Knowledge development within cybersecurity

The plan does not address cybersecurity, but it requires that socially vital activities and infrastructure be taken back into public management and that public ownership be strong in key sectors such as communications and other infrastructure. The state is also given responsibility for the country's connectivity. Protecting the public sector and socially vital private activities against cyber attacks is an application of that responsibility, but the conclusion rests on derivation.

• public responsibility for vital activitiesdecisive»Det är hög tid att agera och ta tillbaka den samhällsviktiga verksamhet och infrastruktur som har privatiserats.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“It is high time to act and take back the socially vital activities and infrastructure that have been privatised.”
• public ownership in key sectors»Särskilt viktigt är att samhällsägandet är starkt inom ekonomins nyckelsektorer: transportsystem, kommunikationer och övrig infrastruktur, finansiell sektor, bostadsproduktion, energiförsörjning, strategiska naturtillgångar och så vidare.« (party programme ↗)“Particularly important is that public ownership be strong in the economy's key sectors: transport systems, communications and other infrastructure, financial sector, housing production, energy supply, strategic natural resources and so on.”
• state responsibility for connectivity»Staten måste säkerställa att det över hela landet finns god tillgång till internetuppkoppling.« (party programme ↗)“The state must ensure that there is good internet access across the entire country.”
• preparedness in times of crisis»Sverige behöver rusta upp hela vårdsektorn för att kunna klara de mer normala skiftningarna i vårdbehov men också för att kunna växla upp kapaciteten i kristider.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Sweden needs to build up the entire healthcare sector to be able to handle normal fluctuations in healthcare needs but also to be able to scale up capacity in times of crisis.”

Worldstate weighed in: Heightened security situation around Sweden and Finland's NATO membership — Makes state cyber attacks against socially vital activities a more acute threat than the plan anticipated.

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The election manifesto states that Sweden must be able to defend itself against hybrid attacks, espionage and cyber attacks and that work against cyber attacks and disinformation shall be strengthened, with developed cyber defence. This is in substance the counter-proposal's requirement for strengthened cybersecurity in public and societal-critical activities. The plan explicitly states that the work shall be strengthened further, which meets the committee's assessment that existing measures are sufficient.

• strengthened capacity against cyber attacksdecisive»och öka beredskapen i transportsektorn. Arbetet för att stärka förmågan att stå emot cyberattacker och desinformation ska stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“and increase preparedness in the transport sector. Work to strengthen the capacity to resist cyber attacks and disinformation shall be strengthened.”
• defence against cyber attacks»Vi måste kunna försvara oss militärt, men också mot hybridattacker, spionage och cyberangrepp.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We must be able to defend ourselves militarily, but also against hybrid attacks, espionage and cyber attacks.”
• developed cyber defence»Vi vill fortsätta internationella samarbeten och utveckla cyberförsvaret och underrättelseförmågan.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“We want to continue international cooperation and develop cyber defence and intelligence capability.”
• protection of critical infrastructure»störningar av kritisk infrastruktur som el,« (party programme ↗)“disruptions of critical infrastructure such as electricity,”

The party programme counts threats to IT and other communications systems among the new threats and warns that society relies on a large-scale infrastructure that is vulnerable to disruptions. Security policy should be broadened to meet future crises and the election manifesto wants to increase appropriations for crisis preparedness. Strengthened cybersecurity in public and essential private activities follows from this.

• threats to IT systemsdecisive»Några av de hot som har ökat och tillkommit är klimathot, vatten- och energibrist, terrorism och hot mot IT- och andra kommunikationssystem.« (party programme ↗)“Some of the threats that have grown and emerged are climate threats, water and energy shortages, terrorism and threats to IT and other communications systems.”
• vulnerable infrastructure»Samhället förlitar sig i dag i alltför hög grad på en storskalig och högteknologisk infrastruktur som är sårbar för oförutsedda störningar.« (party programme ↗)“Society today relies to an excessive degree on large-scale and high-technology infrastructure that is vulnerable to unforeseen disruptions.”
• broader security policy»För att kunna möta hoten mot vårt samhälle måste vi bredda och utveckla den nationella säkerhetspolitiken så att den bättre motsvarar framtidens kriser.« (party programme ↗)“To meet the threats to our society we must broaden and develop the national security policy so that it better meets the crises of the future.”
• strengthened crisis preparedness»öka anslagen till krisberedskap.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“increase appropriations for crisis preparedness.”

The plan commits the party to strengthening civil defence and society's preparedness and to adapting defensive capacity to new threats, not only from other states. The party programme also establishes that the rule of law must exist even in the digital sphere. Strengthening cybersecurity in the public sector and in socially vital private activities follows from these commitments, even though cybersecurity is not mentioned explicitly.

• strengthen civil preparednessdecisive»Även det civila försvaret är livsviktigt. Vi måste rusta civilförsvaret och samhällets beredskap inför krig och kris.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Civil defence is also vital. We must strengthen civil defence and society's preparedness for war and crisis.”
• adaptation to new threats»Därför måste vi också anpassa vår försvarsförmåga efter nya hot mot landet.« (party programme ↗)“Therefore we must also adapt our defensive capacity to new threats to the country.”
• rule of law even digitally»Samtidigt måste rättssamhället finnas även i den digitala sfären.« (party programme ↗)“At the same time the rule of law must exist even in the digital sphere.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan requires that civil defence is strengthened in line with military defence and wants to see closer cooperation against internal and external threats. Cyber attacks against public and society-critical activities are just such a threat, which makes strengthened cyber security a consequence of the plan's commitments. The plan also establishes that Sweden's overall capacity must increase.

• strengthened civil defencedecisive»det civila försvaret stärkas i samma takt som det militära« (2022 manifesto ↗)“civil defence is strengthened in line with military defence”
• cooperation against threats»se en tätare samverkan mot inre och yttre hot« (2022 manifesto ↗)“see closer cooperation against internal and external threats”
• increased defence capacity»Sveriges nationella försvarsförmåga måste öka.« (party programme ↗)“Sweden's national defence capacity must increase.”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan states that new threats lead to an expanded concept of security and that Sweden must be able to meet attacks including in the form of cyber warfare. The total defence shall provide the population with good protection, and cooperation with industry is seen as an important part of the work. Strengthening cyber security in the public sector and in societally critical private activities thus follows from the plan.

• capacity against cyber attacksdecisive»möta angrepp från internationell kriminalitet, terrorism, cyberkrigföring, biologiska vapen, kemiska vapen« (party programme ↗)“meet attacks from international crime, terrorism, cyber warfare, biological weapons, chemical weapons”
• expanded concept of security»Nya typer av konflikter och hot leder till ett vidgat« (party programme ↗)“New types of conflicts and threats lead to an expanded”
• protection of societally critical activity»skydd mot effekterna av såväl civila katastrofer som« (party programme ↗)“protection against the effects of both civil disasters and”
• cooperation with industry»med näringslivet är en viktig del i detta arbete.« (party programme ↗)“with industry is an important part of this work.”

Worldstate weighed in: Russia's ongoing invasion of Ukraine and state threat actors — makes the plan's demands for capacity against cyber warfare acute and concrete

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.

The plan commits to an action plan with concrete measures against hybrid threats and cyberattacks and that cyber defence shall be developed. It also explicitly wants that companies in security-sensitive work get better state support against cyberattacks. Strengthening cybersecurity in the public sector and in socially vital private activities is the same commitment.

• action plan against cyber threatsdecisive»Införa en handlingsplan med konkreta åtgärder mot hybridhot och cyberattacker« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Introduce an action plan with concrete measures against hybrid threats and cyberattacks”
• state support for socially vital companies»Ge företag som är engagerade i säkerhetskänslig verksamhet bättre stöd från staten att kunna möta cyberattacker, spionage och stöldförsök från främmande makt« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Give companies engaged in security-sensitive work better state support to meet cyberattacks, espionage and theft attempts from foreign powers”
• developed cyber defence»Utveckla cyberförsvaret« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Develop cyber defence”

The stance rests on the quoted commitment in the party's own documents; the actual vote deviated. Click the quote to verify it in the document.

The plan points out disruptions in electronic systems as a threat that can quickly have unpredictable consequences and wants society's vulnerability in an increasingly digitalized society to be evaluated better. It also wants to increase appropriations to the authorities responsible for civil defence and preparedness. The counter-proposal's requirements for strengthened cybersecurity in public sector and vital private activities follow from these commitments.

• digital vulnerabilitydecisive»Samhällets sårbarhet behöver bättre utvärderas, inkluderat hur ett allt mer elektrifierat och digitalt samhälle påverkar utsattheten vid en kris eller störning.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Society's vulnerability needs to be better evaluated, including how an increasingly electrified and digital society affects exposure during a crisis or disruption.”
• protection against attacks»Störningar i elektroniska system, betaltjänster eller elnät kan uppstå på grund av naturfenomen, angrepp eller fel« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Disruptions in electronic systems, payment services or power grids can occur due to natural phenomena, attacks or faults”
• increased preparedness appropriations»Anslagen till de myndigheter som har övergripande ansvar för civilförsvar, krisledning och beredskap bör öka och stödet till civilorganisationer med samhällsuppdrag ska stärkas.« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Appropriations to the authorities with overarching responsibility for civil defence, crisis management and preparedness should increase and support to civil organizations with public tasks shall be strengthened.”
• plan for major crises»Analysera och planera för olika typer av stora kriser« (2022 manifesto ↗)“Analyse and plan for various types of major crises”

The plan takes no explicit position on what the committee actually decided — often because the committee's reason was procedural. The stance is derived and fully cited, but it does not show the party broke a commitment.