In Finland, “national security” isn’t just a military concern, it’s part of everyday life. Schools teach kids what to do in a crisis, workplaces encourage preparedness, local authorities stock emergency supplies, and citizens join volunteer defense groups. That all reflects a broader idea: security depends on an alert and engaged society under threat.
Russia’s Shadow as a Driver
Finland’s sense of vigilance grew sharply after Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. Being NATO-adjacent, Finland immediately felt the impact. The country’s security strategy changed: beyond boosting armed forces, homeland security now includes cyber resilience, infrastructure defenses, and public alert systems, all supported by active civic participation.
Education at the Core
An essential part of the Finnish system is education. From early school years, children learn safety routines, how to recognize danger, what shelters to head to, and how to stay informed. Teachers weave these lessons into regular classes, making preparedness as familiar as math or history. That way, citizens are trained to respond—even if war never comes.
Civil Defense in the Workplace
Beyond schools, organizations play their part. Companies and municipalities run regular drills, for fires, cyberattacks, or evacuations, and provide first-aid and emergency response training. Employees know how to act if supply chains break or critical systems fail. The message is clear: security is a shared responsibility, not just for experts.
Community Volunteers Step Up
At the grassroots level, volunteer defense groups form a key link in Finland’s resilience. These aren’t paramilitary organizations, they’re trained civilians who help with logistics, communication, and local crisis response. They build networks of trust and coordination, ready to supplement official forces during emergencies.
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Defense
Modern threats matter too. Finland invests heavily in strengthening its telecommunications, energy, and digital systems against cyberattacks. Given past incidents, like undersea cable damage in the Baltic attributed to Russian actors, the government prioritizes redundancy, surveillance, and regular testing to minimize vulnerability.
A Society-Wide Strategy
What this really means is Finland is relying on its big strength: social cohesion. Strong trust between government, institutions, and citizens makes society harder to destabilize. That trust fuels national resilience, not just hardware like troops and tanks, but soft power: cooperation, shared awareness, and unity of purpose.
Implications for Europe
Finland’s model carries lessons beyond its borders, especially for countries near Russia or under hybrid attack. Across Europe, governments are grappling with how to blend military readiness, cybersecurity, and civic preparedness. As Finnish President Alexander Stubb recently noted, true national security doesn’t end at a military perimeter, it spreads into homes, schools, and services.
A New Security Culture
At the core, there’s a shift underway: Finland treats preparedness as an everyday practice. From kindergartens to boardrooms, the idea is to normalize readiness. It’s not fear that drives this, it’s confidence in people’s ability to act, together, when it matters most.
Finland went from a neutral mindset to an approach shaped by harsh geopolitical reality. By turning national security into a civic habit, the country creates layers of resilience, from physical defense to social solidarity. And for Europe, that offers a new playbook: resilience isn’t just about missiles and cyber shields, it’s about weaving preparedness into the fabric of society.
