Finland to become the world leader in corporate information security

Ministry of Transport and Communications
Publication date 10.2.2016 11.57
Press release

In the futures vision of a working group for Finnish information security strategy, the most reliable corporate digital systems and services will come from Finland. The group submitted its proposal for the Information Security Strategy to Ms Anne Berner, Minister of Transport and Communications, on 10 February 2016.

"In the digital world, business operations are based on trust. It is a precondition for the use of services, such as travelling by a robot car or using industrial Internet. The Information Security Strategy provides a common framework for this trust," said Minister Berner in receiving the draft Strategy of the working group.

In line with the Government Programme, the Ministry of Transport and Communications has through extensive cooperation prepared the Information Security Strategy that explains the goals, priorities and measures of the Finnish information security work.

The vision of the strategy is that Finland is a competitive and advanced country in digital business operations where the security of opportunities offered by digitalisation is ensured. We are also a reliable society where incidents diminishing trust in digital business operations, such as large-scale violations of information security or privacy protection, are addressed.

Goals are set in the strategy to develop the Finnish information security work by paying attention to research, measurement and monitoring of information security expertise. In the future, information security should be included in the digital commodities. The Strategy also obliges the authorities to help people and organisations detect any deviations in information security and improve it.

Any legislative amendments required by the EU directive on network and information security, which is currently being discussed, will be implemented as part of the Strategy. The Directive requires each Member State to draw up a national strategy to achieve and maintain a common high level of security of network and information systems.

"If we want Finland to be the home for the most reliable corporate digital systems and services, we need to provide an environment that is more secure and with fewer risks than those of our competitors. It would be a boost to our success, if reliability and securing the basic rights of the citizens online was a competitive asset of entire Europe," Minister Berner says.

"The Strategy has been drafted through extensive cooperation and its approach is very forward-looking. The common view provides a solid basis to promote our excellent goals," said Minister Berner in thanking the group for its good work.

The working group was chaired by Mr Olli-Pekka Rantala, Director-General of the Data Department at the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The group had representatives across a broad spectrum of businesses and organisations specialising in corporate information security risk management.

The Strategy is part of a Government key project on building a growth environment for digital business. The proposal for Information Security Strategy will be submitted to Government.

Inquiries

Mr Olli-Pekka Rantala, Director-General of the Data Department, tel. +358 295 34 2585, [email protected] @op_rantala

Mr Timo Kievari, Director of Safety and Security Unit, tel. +358 295 34 2620, [email protected], Twitter: @TimoKievari