About national cyber exercises
JYVSECTEC is committed to improve Finland’s national cyber resiliency. Four annual national cyber exercises (KYHA exercises) are aimed to municipality and critical infrastructure organizations, Finnish state administration organizations, security authorities and healthcare organizations. The Ministry of Transport and Communications enables the national cyber exercises, and Security Committee assists in coordination and implementation of exercises.
Expectations grew and were met
We summarized a few key takeaways from the 2024 exercises:
- Changes in the security environment were taken into account in the RGCE (Realistic Global Cyber Range) environment used in national cyber exercises. The RGCE is modified flexibly not only in terms of changes in the environments of organizations, but also as a result of broader changes in society, legislation and directives. In 2024, for example, processes complying with GDPR and data protection, as well as the requirements of the NIS2 and DORA directives, were considered.
- Municipalities’ interest in national cyber security exercises was growing. Dozens of municipal and critical infrastructure organizations interested in national cyber exercises, which will only be offered participation in similar exercises in the coming years, visited the national exercises.
- The national exercise of security authorities was also attended by a government-level cyber coordination group, the “cyber fist”, which praised the level of competence of the participants as excellent.
Cooperation related to cyber exercises promoted with a new agreement
Jamk University of Applied Sciences, of which JYVSECTEC operates as a part, and the Ministry of Transport and Communications of Finland intensified their cooperation in 2024. National Cyber Security Director from Ministry of Transport and Communications Rauli Paananen, Rector of Jamk Vesa Saarikoski and Director of the Institute of Information Technology Tero Kokkonen signed a cooperation document on 4.11.2024. The objectives of the cooperation include promoting annual national cyber exercises and international cooperation.
JYVSECTEC’s Realistic Global Cyber Environment (RGCE) is the official exercise environment for national cyber exercises. As a result of the cooperation, the utilization of the environment and related expertise will also be promoted outside Finland’s borders.
“The lessons learned from organizing the KYHA exercises and developing the exercise environment have been undeniable. We will utilize this knowledge and experience in the future to strengthen international cooperation”, Tero Kokkonen says.
“The RGCE environment creates the conditions to develop cyber exercises in a uniquely international way. We are taking this expertise to the world through research, development, and innovation projects, among others”, Kokkonen continues.
Finnish press releases of 2024
Check out the Finnish press releases on the topic:
Jamk ja liikenne- ja viestintäministeriö sopivat kyberharjoittelun edistämisestä – ePressi
