Strengthened co-operation on digital security

The Nordic and Baltic countries have the goal of being the most sustainable and integrated region in the world. An important tool for achieving this is robust and secure digital solutions.

At their meeting in Oslo on 6 September, the Nordic and Baltic ministers for digitalisation adopted a declaration which emphasises the importance of strengthened co-operation on digital security.

“No one sector and only a few countries, if any, can manage all the risks and vulnerability on their own. That’s why it’s important that we in the Nordic and Baltic countries can come together to share information and experiences in this area,” says Sigbjørn Gjelsvik, Norway’s Minister of Local Government and Regional Development.

The pandemic showed us how helpful digital solutions can be when a crisis strikes. In the Nordic and Baltic countries, it was possible to operate public services in spite of the fact that entire societies closed down. Many adopted new digital tools within a short space of time.

Now, the war in Ukraine is revealing just how vulnerable we are when digital infrastructure becomes the subject of targeted attacks. The Secretary General of the Nordic Council of Ministers Paula Lehtomãki points out how important digital security is for the region.

“This declaration is a strong expression of the ministers’ willingness to co-operate on digital security in Nordic and Baltic countries. It’s important that everyone is on board. Citizens take digital access to public services as a given, and there’s a high degree of trust in the authorities and systems. In the years to come, our goal is for digital services to be made available across borders, which is why it’s important that we nurture this trust.”