Study: Estonians show strong defense readiness, but cyber attacks and misinformation raise concerns

Estonian residents' willingness to participate in defense activities remains at a high level. However, a growing number of people believe that Estonia's security environment will become less safe over the next decade. The main threats identified are the spread of misinformation and cyber attacks.

A recent study shows that Estonian residents' defense readiness remains strong – a large portion of the population is prepared to actively participate in defense activities if needed. This result testifies to strong security awareness in Estonian society, which has developed as a result of years of building a national defense culture.

While defense readiness indicators are positive, the outlook for the future is becoming more concerning. An increasing number of Estonians believe that their security environment will be more dangerous in ten years than it is today. This trend reflects broader societal fears related both to the international security situation and to domestic challenges.

Two areas stand out among the identified threats: the spread of misinformation and cyber attacks. Disinformation has become an increasingly acute problem across Europe, and in Estonia, where digital culture is strong, this threat is perceived particularly clearly. Fear of cyber attacks is equally understandable, given that Estonia has previously been the target of large-scale cyber operations.

According to experts, the findings represent an important signal for policymakers. On one hand, the high level of defense readiness shows that investments in national defense education have borne fruit. On the other hand, growing uncertainty about the future points to the need to pay greater attention to information environment security and cyber defence.