Sweden police chief granted Canadian company access to sensitive data
National Police Chief Dan Eliasson allegedly gave a Canadian company sensitive personal information about officers and their families after granting them access to the force’s personnel and payroll system, Swedish Radio reports.
Eliasson brought the company onboard to help with the police’s internal personnel and payroll system.
To save money and time, Eliasson took the decision to forgo using the necessary encryption programs to keep the data safe. The data concerns information about individual officers, their pay, their schedules, special skills that many have, their relatives and their children.
After his staff meet with police administration officials this morning, Justice Minister Morgan Johansson says the Swedish Security Service (SÄPO) will investigate the incident.
“It is too early to make any conclusions, any conclusions will be made by the security service,” Johansson says.
National security laws
Pia Gruvö, head of information security at the Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service, said the move breaks with national security laws.
Swedish Radio’s investigation uncovered Eliasson’s decision to grant the company access, but it is unknown what information, if any, was eventually handed over from the police to the company.
Eliasson did not respond to several requests for an interview. The police force issued a press release this morning stating it did not transfer secret or sensitive data to the company and denied any wrongdoing or misshandling of information.
Listen to Radio Sweden’s report:
Related stories from around the North:
Canada: Surveillance and search and rescue top Canada’s Arctic defence priorities, Radio Canada International
Denmark: Nordic countries discuss closer defense cooperation, The Independent Barents Observer
Finland: Finland suspects airspace breach by Canadian helicopter, Yle News
Norway: Norway and Russia join efforts in mapping ecosystem of Arctic waters, The Independent Barents Observer
Russia: Environmental group Aetas declared ‘foreign agent’ in Russia, The Independent Barents Observer
Sweden: Sweden joins NATO strategic communications centre to combat disinformation, Radio Sweden
United States: Oil field data worth millions of dollars is about to be made public by Alaska, Alaska Dispatch News
