The National Emergency Supply Agency will continue to produce information on harmful information campaigns

Knowledge Centre on Information Resilience will continue its operations at the National Emergency Supply Agency (NESA). Among other things, the Centre produces information on intentional and harmful disinformation campaigns targeted at Finland. The function has been piloted in 2022−2024 and, based on the experiences and feedback gained, a decision has been made to continue its development at the NESA until the end of 2026.

In the current security environment, possible hybrid operations carried out by foreign states and related actors are mainly aimed at weakening Finland’s security of supply. At present, hybrid and information operations harmful to Finland are also closely intertwined. For this reason, it is very important, as part of preparing for hybrid threats, to identify potential fake information campaigns that are not genuine conversations between people but instead use automation to a significant extent.

The mission of the Knowledge Centre on Information Resilience (Info-Oske) is to strengthen information security expertise in Finland and develop operating models and tools to prevent harmful influence. The centre produces information about intentional and harmful misinformation campaigns targeting our country and supports the business community, citizens and authorities in identifying and combatting information influence.

The Knowledge Centre on Information Resilience has developed its technical capabilities of detecting fake campaigns spreading online. At the moment, a report of the findings is produced every other month for the authorities and companies critical to security of supply. The Information Security Competence Centre has also been providing information security training and integrating information influence into the extensive TIETO exercise for preparedness in an information society.

In the future, the Knowledge Centre on Information Resiliences operations will be developed in such a way that information on information influence and preparing for it will be produced regularly – also publicly – so that everyone can access it. During February, a section focusing on information security will be made available as part of the NESA’s website. A summary of the report charting harmful information campaigns will also be published on the NESA’s website in the future.

Information security as part of overall security

Information security is an essential element of overall security. In order to maintain security of supply and social safety, it is important that we prepare for both physical influence and harmful influence in cyber and information environments.

“The overall security model is based on the cooperation of authorities, trade and industry, organisations and citizens. The basic pillars of the NESA’s operations are preparedness and cooperation between different social actors, which means that the promotion of information security is also a good fit,” says Jaakko Pekki, Executive Vice President, Operations, at the NESA.

In 2022, the NESA published a preliminary report on the effects of information influence on security of supply and kicked off a two-year pilot for an knowledge centre on information resilience based on it.

“Based on the pilot experiences, a function of this kind is absolutely necessary in terms of the overall safety of our country. It is also well suited to be part of the NESA’s situational picture operations,” Pekki estimates.

Knowledge Centre on Information Resilience’s operations are funded by the NESA’s Digital Security 2030 programme. The continuation of the operations from 2027 onwards as well as other possible responsible parties will be evaluated in terms of aspects such as resources, benefits and the appropriate division of labour over the next two years.