Sweden under cyberattack: Prime minister sounds the alarm - Euractiv
No longer a neutral state, Sweden is now facing a wave of cyberattacks targeting key institutions. Sweden is under attack, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson said on Wednesday, following three days of disruptions targeting public broadcaster SVT and other key institutions. "We are exposed to enormous cyberattacks. Those on SVT have now been recognised, but banks and Bank-id have also been affected," Kristersson told journalists in parliament. The attacks have been identified as Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) events and disrupted services, raising concerns about the resilience of Sweden’s digital infrastructure. While Kristersson did not name a specific perpetrator, he referred to earlier reports by the Swedish Security Service, which has identified Russia, China, and Iran as frequent actors behind such cyber operations. The incidents have heightened concerns about vulnerabilities in Sweden’s cybersecurity systems and underscored the growing threat to critical infrastructure in one of the world’s most connected nations, where over 93% of households have internet access. Cybersecurity experts have warned that such breaches could escalate, impacting not just digital services, but also public trust. The attacks come amid heightened geopolitical tensions. Sweden's recent accession to NATO and its support for Ukraine have likely made it a more prominent target for cyberattacks, including those originating from hostile states. Previously known for its military neutrality, Sweden now faces what Kristersson described earlier this year as a "new and more dangerous reality" since joining NATO in 2024. As part of its pledge to meeting NATO's 2% of GDP defence spending target, the Swedish government has committed to invest heavily in cybersecurity and military capabilities.
