was released on Sweden’s National Day, the 6th of June.

The album, simply titled “Tim,” features classical Avicii-style melodies and notes, along with vocals from long-time collaborators such as Aloe Blacc, Vargas & Lagola, Imagine Dragons, and more. Even Coldplay’s lead singer, Chris Martin, lent his vocals to a track named “Heaven”.




The album was still a work in progress when Avicii passed away, but thanks to his notes, the DJ’s friends and collaborators could piece it together the way they think Avicii would have wanted it to be.

Apple Music spoke to Christopher Thordson, a member of Avicii’s management team, about the newly released album and the notes that Tim left behind for each and every one of the songs.




 

“Peace of Mind” (feat. Vargas & Lagola)

“We made ‘Peace of Mind’ the very first track because Tim wanted to have it as an intro,” says Christopher Thordson. “He also wrote that it’s about society, how we’re unable to disconnect from our cell phones. He said, ‘This can be such a cool concept song, especially if we capitalize on ‘peace of mind party’ versus ‘peace of mind I need a break from constant impressions,’ meaning social impressions on Instagram. It’s about putting your phone on flight mode and taking a break.“

Avicii’s comments were very specific, particularly around using lesser-known vocalists for the songs.





“SOS” (feat. Aloe Blacc)

“On ‘SOS,’ it was another demo vocalist originally,” says Thordson. “But Tim wrote in his notes and told the songwriters, Kristoffer Fogelmark and Albin Nedler, that it would be really cool to have Aloe Blacc on it. That’s an exception where we took in someone because Tim specifically said so. Otherwise, with the majority of these vocalists, they’re the same as on the demos.“



 

“Freak” (feat. Bonn)

“[Avicii] wrote in his notes that he absolutely loved that whistling,” Thordson explains, referring to a sample from Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto’s 1961 song “Sukiyaki.”

“...He was very clear that he wanted to use the original. He wrote, ‘The whistle is probably my favorite production out of all of these,’ and that he ripped it from YouTube. I think that’s very characteristic of the way that he worked, that he finds something unique and he makes something really cool out of it.”




 

“Tough Love” (feat. Agnes and Vargas & Lagola)

“Tim wrote that this one needs to be a duet,” Thordson notes, “‘Coolest thing would be a real couple or a couple that has worked together enough to almost be considered a couple. Something like Selena/Bieber, but not Selena/Bieber.’ Originally, it was just Vincent Pontare of Vargas & Lagola. After I told the songwriters, Vincent and his wife—she’s a quite famous Swedish artist as well, Agnes—said, ‘Okay, let’s try making a duet.’ To actually have the original demo vocalist there, and to be able to have a real couple—that really made sense according to Tim’s notes.“




Carl Falk, Avicii’s friend, and collaborator shared a touching sentiment when he was working to put the finishing touches on the album:

“Yesterday was a strange and emotional day in many ways trying to [finish] these songs. It’s not the same producing without you by my side. I miss you hanging over my shoulder doubting every little thing and detail in the song.“

Likewise, Vargas & Lagola, who have worked with Avicii since 2011, were also emotional during the process of finishing up the album:




“It was hard to just even open the computer and work on the songs,” said Salem Al Fakir, who goes by Lagola. “We opened (the computer) like six months after everything happened.”

“The family’s wish was to release the songs … and that helped us finish the songs,” he added.

Although Avicii may no longer be with us, his legacy and music continue to live on in the world. Forever in our hearts, minds, and ears. 




If you’re interested in checking out the new album, there are playlists on Spotify <<https://open.spotify.com/album/6Ad1E9vl75ZB3Ir87zwXIJ>> and Youtube <<https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xDPTHakqQDs>



Microsoft To Work Together With Sweden’s Largest Energy Company To Tackle Climate Change

By
Swedes in the States
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0




Microsoft intends to lay the path for sustainable cloud services – in Sweden.

Microsoft is now turning to Sweden, well-known for its efforts to tackle climate changes, to further minimize their environmental impact. Carbon neutral since 2012, the technology giant has recently revealed its plan to build, simply put, the world’s most advanced and sustainable data center to meet the ever-growing needs for cloud services.




 

According to Noelle Walsh, CVP of Cloud Operations & Innovation at Microsoft; “We intend for our datacenters in Sweden to be among the most sustainably designed and operated in the world with the ultimate ambition of achieving zero-carbon operations.” And this technological wonder will be located near the town of Gävle, roughly a hundred miles north of Stockholm.

The main reason for this location is the abundance of renewable energy sources in Sweden; wind, solar and especially hydropower. In 2015, 54% of Sweden’s energy was coming from renewable sources, way ahead of other European countries (16% on average) and the US (8%).

As of today, Microsoft is about to achieve its target of powering its data centers with 60% renewable energy. To reach 70% in 2023, and ultimately 100%, Microsoft has decided to collaborate with the Swedish power company Vattenfall. Together they’ll build new power infrastructures to provide stable and clean power, but also develop solutions to reduce the data centers’ energy consumption. As Andreas Regnell, Senior Vice President at Vattenfall explains:

 




Vattenfall is fully committed to helping our customers make fossil free living possible within one generation, so this partnership fits very well with our overall strategy. We will support Microsoft on the sourcing and supply of renewable energy for the future datacenters and help provide innovative solutions to reduce the carbon footprint of the datacenters.




The challenge is huge though. Certain studies even suggest that the CO2 emissions from the numerous data centers around the world exceed the ones from airplanes! And as more and more people and things are connected, the need for reliable and sustainable data centers is growing exponentially. But Microsoft is committed to reducing its environmental impact (as you can read more about here) and is seizing this opportunity to, hopefully, find groundbreaking solutions for sustainable cloud services – in Sweden and the rest of the world.



The Worlds Smallest McDonald’s Restaurant Opens Up In Sweden

By
Luda Berdnyk
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0




Many fast-food restaurants have been trying hard to keep up with sustainability and ethical trends by offering more vegan options on their menu or climate compensating for the impact their business has on the planet, but perhaps the most surprising is the newest McDonalds in Sweden, where you’ll have to squeeze really hard to get inside.

That’s because this McDonalds is only a few centimeters tall!




READ: Sweden’s Most Popular Fast Food Restaurant Climate Compensates For 110% Of Its Carbon Emissions

No, it’s not a “real” McDonalds – it’s actually a beehive! Thanks to new cooperation between Swedish advertising agency NORDDDB and McDonalds, the McHive, as it’s called, is calling for attention to the world’s decreasing bee crisis.




Thanks to climate change, powerful parasites, and loss of biodiversity, honeybees are slowly on their way to extinction.

To do their part, some of the McDonald’s franchises around the world have started putting up beehives on their rooftops.

NORDDDB notes, “The initiative started out locally but is now growing. More franchisees around the country are joining the cause and have also started replacing the grass around their restaurants with flowers and plants that are important for the wellbeing of wild bees. To celebrate the initiative which is part of McDonald’s Swedens sustainability work, we created what could be the world’s smallest McDonald’s – a fully functioning beehive.”




 

If you want to open up your own McHive franchise, unfortunately, the beehive has already sold for a whopping $10,000. The money raised will go towards honeybee charities.

Although the initiative, for now, is fairly small, who knows? Perhaps we’ll start seeing McHives at our local parks.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Swedes in the States is a community created by Swedes living in the States for Swedes living in the States, and everyone else who is interested in Scandinavian culture, businesses and projects. All our editors and contributors are strongly connected to Scandinavia while living their dream in the United States. The parallels between our countries are astonishing and exciting, and you are invited to read all about it is politics, fashion, design or food. Välkommen!
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