VZCZCXRO4872
RR RUEHAG RUEHAST RUEHDA RUEHDBU RUEHDF RUEHFL RUEHIK RUEHKW RUEHLA
RUEHLN RUEHLZ RUEHROV RUEHSR RUEHVK RUEHYG
DE RUEHHE #0182 0731053
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141053Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY HELSINKI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 3067
INFO RUEHZL/EUROPEAN POLITICAL COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS HELSINKI 000182 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ECPS EINT PINR BEXP FI
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR MEETS WITH FINNISH COMPUTER SECURITY 
EXPERTS 
 
¶1. (SBU) Summary: Ambassador Ware recently received a 
briefing on computer and Internet security from senior 
officials at F-Secure, known internationally as a reliable 
antivirus provider and Finland,s foremost computer security 
company.  A protector of critical infrastructure worldwide, 
F-Secure works closely with international law enforcement 
organizations, including U.S. authorities, to track and 
identify cyber criminals.  F-Secure officials noted an 
alarming shift in the complexity of new viruses and an 
increase in targeted industrial and defense-related espionage 
attacks.  End summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) Sitting in F-Secure,s impressive 24/7 Ops Center, 
F-Secure CEO/President Kimmo Alkio told the Ambassador that 
his company prides itself on adapting quickly and 
anticipating trends as it provides network security services 
to thousands of customers worldwide, including the Finnish 
government and the Finnish Defense Forces.  Clearly riding 
the Finnish ICT wave, F-Secure nonetheless sees itself as a 
global company.  Reflecting its global reach, Ambassador Ware 
was introduced to computer security experts from the U.S., 
Russia, and Finland, including the oft-quoted Mikko Hypponen 
-- widely considered to be one of the industry,s "rock 
stars".  In line with its business strategy of promoting 
growth rather than short-term profits, F-Secure is currently 
focused on actively developing software to protect the 
avalanche of mission-critical services that shortly will be 
available on mobile devices, including the phones of that 
other Finnish giant, Nokia. 
 
¶3. (SBU) As a protector of critical infrastructure worldwide, 
F-Secure tracks and identifies cyber criminals, routinely 
working with international law enforcement organizations, 
including the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations and the 
Secret Service.  Known for its close collaboration with other 
 
SIPDIS 
computer security companies, F-Secure welcomed further 
opportunities to share best practices with the U.S. 
Government and private sector experts to improve worldwide 
computer security. 
 
¶4. (SBU) F-Secure officials noted an alarming shift in the 
complexity of new viruses that appear to be the work of 
organized crime units rather than teenage hackers.  While 
large scale virus attacks still occur regularly, F-Secure 
officials said they are increasingly seeing individual 
companies, particularly in the defense industry, being 
targeted for specific proprietary data.  Officials shared 
several examples of sophisticated viruses that employees at 
defense-related companies have received recently.  In each of 
these cases, the masquerading email and associated attachment 
appears to have been sent from within the employee,s own 
company.  F-Secure believes this trend in industrial and 
defense-related espionage will simply increase as more 
sophisticated wireless mobile devices come online in the 
future. 
HYATT