NESA has instructed critical infrastructure companies to raise their level of preparedness

The National Emergency Supply Agency (NESA) has instructed companies critical to security of supply to raise their level of preparedness with regard to critical infrastructure in particular. This is due to a change in the security environment that means that special attention must be paid to protecting the critical infrastructure.

Most of the infrastructure critical to security of supply is owned by the private sector. In principle, companies are responsible for the continuity of their own business.

As the security situation changes, NESA is tasked with sharing situational awareness and instructions with companies critical to security of supply and promoting the preparedness cooperation between the private and the public sector.

− From the perspective of security of supply, the situation is stable and services operate normally at the moment. Nevertheless, intentional damage targeted at our critical infrastructure is a serious matter, says Janne Känkänen, CEO of NESA.

Critical infrastructure forms the basis of security of supply. It includes both physical facilities and structures as well as digital functions and services. Energy production, transfer and distribution systems, information and communications systems, transport and logistics as well as water and waste management, among other things, are a part of critical infrastructure.

− The security of supply of Finland is built together with the private and the public sector, and it requires seamless cooperation. Society has no backup system that could replace the operators critical to security of supply. Therefore, it is important that companies have good continuity management, and NESA supports this in its work,” Känkänen says.

NESA maintains a network central to the security of supply of Finland called the National Emergency Supply Organisation (NESO). The cooperation strengthens and develops the security of supply of Finland together with the public sector as well as hundreds of companies, organisations and third sector operators. The operations safeguard the operating conditions of organisations critical to security of supply and thereby society as a whole in all circumstances.