Safeguarding Estonia’s cyberspace depends on our capability to secure our crucial information systems and a global, open, free, stable and secure cyberspace that is subject to existing international law and norms for responsible state behaviour. Cyber diplomacy is mainly focused on state behaviour in cyberspace and the principles and norms that apply to states in cyberspace. Cyber diplomats also contribute to the fight against international cybercrime and the protection of a free and open internet.
Digital and Cyber Diplomacy at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs engages in cyber diplomacy, represents Estonia’s positions in international and regional organisations and advances multilateral and bilateral relations in the fields of cyber diplomacy, international cybersecurity and cyber development cooperation.
Many Estonian agencies have a specific role in ensuring cybersecurity. The Estonian cybersecurity ecosystem was born out of joint actions and close cooperation with companies. For example, the coordination of cybersecurity regulations that apply to Estonia’s companies and public institutions is ensured mainly by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications and the Information System Authority. The Ministry of Defence is in charge of cyber defence actions. In Estonia, the fight against cybercrime is part of the tasks of the Ministry of the Interior, the Police and Border Guard Board and the National Criminal Police that is part of its structure, and the Office of the Prosecutor General, which is under the administration of the Ministry of Justice.
For several years now, Estonia has been among the most active global advocates of cybersecurity. We have first-hand experience of the importance of cyber issues: we are a country that has been toughened by malicious cyber activity. When we were hit by an extensive coordinated cyber operation in 2007, there was no international political mechanism for raising the significance of the attacks, appealing for assistance from other states or condemning the attackers. Since then, Estonia has done a great deal to raise cybersecurity issues both bilaterally as well as in the EU, NATO, the OSCE, the Council of Europe, the UN and beyond.
Since 2018, Estonia has an Ambassador at Large for Cyber Diplomacy. Internationally renowned cyber policy expert Helen Popp is the current ambassador. She is supported by the Digital and Cyber Diplomacy Department , established in 2019 at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
