A secure and robust society

Different conditions

In a safe and robust society geodata are a natural and integrated part when working with accidents, crises and wars. Geodata of high quality, that are current and unitary make the foundation in this work, especially for the emergency services. But the conditions for the supply of maps and other geodata varies between national and local authorities, private companies and other actors.

Complex scenarios of threats put demands on information security

At the same time as external and more complex threats against Sweden is on the increase the insight regarding the need to strengthen our ability to protect lives and property has also increased. This comprises all levels of society and comprehend both public and private actors. This as businesses important to society in a higher rate has been transferred to the private sector.

The defense commission states that the order of security in Europe has been challenged and the assessment is that it will be continued to be challenged. The ability to protect society from military aggression and sudden attacks will continue to be crucial. Utterly this is about Sweden integrity and sovereignty as well as protecting important values for society.

Sweden need to be prepared for as well grey zones as armed conflicts. A grey zone can be described as a situation where there is no war is declared but where antagonists from another state perform different kinds of attacks. This means that the difference between preparations for war and actual conflicts are being erased more and more.

The development of information technology challenges many traditional ideas of the extent of national security politics, actors and logics.

An information society must be protected against attacks on information. Therefor information security needs to be an integrated part of the work with geodata. Geodata worthy of protection as well as aggregated geodata must be protected from abuse and misuse that works against a safe and robust society.

Weighing Openness against security

From a perspective where data benefits society in the best way data should be open and accessible. At the same time Sweden’s national security must be taken in consideration. Different types of data, data worthy of protection and aggregated data need to be protected against a way of using the data that works against a secure and robust society and that in the end makes a threat to the national security. Information security therefor needs to be an integrated part of the work with geodata.

One particular challenge is the demand society can pose on private actors regarding accessibility, quality, updating and managing geodata. Private actors unregulated distribution of information to unsuitable actors can be hard to legislate about but it can lead to an increased vulnerability in society.

Unified geodata – a common ground for a picture of situations

In order to create the best possible conditions for the saving of lives and properties at accidents, crises and wars all actors must get joint access to current and unified geodata, maps and positioning data. The data is needed to strengthen the actor’s ability to analyze, plan and ensure a robust way to manage accidents, crises and in worst case war.

Only then will it be possible to secure a common picture of the situation before, during and after an event has happened.

The digital infrastructure is vulnerable

Today many suppliers of geodata creates services where centralized and aggregated data are accessible. For these data to be accessible and reliable the infrastructure needs to be secure and robust.

The digital infrastructure for supplying and using geodata is vulnerable. When interrupted several systems for maps, positioning and navigation will lose their functions or even be useless. Therefor a work to create a digital robustness is needed.

This is what we want to achieve with the challenge a secure and robust society:

• Increase the robustness and security in society through an increased cooperation between concerned authorities regarding the supply of geodata for crises and war.
  
  
• All businesses with functions important for society can rely on getting access to unified geodata through a robust and protected infrastructure, regardless of what strain society is under.
  
  
• Geodata important to society that is a condition for a secure and robust society, are easily available and free of charge (for authorized actors).
  
  
• There are methods to prevent that classified information is made accessible by the combination of different data (aggregated)

This is how we reach the goals:

• Establish reoccurring exercises to develop and secure that the supply of geodata for functions important to society works in an efficient and robust way.
  
  
• Identify what geodata and products (printed and digital) are crucial for supporting the society’s need before, during and after crises. This applies specially to work connected to accidents, crises and wars.
  
  
• Secure a robust production and supply of geodata important for society as well as the associated infrastructure for geodata. All must function in the whole chain of threats and manage everything from digital support to printed maps.
  
  
• All actors must be given the necessary conditions so that they can take responsibility for following the legislature for national security regarding geodata important to society.
  
  
• A clear framework for geodata considered to be important to society is created. The geodata should be regulated in the same way as it is in the geographic environment information act (the implementation of the Inspire directive). A forum (cooperation between authorities) need to be created to harmonize geodata for a secure and robust society. For example – within the frame for cooperation an efficient support for methods or functions should be established. This to decide if amounts of data, also aggregated data, are to be considered information that is worthy to protect.
  
  
• By the possibility to prescribe what data and which maps that should be used for businesses important to society, such as emergency services, unified and correct geodata are made easier and secured for authorized actors.