Rain Ottis

Rain Ottis
Ottis at an EU cybersecurity conference in 2017
Born (1981-01-21) 21 January 1981[3]
Keila, Estonian SSR, Soviet Union
CitizenshipEstonian[3]
Known forWork on the Tallinn Manual project and the Locked Shields cyber defence exercise[4][5]
AwardsOrder of the White Star, 5th Class (2016);[6] TalTech medal of merit Mente et manu (2025)[7]
Academic background
Alma materUnited States Military Academy[1]
Tallinn University of Technology[1]
Academic work
DisciplineCybersecurity
InstitutionsTallinn University of Technology[2]

Rain Ottis (born 21 January 1981) is an Estonian cybersecurity researcher and educator at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech). He was listed as a technical expert for the first edition of the Tallinn Manual on international law and cyber warfare, prepared under the invitation of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE).[4]

Career

Ottis has held academic and leadership roles at TalTech, including as a tenured associate professor and as head of the university's Centre for Digital Forensics and Cyber Security (as reflected in TalTech's staff registry).[2] In an internal TalTech directive establishing a CERT operations centre, he is listed as head of the cyber forensics and cybersecurity centre.[8]

NATO CCDCOE has described Ottis as one of the centre's first employees and an essential contributor to its exercise programme, including Locked Shields, and stated that he served at the CCDCOE as a researcher/scientist from 2008 to 2012 and previously served in the Estonian Defence Forces in roles focused on cyber defence training and awareness.[1]

Locked Shields

TalTech lists Ottis among key personnel in its work supporting the CCDCOE cyber defence exercise Locked Shields, including leadership roles on the exercise's White Team (the neutral control and adjudication function).[5] Wired has identified him in reporting on the exercise as CCDCOE ambassador and head of the White Team,[9] and Al Jazeera profiled him in a feature about the exercise.[10]

Research

Ottis has published on cyber conflict and cyber defence, including analysis of the 2007 cyberattacks against Estonia hosted in CCDCOE's publications library.[11]

He has also served on CCDCOE's annual Conference on Cyber Conflict (CyCon) peer-review structures; conference proceedings list him as co-chair of the Academic Review Committee in 2017.[12]

In Estonian media coverage, he has been cited in connection with cybersecurity capacity-building, including commentary as director of a cybersecurity centre and the need for more specialists.[13]

Awards and honours

Ottis received the Order of the White Star, 5th Class, in 2016.[1][6] He has also received TalTech's medal of merit Mente et manu (listed by the university among recipients).[7]

Selected works

  • Ottis, Rain (2008). Analysis of the 2007 Cyber Attacks Against Estonia from the Information Warfare Perspective.[11]
  • Ottis, Rain (2011). A Systematic Approach to Offensive Volunteer Cyber Militia.[3]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "Centre Ambassador Rain Ottis Decorated with the Order of White Star". NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). 4 February 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  2. ^ a b "Ottis, Rain – TalTech ISIK". TalTech Library publication and staff registry. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  3. ^ a b c Ottis, Rain (2011). A Systematic Approach to Offensive Volunteer Cyber Militia (PDF) (Report). Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) Digital Collection. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  4. ^ a b Schmitt, Michael N., ed. (2013). Tallinn Manual on the International Law Applicable to Cyber Warfare (PDF). Cambridge University Press. p. xi. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  5. ^ a b "Projects". TalTech Centre for Digital Forensics and Cyber Security. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  6. ^ a b "Riiklike autasude andmine". Riigi Teataja (in Estonian). 4 February 2016. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  7. ^ a b "University acknowledges". Tallinn University of Technology. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  8. ^ "CERT operatsioonide keskuse moodustamine". TalTech (in Estonian). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  9. ^ "The US Takes On the World in NATO's Cyber War Games". Wired. 29 April 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  10. ^ "Locked Shields: The world's largest cyber war game". Al Jazeera. 27 April 2017. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  11. ^ a b "Analysis of the 2007 Cyber Attacks Against Estonia from the Information Warfare Perspective". NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE). Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  12. ^ 2017 9th International Conference on Cyber Conflict: Defending the Core (PDF). NATO CCDCOE Publications. 2017. p. 9. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
  13. ^ "Cybersecurity center director: Estonia needs more specialists". ERR News. 27 August 2014. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
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