Ministry of National Defence - Lithuania

The Ministry of National Defence is responsible for the comprehensive strengthening of the state’s cyber resilience by improving the legal framework, developing national capabilities and international cooperation.

1. One of the key priorities is to implement legislative changes to prevent unreliable manufacturers from participating in the development of 5G infrastructure and to ensure that the allocation of 5G frequencies and the use of the equipment used for this purpose are in the interests of national security.
2. The aim will be to ensure that only equipment from reliable manufacturers is used in critical information infrastructures and public information sources;
3. The responsibility for implementing the provisions of the Law on Cyber Security needs to be increased by strengthening administrative sanctions for non-compliance with cyber security requirements;
4. The development of cyber security and defence capabilities must focus on institutional capacity building. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) should give priority to the management of cyber incidents and the oversight of cyber security requirements, while ensuring that the NCSC has the optimal structure, financial and human resources to carry out its tasks. The main state telecommunications centre needs to be further strengthened and the development of a secure network infrastructure needs to be ensured;
5. In order to strengthen cyber defence, a plan for the development of cyber defence capabilities will be implemented, the integration of cyber security elements into operational planning will be strengthened, and interoperability with NATO allies will be enhanced;
6. In order to have a coherent approach to the development of the cyber security system, a national cyber security development program should be prepared, the need for cyber security funding for 2022-2024 should be identified, and a cyber-security competence centre with national funding sources should be established.
7. It is important to further develop the activities of the Regional Cyber Defence Centre so that it becomes the main platform for Lithuanian–US bilateral cooperation in the field of cyber security. The Centre should ensure the analysis, monitoring and exchange of information on cyber threats, implement pilot projects, promote the development of innovative cyber security technologies, and train cyber security specialists.

Priority Directions for strengthening cyber security are:

• Improvement of legal regulation;
• Institutional capacity building;
• Cyber defence capability development;
• Establishment of a regional cyber defence centre.