NSM’s mission is to strengthen Norway’s ability to counter espionage, sabotage, terrorism and hybrid threats. 

Through advice, control activities, supervision, security testing and security research NSM shall help organisations to protect civilian and military information, systems, objects and infrastructure that are relevant to national security. NSM is responsible for a national cyber warning system for critical infrastructure (VDI) that detects and warn of cyberoperations against digital infrastructure. NSM also has a national responsibility for coordinating the handling of serious cyberoperations. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC-NOR) is part of NSM. NSM is the governmental organisation authorised to approve cryptographic systems and products for the protection of information classified according to Norway’s Security Act.

NSM is administratively subordinate to the Ministry of Justice and Public Security. In addition, the Ministry of Defence has authority of NSM with respect to their area of responsibility.