SINGAPORE - A 2007 cyber attack on Estonia that crippled the online services of banks, media outlets and government bodies proved to be a formative experience for the Baltic state, which has since transformed itself into one of the global leaders in the cyber security and digital space.
But it is not a focus on threats that has led Estonia to be ranked highly in cyber security internationally, said Mr Kusti Salm, permanent secretary of the Estonian Ministry of Defence.
“In order for digitalisation to flourish, you need to take care of the threats. But things never grow if you only depict threats. Things grow if you depict the upside and all the beautiful benefits that digitalisation will bring.
“Once people get more connected, they realise that being safe online – making sure your data, money, personal information are safe – is instrumental,” he said in an interview at the Embassy of Estonia on Wednesday.
Estonia’s ultimate strength lies in people’s awareness of online safety.
“They demand this from their service providers. So, digital hygiene, awareness and training – these are the main elements that every single thing we do tacks on to,” he said.
Estonia, which has a population of 1.3 million, is known for being a leading European nation in providing digital services, from the filing of taxes to the signing of contracts and registration of births.
In 2005, it became the first country in the world to allow online voting in nationwide elections. In its parliamentary election in March 2023, more digital votes were cast than paper ballots.
This heavy reliance on digital services meant that the impact of cyber attacks was greater, said Mr Salm.
“But I think, today, we can say that we have benefited a lot from 2007.”
The campaign – which Estonia traced to Russia – had attempted to shut down the websites of government, banking and other critical services.
Another notable attack took place more recently in August 2022, after the Estonian government started removing Soviet-era war monuments from public areas.
A Russian hacker group claimed it had blocked access to more than 200 state and private institutions, although Estonia said the impact was limited.
Mr Salm is in Singapore as one of the speakers at the three-day Singapore Defence Technology Summit, which involves more than 600 participants from government, industry and academia. The summit kicked off on Wednesday at the Shangri-La Hotel.
In his speech, Mr Salm – formerly Estonia’s chief defence acquisition officer – reflected on the war in Ukraine, and highlighted the importance of investing in ammunition reserves and conscription, and maintaining a steady defence budget.
Asked about lessons from Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, he said in the interview that while the scale of cyber attacks has been immense, it has been overshadowed by physical warfare.
“The potential damage that can be inflicted by cyber attacks cannot be compared with artillery fire or aerial bombs. What this war reminds us of is that when you build your defences, you need to also be able to defend against the kinetic, hard, conventional threats.”
Like Singapore, Estonia has a system of mandatory conscription. This has been in force since 1991, when the country gained independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The government recently proposed to increase the length of service to 12 months, up from 11 months, for some vocations.
Estonia is exchanging experiences with Singapore on its conscription model, which Estonia holds in high regard, said Mr Salm.
“Our Baltic friends – Latvia, Lithuania – have reinstated conscription, and the lesson is that it might seem easy, but if you start from scratch, it is like building a nuclear power plant. It is very, very difficult. So, never abolish or downgrade, only bolster and make it more effective.”
