Publications of the Prime Minister’s Office 2024:13 3 Changes in the operating environment The security environment of Finland and Europe has changed radically since the previous national cybersecurity strategy was published in 2019. Accelerating digitalisation further boosted by the Covid-19 pandemic, the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the increasingly tense global geopolitical situation, Finnish membership of NATO, and rapid development of EU regulation affecting cybersecurity all highlight the importance of cybersecurity as part of safeguarding society. 3.1 Challenges posed by diverse threats An evolving operating environment is challenging the international rules-based system. Threats have become increasingly diverse, with the cyber environment used extensively in hybrid influencing efforts, crime, terrorism and warfare. Hybrid influencing efforts are also used between states to advance political objectives. Nor is the threat posed by state-sponsored cyber espionage confined solely to formulating foreign and security policies. Unlawful data acquisition may also target the intellectual capital of Finnish businesses, jeopardising the competitiveness of the economy. Cyber domain incidents may also be caused by various physical threats, such as power supply disruptions, floods, earthquakes, other natural disasters or solar activity, and damage due to human error. These may also disrupt data connections or the functioning of information systems, and subsequently threaten cybersecurity. 3.2 Hostile cyber operations targeting Finland are likely to increase Various hostile cyber operations against Finland are likely to continue and increase in future. The digitalisation of society creates new kinds of opportunity for statesponsored operators, including the ability to conduct intelligence collection and exploit vulnerabilities with no significant risk of exposure. 13