Patria obtains national Facility Security Clearance
Patria becomes the third Finnish company to be awarded the Facility Security Clearance, based on new security clearance legislation. A Facility Security Clearance can be awarded to a Finnish company contracting with a public organisation if sensitive government information is being processed at the facility.
Patria obtained the Facility Security Clearance through a process initiated by the Finnish Defence Forces. The Finnish Defence Forces awarded the certificate and will audit Patria regularly to ensure continuous compliance. The auditing process covers the administrative, physical, personnel and information security aspects of a company's operations.
– Security and reliability are critical to our work. This certificate is extremely important to us. It validates the working methods and systems security of Patria Group and its vendors, and proves to our business partners that we are a trustworthy partner. The certificate allows us to proceed with business ventures without needing a separate security audit for each partner, says Patria's Annukka Nieminen, Vice President, Corporate Security.
A Facility Security Clearance (FSC) is often required as proof that a company can be trusted to handle and process sensitive information properly when participating in international ventures or submitting a tender. – Being awarded this national Facility Security Clearance makes it quick and easy for us to obtain the range of international FSC certificates that may be necessary for our international business operations, Nieminen says.
According to the Security Clearance Act of 2015, the Finnish Defence Forces will routinely audit companies and require Facility Security Clearance qualifications from companies performing work for them or participating in their procurement operations. At the moment, only a public entity can initiate the FSC process; a company may not apply for a certificate by itself or e.g. on the basis of being recommended for a certificate by a business partner.
The national Facility Security Clearance certificate is valid for five years. Additional audits may be required during this period.
Additional information: Annukka Nieminen, Security Manager, tel. +358 40 869 6823
