Government formed Cyber Defence Unit of the Defence League

With the amendment to the regulation, the Cyber Defence Unit was formed in addition to the existing structural units of the Defence League – the Headquarters and regional units.

According to Minister of Defence Jaak Aaviksoo, the Cyber Defence Unit initiative has received significant international attention. ”The subordinate units of our Cyber Defence League form the first horizontal cyber cooperation network of its kind, involving co-operation between the state-, private- and third sectors in the aspect of national defence,” Aaviksoo said.

”One of the most significant facts about the science of warfare is that the most important aspect is the training of soldiers and their ability to operate as a unit, not the number of men in formation. Consequently, it is difficult to underestimate the introduction of the Cyber Defence Unit of the Defence League across Estonia,” Minister of Defence said.

”Ensuring and improving the ability to prevent, combat and eliminate the attacks against of our cyber-space is one of our on-going priorities,” Aaviksoo added.

The formation of a non-formal co-operation network on cyber defence, under the Defence League, began following the cyber-attacks of 2007. The Cyber Defence Unit of the Defence League (Cyber Defence League) will be the coordinator and supervisor of the activity of volunteer cyber protection specialists.

The Unit will incorporate volunteer information technology protection specialists in order to employ their initiative and know-how in the protection of the constitutional order of our state. It will also organise trainings and seminars for the specialists in this field, to enable the acquiring and sharing of practical cyber defence skills and the organising of exercises.

In the event of possible cyber-attacks against Estonia, the Cyber Defence Unit of the Defence League would not provide counterforce itself, but would instead act only in an advisory capacity.

Neeme Brus
Major
Head of the Public Relations Department of the National Defence League

Peeter Kuimet
Press Officer