The National Security Authority (NSM) ( no, Nasjonal sikkerhetsmyndighet) is a Norwegian security agency (''Direktorat'') established on 1 January 2003 as the successor to Forsvarets sikkerhetsstab (FO/S). It is responsible for preventive

national security National security, or national defence, is the security and defence of a sovereign state, including its citizens, economy, and institutions, which is regarded as a duty of government. Originally conceived as protection against military atta ...

, ICT security matters, including the national

computer emergency response team A computer emergency response team (CERT) is an expert group that handles computer security incidents. Alternative names for such groups include computer emergency readiness team and computer security incident response team (CSIRT). A more modern ...

(NorCERT), identifying national objects of special interest and reducing their vulnerability to internal and external threats. The agency performs threat analysis at the national level, and is also known to work with experts on

computer security Computer security, cybersecurity (cyber security), or information technology security (IT security) is the protection of computer systems and networks from attack by malicious actors that may result in unauthorized information disclosure, the ...

and with data

encryption In cryptography, encryption is the process of encoding information. This process converts the original representation of the information, known as plaintext, into an alternative form known as ciphertext. Ideally, only authorized parties can decip ...

. The cooperation with the Police Security Agency (PST) and the

Norwegian Intelligence Service The Norwegian Intelligence Service (NIS) or Etterretningstjenesten (E-tjenesten) is a Norwegian military intelligence agency under the Chief of Defence and the Ministry of Defence. History Olav Njølstad says that the "stay-behind cooperation ...

(NIS) has been identified as a very important part of the task of maintaining an overview of potential threats to objects, and instituting proactive activities. NSM also cooperates with the

Directorate for Civil Protection and Emergency Planning The Norwegian Directorate for Civil Protection ( no, Direktoratet for samfunnssikkerhet og beredskap, DSB) is a Norwegian government agency under the Minister of Justice and the Police. DSB's general purpose is to protect Norway and its citizens f ...

(DSB), to prevent loss of life and maintain

health Health, according to the World Health Organization, is "a state of complete physical, mental and social well-being and not merely the absence of disease and infirmity".World Health Organization. (2006)''Constitution of the World Health Organiza ...

environment Environment most often refers to: __NOTOC__ * Natural environment, all living and non-living things occurring naturally * Biophysical environment, the physical and biological factors along with their chemical interactions that affect an organism or ...

, important society functions, and material assets in connection with accidents, catastrophes,

terrorism Terrorism, in its broadest sense, is the use of criminal violence to provoke a state of terror or fear, mostly with the intention to achieve political or religious aims. The term is used in this regard primarily to refer to intentional violen ...

and other unwanted events in

peace Peace is a concept of societal friendship and harmony in the absence of hostility and violence. In a social sense, peace is commonly used to mean a lack of conflict (such as war) and freedom from fear of violence between individuals or groups. ...

, crisis and war. NSM is administratively governed and funded by the

Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...

, but also reports to the

Ministry of Justice and the Police The Royal Ministry of Justice and Public Security ( no, Det kongelige justis- og beredskapsdepartement) is a Norwegian government ministry that oversees justice, the police, and domestic intelligence. The main purpose of the ministry is to provide ...

in civilian matters.

Organizational structure

NSM is currently (as of 29 March 2007) organized in four technical/specialized departments and two administrative/support departments:

Tasks

Legal/political basis

* Security Act * Defence Secrets Act * Defence Inventions Act * Arrangement on certification of information systems and products ( SERTIT) * Coordinating role in preventive work and responses against IT security breaches aimed at

critical national infrastructure Critical infrastructure (or critical national infrastructure (CNI) in the UK) is a term used by governments to describe assets that are essential for the functioning of a society and economy – the infrastructure. Most commonly associated wit ...

(CNI) in Norway. ( NorCERT)

Security Act

NSM have the following responsibilities pursuant of the Security Act: * Gathering and analyzing of information relevant for preventive security services * Information, advice and guidance * Oversight and Inspections * Development of security measures (R&D when needed) * National and international cooperation * Monitoring of information systems * Technical Security Counter Measures (TSCM) * Production and accounting of encryption material * Central Personnel and Facility Security Clearance Registry * Body of Appeal when Security Clearance is denied

External links

* http://www.nsm.stat.no {{authority control Military of Norway Norwegian intelligence agencies Law enforcement in Norway Government agencies of Norway 2003 establishments in Norway Government agencies established in 2003