The National Security Authority (NSM) ( no, Nasjonal sikkerhetsmyndighet) is a
Norwegian
Norwegian, Norwayan, or Norsk may refer to:
*Something of, from, or related to Norway, a country in northwestern Europe
*Norwegians, both a nation and an ethnic group native to Norway
*Demographics of Norway
*The Norwegian language, including the ...
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
accident
An accident is an unintended, normally unwanted event that was not directly caused by humans. The term ''accident'' implies that nobody should be blamed, but the event may have been caused by unrecognized or unaddressed risks. Most researcher ...
s,
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
A crisis ( : crises; : critical) is either any event or period that will (or might) lead to an unstable and dangerous situation affecting an individual, group, or all of society. Crises are negative changes in the human or environmental affair ...
and
war
War is an intense armed conflict between states, governments, societies, or paramilitary groups such as mercenaries, insurgents, and militias. It is generally characterized by extreme violence, destruction, and mortality, using regular o ...
.
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 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