Sweden’s digital defence must be strengthened – for the benefit of the entire nation.

The data breach targeting Miljödata is one of the largest cyberattacks ever seen in Sweden. Hundreds of thousands of personal records from municipalities and regional authorities have been leaked, including sensitive information about employees. It has now been confirmed that individuals with protected identities and employees of defence-related companies are among those affected.

This is no longer a matter of individual organisations’ internal security – it is a question of Sweden’s digital resilience. When technical expertise within the defence industry is exposed and municipal employees’ private information ends up on the darknet, cybersecurity becomes a matter of national security.

Yinka during his presentation: “The Dark Side of AI – Emerging Threats and the Future of Cybersecurity.”

Cybersecurity must become a board-level priority.

The biggest problem today is that cybersecurity is still treated as a technical detail – something delegated far down in the organisation.But security can neither be outsourced nor wished away.

Boards and executive teams must recognise that cybersecurity is a strategic issue.Risk assessments, incident response, and security routines should be managed at the same level as finance, sustainability, and workplace safety.

Security isn’t built in the server room – it’s built in everyday actions, in every meeting, every email, and every decision.

The weakest link affects everyone.

The Miljödata case clearly shows how vulnerable the entire supply chain is.A single breach at one organisation can ripple across hundreds of others.

The same logic applies internally:

If HR fails to close accounts when someone leaves,If the marketing team shares information without verifying sources,If managers don’t prioritise training and risk awareness,

…then the protection of the whole organisation is weakened.

We are only as strong as our weakest link – and that link is rarely technical. It’s human.

Security is everyone’s responsibility.

Cybersecurity can no longer be seen as something the IT department “takes care of.”A modern organisation must understand that security is part of the business – and a prerequisite for protecting people, data, and trust.

That means, among other things, that:

• HR integrates security into onboarding and daily routines

• Finance learns to recognise signs of fraud

• Communications teams stay alert to disinformation and social engineering

• Leadership sets the tone by demanding accountability, following up, and speaking openly about risks

When security becomes a natural part of the organisational culture – not a necessary evil – that’s when real change begins.

It’s time for a collective shift.

To withstand the cyberattacks of the future, we need a fundamental shift in how we think about cybersecurity. Technology is an important tool, but what truly makes the difference are people, routines, and collaboration.

Cybersecurity must become as natural a priority as workplace safety or sustainability. That means:

• Risk assessments must be elevated to executive level

• Exercises should involve the entire organisation, not just IT

• Roles and responsibilities must be clearly defined long before an incident occurs

  
  

A healthy security culture is, at its core, about creating an environment where it’s okay to ask questions, challenge assumptions, and learn from mistakes.

What does it mean for your organisation when your sensitive information ends up on the dark web?

A national wake-up call.

Miljödata is not an isolated incident – it’s a wake-up call.We must strengthen our digital resilience together. Believing that “it won’t happen to us” is not only naïve – it’s dangerous for Sweden as a whole.

The next breach could target healthcare, energy production, or national defence. We cannot afford to wait any longer.Leaders across both the public and private sectors must take responsibility now, if we want to stand strong when – not if – the next attack comes.

In the end, cybersecurity isn’t about technology – it’s about people taking responsibility.And that responsibility always starts at the top.

Explore more on this topic

For anyone looking to deepen their understanding of cybersecurity and digital resilience in Sweden:

• MSB – Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap: Nationell strategi för samhällets informations- och cybersäkerhet

• Polisen: Råd om it-brott och bedrägerier

• CERT-SE – Nationellt CSIRT

• Darknet och läckor: så fungerar underrättelser vid dataintrång

Author

Yinka Oladele

Cybersecurity expert at Cyber Instincts, with extensive experience helping both public and private sector organisations strengthen their digital resilience.