Torsten Schack Pedersens tale ved konference om cybersikkerhed

Dear European friends,

I usually begin my speech by saying: “thank you for the invitation” or “thank you for inviting me” – out of respect for choosing me as the opener. 

But since this conference is hosted by The Danish Resilience Agency. And I am the Minister for Resilience and Preparedness. I don’t think they had much of a choice

In all seriousness. Congratulations – to those responsible for this event. It takes a great deal of effort – to put something like this together. 

The Danish presidency of the Council of the European Union is another thing that has taken – and still takes – a lot of work. 

The presidency is well underway – with a month to go.

Time has flown since the 1st of July. The threat picture has changed for the worse. And the headline for the presidency has become even more important.

A strong Europe in a changing world. And the world sure is changing.

Like many of you – I remember the fall of the Berlin wall.

A landmark in our common history. A symbol of a time that created hope, peace and prosperity.

I was just a kid back then. But I remember the shared belief in the future and a feeling of togetherness.

Cut to November 2025. And we face the worst threat- and risk-landscape since the end of the second world war.

We are once again seeing increased geopolitical tensions. Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine is in its fourth year.

And we face an intensified hybrid threat in the form of cyberattacks and sabotage.

On top of that. Climate change is leading to increasingly frequent and violent weather events such as storm surges, floods and extensive forest fires.

These threats are far from isolated to a single country.

We face many common threats and challenges – across the EU. And that calls for common solutions and that we stand together.

During Denmark’s EU Presidency, the ministry has focused on preparedness, cybersecurity, civil protection, and critical infrastructure.
Because. We must be ready to counter cyberattacks, sabotage, and other hybrid threats. 

And it is crucial that we stand together to strengthen our collective security, increase resilience, and create a more effective EU
With this, we are building on the report by former president of Finland, Mr. Niinistö and the principles of enhancing Europe’s civil and military preparedness and readiness.

This is the foundation for the EU’s Preparedness Union Strategy and the joint efforts to strengthen our cyber security and response to cyber-attacks. 

There is no resilience without cyber security.
Therefore. The councils 3 main priorities for the cyber-domain have been: 

There is still a need within the EU for stronger efforts – when it comes to coordinating responses to major cybersecurity incidents and crises. We have already done a lot. But there is always room for improvement – because of the constantly evolving cyber threat. 

On top of that. The Danish Presidency will continue to support the simplification agenda.

That does not mean fewer security requirements. But a focus on making it simpler – and less costly to comply with them.

I look forward to keeping up the work. And to get the most out of what remains of our EU-presidency – to achieve a more resilient Europe.

One thing is certain. Right now – cybersecurity is more important than ever. We must maintain a high level of cybersecurity broadly in Denmark.

With the NIS 2 law from July, we have built a solid foundation for Danish cybersecurity.

And soon we will add to that – with a new cyber- and information security strategy.

A few days ago – The Danish Resilience Agency and the ministry presented the annual Cyber Threat against Denmark 2025.

Its main purpose is to inform decision-makers in Danish society about the cyber threat against Denmark.

And even though it is in Danish. It speaks so clearly that anyone can understand it.

The cyber threat against Denmark is serious.

And for the first time. The new assessment of the cyber threat to Denmark – looks at the probability of six different types of likely cyberattacks.

This helps give a clearer picture of the threat — for companies, authorities, and citizens alike.

We are focusing on types of cyberattacks to make the threat landscape easier to act on.

Because Danish authorities, companies, and citizens, are exposed to cyberattacks on a daily basis. Attacks that come from both state and non-state actors.

But at the same time. We must accept – that the cyber threat has become a basic condition. It is part of our lives.

But we must also understand these threats – so we can target our efforts as effectively as possible.

And even though the cyber threat has been here for years – Its nature keeps on changing. Just as hackers are constantly adopting new tools and methods.

We need to stay on our toes. Strengthen our efforts. On a national level – as well as between us Member States within the EU.

The changing threat and risk landscape is also one of the main reasons behind the establishment of the Danish Ministry of Resilience and Preparedness.

The ministry is very much founded on the main principles in the report from Mr Niinistö – an ‘all-hazards’, ‘whole-of-government’ and ‘whole-of-society’ approach. 

The ‘whole of society’ approach implies collaboration between the state and the private sector.

We are simply stronger together.

That is why I have established a Business Forum for Resilience and Preparedness. To discuss how private companies can contribute to resilience and preparedness using their specialized competencies and capacities.

And a month ago. I launched an Operational Business Network for Resilience.

The purpose is to create a confidential space where private sector and public authorities can discuss topics related to resilience. That has relevance to the business community.

The purpose is knowledge sharing – including classified information – across the private sector and authorities.

On matters such as cybersecurity, security of supply, emergency planning, and the protection of critical infrastructure.

Within the area of cyber security – we also have The Cybersecurity Pact and The Danish Cybersecurity Council. Both of them play a key role in strengthening the cyber area in Denmark.

The Cybersecurity Pact is a public-private partnership with 20 members. With a clear purpose of strengthening small and medium-sized enterprises.

The Danish Cybersecurity Council brings together members from the private sector, the public sector, the consumers and the research community.

With the purpose of advising the government on digital security and knowledge-sharing between the participants.

But before you get lost in initiatives and forums.

I would like to get back to what it is all about.

A strong Europe in a changing world.

Our Danish presidency might soon be coming to an end.

But the EU’s path towards resilience has just begun.

And there is no resilience without cyber security.

Thank you for your attention. And have an inspiring conference.