Rain Ottis

Career

Rain Ottis is a cybersecurity researcher and educator based at Tallinn University of Technology (TalTech) in Estonia. He holds a tenured associate professor position and serves as head of TalTech's Centre for Digital Forensics and Cyber Security. An internal TalTech directive establishing a CERT operations centre also lists him as head of the cyber forensics and cybersecurity centre.

Prior to his academic career, Ottis served in the Estonian Defence Forces in roles focused on cyber defence training and awareness. He subsequently joined the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), where he is described by the centre as one of its first employees. He served at the CCDCOE as a researcher and scientist from 2008 to 2012, and NATO CCDCOE has credited him as an essential contributor to its exercise programme.

Notable Work

Ottis was listed as a technical expert for the first edition of the Tallinn Manual, the influential document on international law as it applies to cyber warfare, prepared under the invitation of NATO CCDCOE.

He has been closely associated with Locked Shields, the CCDCOE's large-scale live-fire cyber defence exercise. TalTech lists him among key personnel supporting the exercise, including in leadership roles on its White Team — the neutral control and adjudication function. Wired identified him as CCDCOE ambassador and head of the White Team in its reporting on the exercise, and Al Jazeera profiled him in a feature about Locked Shields.

Research

Ottis has published on cyber conflict and cyber defence. His 2008 paper, Analysis of the 2007 Cyber Attacks Against Estonia from the Information Warfare Perspective, is hosted in CCDCOE's publications library and examines the landmark cyberattacks that targeted Estonian infrastructure. A 2011 work, A Systematic Approach to Offensive Volunteer Cyber Militia, extended his analysis to the organization and dynamics of non-state cyber actors.

He has also contributed to the governance of CCDCOE's annual Conference on Cyber Conflict (CyCon), serving as co-chair of the Academic Review Committee in 2017 according to conference proceedings. In Estonian media, he has been cited in discussions of cybersecurity capacity-building, including commentary on the need for more trained specialists in the field.

Recognition

In 2016, Ottis received the Order of the White Star, 5th Class, an Estonian state decoration. He has also been recognized by TalTech with the university's medal of merit, Mente et manu, listed among its recipients by the institution.