Consid founders in debate in Expressen: “Expand the SHK’s Mission”

The cyber attack on a Swedish IT company has garnered significant media attention in recent weeks. Last week, a debate article authored by Consid’s founders, Peter Hellgren and Henrik Sandell, was published in Expressen on the subject.

“We must realize that cyber attacks demonstrate the risks our society faces and how seriously they can harm our national security if a foreign power uses them to damage our nation,” write Peter Hellgren and Henrik Sandell in Expressen.

In the debate article, Consid’s founders emphasize the importance of thoroughly investigating cyber attacks, just like other attacks on our country, and propose that it should be carried out by the Swedish Accident Investigation Authority (Statens haverikommission, SHK).

“Expand the SHK’s mission to also include cyber disasters. The important thing is not who has done wrong but what we can collectively do to avoid and minimize the consequences of similar events.”

By allowing an authority to lead the investigation, Peter Hellgren and Henrik Sandell believe that Sweden will be able to significantly strengthen and improve its cyber defense.

“The lessons that can be drawn from such an investigation must be made public to contribute to a forward-looking cyber attack strategy and to increase resilience in both the public and private sectors,” write the debaters.

According to a simple estimate, the attack is said to have cost at least SEK 1.2 billion. This is excluding the damage caused by the possible leakage of personal data from 120 authorities to a foreign power.

“We have a country in our immediate vicinity that does not back down from military or cyber-based attacks. Russian hacker groups, such as Akira, have wreaked havoc in Swedish data centers for quite some time.”

Read the full article here.