The Ministry of Transport and Communications and JYVSECTEC (Jyväskylä Security Technology), a Research, Development and Training Centre at the Institute of Information Technology at Jamk University of Applied Sciences, organise four National Cyber Security Exercises (KYHA) each year. The third KYHA exercise of 2026, held in week 39, was aimed at security authorities. Artificial intelligence played a more prominent role in this year’s exercise than ever before.
“Artificial intelligence is rapidly transforming the cyber security landscape. It offers new opportunities to counter cyber threats, build situational awareness and support decision-making. At the same time, threat actors are using AI in increasingly sophisticated ways to carry out attacks. Incorporating AI into national cyber security exercises helps participating organisations prepare for emerging threats and new operating models”, says Janne Allonen, Deputy Cyber Security Director at the Ministry of Transport and Communications.
In this year’s exercise for security authorities, an artificial intelligence service was targeted for the first time. For this purpose, an AI service that organisations may potentially use in the future had been modelled in the exercise environment.
“Previously, artificial intelligence was used to make the exercise environment more realistic for participants. As the use of AI becomes more widespread, however, it must also be incorporated into exercises so that participants can practise responding to threats targeting AI systems”, says Juha Piispanen, Chief Specialist at Jamk.
Cyber exercises provide insight into AI-related risks
JYVSECTEC has been researching and developing AI solutions for several years. This expertise can also be applied in cyber exercises as organisations explore opportunities to introduce their own internal AI solutions.
“Alongside cybersecurity, JYVSECTEC’s research and development activities focus on artificial intelligence and data analytics, particularly the application of AI in cyber security. The results of this work are used extensively in the services we develop. We can create new AI-assisted environments, services and functions for exercises and model threat activity targeting them. This ensures that the exercises, their environments and their scenarios reflect modern operating environments and the threats they face”, says Tero Kokkonen, Director of Jamk’s Institute of Information Technology.
The National Cyber Security Exercises are organised by Jyväskylä Security Technology (JYVSECTEC), a Research, Development and Training Centre at Jamk’s Institute of Information Technology, in cooperation with the Ministry of Transport and Communications. The Security Committee also provides strategic guidance.
Further information
Janne Allonen, Deputy Cyber Security Director, Ministry of Transport and Communications
firstname.lastname@gov.fi
tel. 029 5342 002
Tero Kokkonen, Director, Institute of Information Technology, Jamk University of Applied Sciences
firstname.lastname@jamk.fi
tel. 050 4385 317
