Harsh climate conditions and thick sea ice have long maintained a situation where access to the Earth’s northern Arctic region was nearly impossible. Over the past decade, however, the situation has changed significantly and irreversibly. Climate change, geopolitics, and new technologies have also meant that cybersecurity-related threats are emerging – and we must be prepared to face them.
The retreating Arctic ice cover, combined with increasing geopolitical disputes, has created a situation where a race to exploit the commercial, industrial, and logistical opportunities of the northern regions has begun. Climate change, geopolitics, and technological development have elevated both cyber policy and Arctic dominance to new dimensions on the global stage. Espionage, disinformation campaigns, and other cyberattacks are now part of states’ global arsenals, and many nations have further intensified investments in their cyber capabilities.
At first glance, it may seem impossible to draw a connection between Arctic climate change and cybersecurity. However, researchers have concluded that strengthening cyber defense and digitalizing the Arctic are among the most crucial actions of our time. Mitigating climate change in the region – and across the planet – requires digitalization, both to measure climate impacts and, where possible, to reduce them. At the same time, these systems demand strong protection against cyberattacks. To achieve such a secure environment, experts argue that cybersecurity must become a natural way of operating and part of general knowledge. By embedding this mindset, we create an atmosphere where cybersecurity skills become a normalized element of how society functions, as well as an integral part of social practices.
In this new era of upheaval – marked by intensifying geopolitical disputes and a changing climate – new strategies are needed to understand cybersecurity and integrate it into society. As climate change and its societal impacts grow, a multifaceted and integrated approach is required to comprehend Arctic security alongside comprehensive cybersecurity. This approach must involve not only policymakers, experts, and researchers, but also educational institutions. As the world changes due to climate disruption, and as the social and economic development of modern society depends heavily on our digital infrastructure, these transformations challenge our long-established ways of operating. Therefore, the new situation must be addressed with the seriousness it deserves – while, hopefully, keeping the human perspective at its core.
Do you want to know more? Read (in Finnish) about this topic in Centria Bulletin:
https://centriabulletin.fi/arktisen-alueen-turvallisuuskentta-on-muutoksessa/
Centria Bulletin (ISSN 2489-3714) is an online journal where the article was first published.
Tom Tuunainen
R&D Developer
Centria University of Applied Sciences
Tel. +358 40 681 7207
References
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Heffernan, A. 2024. The Climate Policy Crisis: Governing Disinformation in the Digital Age. Centre for International Governance Innovation (CIGI). Available at: https://www.cigionline.org/publications/the-climate-policy-crisis-governing-disinformation-in-the-digital-age/.
Heffernan, A. & Parsons, C. 2024. The Arctic Online: Cybersecurity is Quintessential for Canada’s Arctic Security. Centre for International and Defence Policy (CIDP), Canada, Volume 9, Issue 9. Available at: https://www.queensu.ca/cidp/arctic-online-cybersecurity-quintessential-canadas-arctic-security.
Klein, J. & Hossain, K. 2020. Conceptualising Human-centric Cyber Security in the Arctic in Light of Digitalisation and Climate Change. Arctic Review on Law and Politics, vol. 11, pp. 1–18. Available at: https://doi.org/10.23865/arctic.v11.1936.
Trump, B.D., Hossain, K. & Linkov, I. 2021. Cybersecurity and Resilience in the Arctic, NATO Science for Peace and Security Series, Series D: Information and Communication Security, Springer, Volume 58. Available at: https://www.nato.int/cps/en/natohq/topics_181855.htm.