TIETO24 exercise develops society’s preparedness for hybrid threats

The TIETO24 exercise kicking off this week will allow authorities and the private sector to practise joint actions in a large-scale disruption in society. More than 180 organisations have signed up for the exercise, which will focus on the energy sector and the logistics connected to it in particular.

The large-scale information society preparedness exercise TIETO24 will kick off in March 2024 and culminate in the intensive phase of the exercise in October. The intensive phase will consist of a role-playing game, in which the participants will practise taking action in an imaginary large-scale disruption in society.

“Our changed security environment requires our entire society to be more prepared for various disruptions, which may involve anything from physical influencing to cyberattacks and information influencing. TIETO24 will train us to work together in these types of large-scale disruptions threatening the functioning of society,” says Chief Preparedness Specialist Juha Ilkka from the National Emergency Supply Agency.

In large-scale disruptions, joint action and functional exchange of information play a key role in accurate situational awareness and resolving the crisis. The training content covered by the exercise includes cooperation with authorities, the operations of crisis management teams, supply chain management, and legislation to be taken into consideration in disruptions, among other things.

Energy and logistics as key focus areas

The TIETO24 exercise will pay particular attention to the energy sector and the logistics connected to it. Undisrupted energy supply is one of the key requirements for the normal functioning of society, and its disruptions are also quick to paralyse activities in other industries.

More than 180 organisations have signed up for the TIETO24 exercise. The participants include operators from the energy and logistics sectors in particular but also from other sectors critical for security of supply. Participating in the preparation of the exercise are the authorities and ministries governing these sectors, the National Emergency Supply Agency, Traficom’s National Cyber Security Centre, the police, the Finnish Defence Forces and the Finnish Broadcasting Company Yle.

TIETO24 will consist of training days held during spring 2024 and exercises assigned to participants. The participants will be tested on what they have learned in practice through a three-day role-playing game, in which the participants will tackle an imaginary large-scale disruption in the energy sector.

TIETO exercises are held every other year, and the National Emergency Supply Agency is in charge of organising them. In practice, the exercise is organised by Digipool, which is part of the National Emergency Supply Organisation. TIETO exercises have been organised since the late 1970s.

More information on the TIETO24 exercise is available on the Digipool website: https://www.digipooli.fi/en/tieto24