Sceptical of Russia, Estonia moves assets to cyberspace
TALLINN: In the Estonian language there is no distinct future tense. Verbs in the present tense do well for the future as well.
That’s no problem for the tiny north European nation (population 1.3 million, equal to that of Rajkot) because it’s fast bringing the future to the present. From buying parking space to voting and building a multi-layered defence, Estonia is shifting its important assets to cyberspace, moving away from physical land: a smart nation that could serve as a prototype for Indian smart cities.
But at least part of Estonia’s motivation for e-governance is different. The former Soviet republic lives in the shadow of Russia, and fears of expansionism by its giant neighbour were only underlined when the Russians invaded Crimea in 2014.
“E-services, processes, and information systems (including digital records of evidential value) that are essential for the digital continuity of the state are constantly updated and mapped, and they have mirror and backup alternatives. Virtual embassies will ensure the functioning of the state, regardless of Estonia’s territorial integrity,” notes the country’s Cyber Security Strategy 2014-2017, whose release coincided with the Russian annexation of Crimea.
The task of shifting the most vital swathes of data away is already on. Estonia is working on what it calls “data embassies” whereby important national databases —including the registry of citizens — will also be stored on servers located outside Estonia but under the control of the state.
Siret Schutting, the managing director of e-Estonia Showroom, a part of Enterprise Estonia, the country’s leading incubator for companies and policy ideas, says, “You can take our land but not our country. Estonia will never cease to be. No land, no country won’t happen again.”
Her words are echoed by Hannes Hanso, the head of Estonian parliament’s foreign affairs committee. “During the Soviet times we were occupied by Moscow. We don’t want to be under Moscow again. We don’t have happy memories of those times,” he said.
Almost 600 government services are available online and are inter-linked. This has drastically reduced the need for bureaucracy, handy for a country with such a small population. ICT services are not a luxury but are essential for Estonia.
The country has a single e-services portal that provides all these services. A single log-in using one’s electronic or mobile ID – mobile phones used as secure ID -- is sufficient to access these services that range from social security benefits, to viewing and correcting one’s personal data.
In 2014 all tax returns in Estonia were filed online in, almost all medical prescriptions are issued online and banking services are wholly paperless. E-voting has been available since 2005.
“I can safely say that you can sign a job contract while you are fishing hundreds of kms away. Estonia has delinked the need for physical presence and working on a job,” said Katrin Saks, the vice-chairperson of the Social Democratic Party, which is part of the country’s ruling coalition.
(The writer was in Estonia on the invitation of Baltic Film and Media School and the Estonian ministry of
foreign affairs)