National Cyber Security Director appointed

On 27 February 2020, the Government appointed Rauli Paananen as National Cyber Security Director. He currently works as Director General in the National Cyber Security Centre, which operates within the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom.

The post of the National Cyber Security Director is placed in the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The term of office will begin on 1 April 2020 and last until 31 December 2021. 

What is cyber security about and what does the National Cyber Security Director do?

The post of the Cyber Security Director is based on Finland´s Cyber Security Strategy adopted by the Government in 2019. According to the Strategy, the role of the Cyber Security Director is to ensure the coordination of cyber security development, planning and preparedness. 

"Finnish society needs stronger strategic management and expertise in cyber security. It is important that we have a clear and common view of our current situation of cyber security in society and of how we should be developing it," says Minister of Transport and Communications Timo Harakka.

Digitalisation cuts across all sectors in society. It is mainstream and an integral part of people's everyday lives. This should be the case also in terms of cyber security. We have to take it into account already when services are being built, not only after they have been taken into use.

"In Finland, instead of just perceptions of security, we want to focus on actual, structural security. There should be minimum requirements for digital security throughout society and services," says Minister Harakka. 

"My main task is going to be preparing a cyber security development programme. National cyber security is going to be built in cooperation with the authorities, business life, NGOs and other stakeholders. We can all contribute to our common cyber security," says Rauli Paananen, National Cyber Security Director as of 1 April 2020.

The cyber security development programme will clarify the overall picture of projects and research and will translate the national policies into concrete terms. The programme will extend beyond government terms.

"Matters relating to cyber security are civic skills. Besides service users, every director and employee must be interested in their personal and their organisation's cyber security. The basics must be covered also in the municipalities. People's first, and often the most important, contact with society's services is through the municipality," says Cyber Security Director Paananen. 

What is Finland's Cyber Security Strategy?

The background for the post of the National Cyber Security Director lies in a government resolution adopted in 2019, Finland´s Cyber Security Strategy.

The three strategic guidelines of the resolution are: international cooperation, better coordination of cyber security management, planning and preparedness, and developing cyber security competence. 

The Strategy is based on the Government Programme: "To promote national cyber security, we will update Finland's Cyber Security Strategy and draft a development programme for cyber security."

The implementation of national cyber security is linked to the Security Strategy for Society (2017) and its general principles of preparedness and security coordination. The Strategy and its implementation are also part of the implementation of the EU Cyber Security Strategy.

What are the next steps?

Rauli Paananen will start his work as National Cyber Security Director on 1 April 2020.

Under his leadership, the preparation of a cyber security development programme will be launched immediately.

The programme will be drawn up in broad-based cooperation with stakeholders.

Inquiries:

Laura Vilkkonen, Director General, tel. +358 40 500 0817

0295 342 212Rauli Paananen, National Cyber Security Director as of 1 April 2020, tel. +358 295 342 212 (phone number updated 12.6.2020)