Cybersecurity is becoming an increasingly critical part of national defence and resilience. NORDSEC – Nordic Defence and Security Cluster and Norwegian Cybersecurity Cluster are strengthening their cooperation to connect expertise, capabilities and companies across the defence and cybersecurity sectors.

The two clusters see significant potential in working more closely together. For defence and security companies, secure digital infrastructure and the ability to identify and address vulnerabilities are becoming essential capabilities.

“Cybersecurity is no longer simply an IT issue, it is an operational defence requirement. A vulnerability in a digital system, a supplier or a communications chain can ultimately become a vulnerability in our defence capability,” says Tevje Ravn Eggan, Cluster Manager of NORDSEC.

He points to the importance of integrating cybersecurity into defence and dual-use companies from the very beginning.

“We need Norwegian defence and dual-use companies to be secure by design and resilient by default. That means bringing cybersecurity competence into the development of products, supply chains and operations from the outset, not treating it as something that can be added afterwards,” Eggan says.

Bringing cybersecurity expertise into the defence ecosystem

Norwegian Cybersecurity Cluster brings together companies, academia and public-sector organisations working with digital security. The cluster's expertise covers a broad range of cybersecurity capabilities and provides a complementary resource for companies operating in defence and security.

For Øyvind Sørbu, Cluster Manager of Norwegian Cybersecurity Cluster, the cooperation with NORDSEC is an opportunity to make this expertise more accessible to companies operating in the defence and security ecosystem.

“We have a lot of expertise in our cluster that needs to reach the companies that are also part of NORDSEC. That is ultimately in the interest of our total defence and our overall preparedness,” Sørbu says.

The cooperation comes at a time when the security environment is becoming increasingly complex and digital dependencies are growing. Stronger links between defence, industry and cybersecurity communities can help companies identify vulnerabilities, strengthen resilience and develop new capabilities.

Tevje Ravn Eggan, cluster manager of NORDSEC, Øyvind Sørbu, cluster manager of Norwegian Cybersecurity Cluster, and Linda Hald,  Advisor at Fremtidens industri. Photo: Lars Bugge Aarset/Fremtidens Industri

Creating new opportunities for both clusters

The cooperation is intended to benefit companies and organisations in both networks, not only by improving cybersecurity, but also by creating opportunities for new solutions, partnerships and business.

“Norwegian Cybersecurity Cluster brings together a highly relevant and complementary community of expertise that can add real value to our members and to the wider defence and security ecosystem. We see great potential in working more closely together, and this partnership is also part of a broader ambition for NORDSEC: to strengthen cooperation across clusters, networks and industries. The challenges we face within defence, security and preparedness are increasingly interconnected, and we believe the best solutions will often be found by bringing strong communities together.”

For NORDSEC, closer links to the cybersecurity community strengthen the cluster's ability to address security as an increasingly integrated domain, where physical defence capabilities, digital infrastructure, technology and resilience are closely connected.

The collaboration will provide new opportunities for members to share expertise, identify common challenges and develop solutions at the intersection of defence, security and cybersecurity.

“Future defence capability depends on more than platforms and weapons systems. It depends on secure data, resilient communications, trusted suppliers and companies that can continue operating under pressure. Strengthening cyber resilience in Norwegian industry is therefore an important contribution to both military preparedness and the wider Norwegian total defence,” Eggan says.