# Austria Launches Center Against Foreign Influence

October 8, 2026 at 12:02 PM

> Foreign Minister Beate Meinl-Reisinger debuts a new competence center in Vienna to combat foreign information manipulation and cyberattacks.

Foreign Minister and NEOS leader [Beate Meinl-Reisinger](<https://austriareport.com/entity/beate-meinl-reisinger-q15787318>) announced the launch of a new Competence Center against Foreign Information Manipulation. Modeled after a Finnish institution, the center will officially debut during an international conference in [Vienna](<https://austriareport.com/entity/vienna-q1741>).

The initiative follows Meinl-Reisinger's August visit to the [European Centre of Excellence for Countering Hybrid Threats](<https://austriareport.com/entity/european-centre-of-excellence-for-countering-hybrid-threats-q41094318>) in [Helsinki](<https://austriareport.com/entity/helsinki-q1757>). That facility analyzes hybrid threats 24 hours a day, providing a blueprint for Austria's new strategic defense framework.

This development comes after Russian hacker groups targeted the Austrian [Foreign Ministry](<https://austriareport.com/entity/ministry-of-foreign-affairs-austria-q642938>) and Carinthian provincial administration. The center aims to bolster national security against such cyberattacks and ongoing foreign efforts to manipulate information.


[#CyberSecurity](<https://austriareport.com/hashtag/cybersecurity>) [#Austria](<https://austriareport.com/hashtag/austria>) #HybridThreats #NationalSecurity [#Vienna](<https://austriareport.com/hashtag/vienna>)

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