A political framework agreement on cyber defence signed between Finland and Nato

Permanent Secretary Jukka Juusti from the Ministry of Defence signed on 16 February 2017 in Brussels a political framework agreement on cyber defence between Finland and Nato. The framework agreement has been prepared since 2011. While the Defence Forces, the Ministry of Defence and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs played key roles in the preparations the work involved a number of other ministries, too. The parliamentary Defence Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee were informed of the framework agreement before it was signed.

There is a growing risk of cyber threats. Finland's national cyber security and cyber defence will be bolstered when Finland participates in international cooperation. The cooperation with Nato to develop cyber defence capabilities contributes to developing national defence and to achieving the goals of cyber defence in the Defence Forces.

Finland has cooperated with Nato in the area of cyber defence already for many years but the cooperation was not based on a document listing common goals of both parties. The agreement that was now signed provides a framework to improve, for example, situational awareness and compatibility, capabilities building, detection of cyber incidents and resilience to disruptions in information networks. It will also be easier to exchange information and promote learning. Finland is the first Partnership for Peace country that Nato has signed an agreement with in the field of cyber defence.

A framework agreement promotes cooperation opportunities but it is not legally binding, nor does it obligate or create new powers for the parties involved. As the agreement only concerns authorities and official networks, natural persons and for example actors in the business life will not be affected by the agreement. Deepening of cooperation in the areas mentioned in the document requires that authorities agree on the goals and contents of the cooperation in detail.

Inquiries: Director General Janne Kuusela, the Defence Policy Department, tel. +358 295 140300 and General Harri Suni, Deputy ACOS J6/C5 Division, Defence Command Finland, tel. +358 2995 10601.