During these 10 years, not only the number of incidents handled by CERT.LV has noticeably increased, but also its international experience and technical cyber capabilities.
“From a small team with modest resources, we have grown into a serious force that sees what is happening in Latvian cyberspace and is able to react to these events... we have devoted time and resources to educating Internet users of all levels, because each chain is only as strong as its weakest link, ” said Baiba Kaškina, CERT.LV director.
According to the agency's own figures, over the last ten years more than 850 face-to-face and online events have trained and educated nearly 60,000 IT security professionals, state and municipal employees, students, pupils and their parents.
Since the beginning of CERT.LV, the “Security Expert Group” (DEG) has also grown and expanded and still meets once a month to discuss current issues in the industry.
Its annual cyber security conference "Cyber Chess" has become an institution in its own right and an important platform for international discussion.
"The 10-year anniversary is a good reason to look back and understand what has worked, as well as what still needs to be improved and learned. In cyberspace, the situation changes not by years, but by hours, so we must also continue to develop and improve,” said Kaškina.
Since 2016, CERT.LV is also one of the 36 European TF – CSIRT / Trusted Introducer certified teams and is also an active member of the pan-European NIS CSIRTs Network and the global FIRST organization.
CERT.LV has produced a special video discussing the last ten years, though it is only available in Latviam.
On October 28, 2010, the Saeima passed the IT Security Law, which on February 1, 2011 established CERT.LV, entrusting its functions to the Institute of Mathematics and Informatics of the University of Latvia.
For the first two years, CERT.LV operated under the auspices of the Ministry of Transport, but since 2013 has been under the supervision of the Ministry of Defense, actively cooperating with the Ministry, helping to implement the State Cyber Security Strategy as well as organizing high-level training and events.
Minister of Defense Artis Pabriks is due to offer his own congratulations on the landmark and present Baiba Kaškina with a certificate of commendation.
“CERT. LV makes an invaluable contribution to strengthening Latvia's cyber security, which is especially relevant in the conditions of the Covid-19 pandemic, when digitalization is playing an increasingly important role in our daily lives. In addition, CERT.LV significantly promotes cyber security on an international scale, by providing Latvian experts with support to the cyber defense institutions of the Allied countries,” Pabriks said ahead of the event.
A Defense Ministry statement said the award was "a recognition of CERT.LV for its contribution to strengthening Latvia's cyber security over ten years, during which the institution has proven itself as a competent and reliable partner for the Latvian public administration and the general public and internationally."
