Minister Räsänen: Combating cyber threats requires the attention of all actors in society
Minister of the Interior Päivi Räsänen participated today in the Informal Meeting of the Ministers of Justice and Home Affairs in Lithuania. The ministers responsible for home affairs discussed cooperation between various actors involved in cyber security with a view to strengthening the cooperation. The idea behind the discussion was to promote the implementation of the Cybersecurity Strategy of the European Union.
Minister Räsänen considers that the EU must actively promote the implementation of the Budapest Convention on Cybercrime on as wide a basis as possible. - The Convention provides a good basis both for national legislation on cybercrime and for international cooperation, said Ms Räsänen. - Combating cybercrime should be made one of the EU priorities.
According to Ms Räsänen, combating cyber threats requires the attention of all actors in society. Well-functioning cooperation and exchange of information between law enforcement authorities and the private sector is of great importance when maintaining up-to-date situational awareness.
- I also consider it important to ensure respect for fundamental rights in cyberspace and develop measures against cybercrime by using all available instruments of international cooperation, as well as police cooperation and judicial cooperation with third countries.
Ensuring a clear mandate, sufficient resources and relevant legislation
In Finland, the national cybersecurity strategy, which was completed this year, and the preparation of an action plan for the implementation of the strategy form the basis for cooperation at national level, and in the future more systematically also at international level.
As regards cooperation both in Finland and at international level, it is important, according to Ms Räsänen, to enhance detection and response ability, improve situational awareness of cybersecurity, protect services against the impact of cyber attacks and combat other crimes that may endanger social systems.
Ms Räsänen stressed that to enable an effective prevention and investigation of crimes aimed at and exploiting cyberspace, it should be ensured that the authorities have a clear mandate, access to information and sufficient resources, and that legislation is up-to-date.
- We should consider whether the current instruments and legislation are sufficient to prevent these new online threats, Ms Räsänen stated.
For more information, please contact Ms Laura Yli-Vakkuri, Director-General, tel. +358 40 720 2216