Russia treats Finland as a hostile country, according to an annual report published by the Finnish Security and Intelligence Service Supo.
Its main theme concerns Finland's deteriorated relationship with its large eastern neighbour.
"The threat from Russia has not disappeared by any means," Supo chief Antti Pelttari said at a press briefing in Helsinki on Thursday as the agency published its annual national security overview.
Factors behind the worsening of relations include Russia's invasion of Ukraine, sanctions and Finland joining Nato, according to Supo.
"Russia can direct countermeasures against Finland. On the other hand, Nato membership raises the threshold for attack," Pelttari said.
The assessment found that while Finland has recently seen increased intelligence and influencing operation threats, it is unlikely the country will endure a "crippling effect" from external forces in the immediate future.
While the security overview highlighted possible threats from abroad, it noted that the most likely threats facing Finland include individuals or small groups supporting right-wing extremist or radical Islamist ideologies.
Threat level unchanged
Despite the increased threat that Russia could pose, Supo did not raise Finland's threat level (2 out of 4, or "elevated threat"), which has remained stable for some time.
"Russia is currently still focused on the war in Ukraine and on easing international isolation, but this does not mean that the threat of Russian intelligence and influencing in Finland has disappeared," the Supo chief said in a press release about the security overview.
"The accession of Finland to Nato, the continuation of the war in Ukraine, the deepening confrontation between Western countries and Russia and increasing sanctions may strengthen Russian countermeasures against Finland," he continued.
Supo noted that Finland's marine infrastructure is more vulnerable to threats than such installations on land. But the agency added that Finland was well-prepared to face those kinds of threats.
Like other authorities in Finland, Supo has not offered an opinion about who might have been behind the sabotage of the Balticconnector gas pipeline.
Influence and fear
Supo specialist researcher Suvi Alvari, who also spoke during the press conference, said that Russia was taking advantage of the situation without having to claim responsibility.
"Without taking a position on who is responsible, Russia sees the sabotage as a way to instil fear. Russia is also using the incident in its influencing tactics, because it supports the Russian narrative that Europe's energy supply is vulnerable," Alvari said.
In the press release, Alvari said that the energy sector was one example of an effective target for Russia's propaganda machine, even if they weren't seeking to cause critical damage.
"Potential measures that Russia may take against Finland include information influencing and undermining bilateral links, such as by withdrawing from remaining treaties. Denial of service (DoS) attacks can also give an impression that infrastructure and services are vulnerable, even without causing any real damage." Alvari explained.
Space and home tech
Supo chief Pelttari noted that security threats are not limited to land and sea, but also in space. He pointed out that satellites are increasingly important to communications and are also vulnerable piecesof infrastructure.
"Therefore it is important to also maintain traditional forms of communication," Pelttari said.
He also said that private individuals should make sure the devices and computers they use are on secure networks, encouraging people to keep equipment like internet routers and Wi-Fi arrangements up-to-date.
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