Liina Areng is the Director of the EU CyberNet project, implemented by the Estonian Information System Authority (RIA) and focused on coordination and strengthening European Union’s external capacity building in cybersecurity. One of EU CyberNet’s flagships is the Latin America and Caribbean Cyber Competence Centre LAC4 in the Dominican Republic.
This role follows up her previous work through Cyber4Dev project, the first global EU cyber capacity building initiative, where she served as Consortium Partner Leader for Estonia.
Liina has had a diverse career, looking at cybersecurity and digital transformation from a variety of angles since 2007, as a diplomat in NATO, Cybersecurity Adviser at the Estonian Ministry of Defence, Director of International Relations at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence and Head of International Relations at RIA. She has also worked as the Director of Tallinn Digital Summit and held a variety of policy roles at the Estonian Ministry of Defence, including as arms control adviser.
Her graduate and postgraduate studies and academic work have taken her to the universities of Tartu, St-Petersburg, Oslo, Castellón and the NATO Defence College in Rome.
In February 2023, Liina was awarded with the Order of the White Star by the Estonian President.
