The Danish government has brought back the National Cyber Security Council (NCSC) to enhance the nation’s digital security across all key sectors. This renewal gives the NCSC a stronger role as a vital advisor to the government, focusing on technology developments and policy matters. It now has the responsibility to find innovative ways to bolster digital security and improve data sharing among public agencies, researchers, and businesses.
This relaunch coincides with two other major initiatives: a €100 million digitization plan for 2024-2025 and the Agency for Digital Government’s (ADG) project on Artificial Intelligence Guidelines (AIG). These efforts aim to offer local authorities, businesses, and the public more opportunities to interact with generative AI technology.
The NCSC has formed a 19-member Advisory Group, authorized to serve until the end of 2027. This group has a broad mission to back specific initiatives that enhance Denmark’s digital security. It comprises senior IT and cybersecurity experts from leading businesses, universities, and municipalities, including members from TDC, Novo Nordisk, Deloitte Denmark, and others.
Originally created in 2019, the NCSC was established to improve collaboration between the Danish state and businesses in securing critical national infrastructure against cyber threats. Now, it has a stronger mandate to foster partnerships between public organizations involved in national security and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). This involves close teamwork with other state agencies like the ADG and the Danish Center for Cyber Security (CCS).
According to Marie Bjerre, Denmark’s minister for digitalisation, this relaunch equips Denmark with a national resource to unify efforts in cyber defense across public and private sectors. She emphasizes that in today’s world, cyber security is crucial, and the council can significantly impact how businesses leverage digital security.
Troels Lund Poulsen, Denmark’s defense minister, highlights the urgency to improve national cyber security, especially given the rising tensions in the Baltic region after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. He states that the expertise within the Cyber Security Council introduces a new standard of skill and knowledge.
In June 2024, the ADG initiated a roadmap aimed at helping public authorities, private businesses, and citizens navigate the testing and use of generative AI. This roadmap includes guides to equip organizations with the necessary tools for safe and effective AI integration.
Collaboration with the Danish Data Protection Agency led to the creation of a regulatory sandbox for AI, enabling sectors to access expertise for developing and deploying AI services. Initially focused on GDPR compliance, this sandbox will later incorporate guidance on the EU’s AI Act, which is the first comprehensive legal framework for AI.
Camilla Ley Valentin, previously at DI Digital, views these regulatory sandboxes as vital for testing AI in a secure manner. She points out that they provide clarity on regulatory limits and hopes they will aid in the actual development and testing of AI products.
The guidelines for developing generative AI in Denmark are outlined in the National Strategy for Digitalisation (NSD) released in February 2024. This strategy, supported by a cross-party political agreement, allocates €100 million for digitization from 2024 to 2027, focusing on AI, the green transition, digital education, and enhancing digital skills.
For AI specifically, the NSD designates €9 million for developing frameworks that promote AI usage, while another €3 million is earmarked to sustain the regulatory sandbox for AI development following the EU’s guidelines.