Swedish Transport Agency attempts to minimise damage done by IT outsourcing deal

The Swedish government is attempting to minimise the damage done by an IT outsourcing deal that could have exposed classified information to foreign powers. Swedish news website The Local reports that the country’s security police Säpo investigated the Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen) after information about all vehicles in the country, including police and military, was made available to IT workers in the Czech Republic who had not gone through the usual security clearance checks when the agen
July 28, 2017 Read time: 2 mins
The Swedish government is attempting to minimise the damage done by an IT outsourcing deal that could have exposed classified information to foreign powers.


Swedish news website The Local reports that the country’s security police Säpo investigated the 2124 Swedish Transport Agency (Transportstyrelsen) after information about all vehicles in the country, including police and military, was made available to IT workers in the Czech Republic who had not gone through the usual security clearance checks when the agency outsourced its IT maintenance to 62 IBM in 2015. It also claims that firewalls and communications were meanwhile maintained by a company in Serbia.

Speaking at a press conference this week, Swedish Prime Minister Stefan Lofven called the development ‘serious’ and said the government plans to tighten existing outsourcing rules.

It is not known whether the security glitch caused any major damage. The question of whether or not Sweden's national security was harmed is censored in the Säpo report.

For more information on companies in this article

Related Content

  • Reauthorization 2012: the facts laid bare
    September 12, 2012
    A reauthorization bill for transportation came into law in July 2012, rubber stamping federal funding increases through the 2014 financial year, among other things. The new bill presents the good, the bad and the ugly of transportation infrastructure in the US, writes Pat Jones On June 29 this year, the US House of Representatives and Senate both approved the conference report on the ‘Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act’ or MAP-21. President Obama signed this legislation into law on July 6.
    Read More
  • Active travel can't solve 'transport poverty', says Sustrans report
    September 26, 2024
    Millions who could benefit from cycling's health and economic effects are locked out
    Read More
  • Cities get road priorities right
    March 22, 2022
    Cities including Paris, Milan and London have all announced serious expansions to their bicycling infrastructure over the last few years. The era of active travel is here, finds Alan Dron
    Read More
  • Here’s why WiM is value for money
    January 23, 2025
    Weigh in Motion systems are not new. What is new is their ability to collect more data and – importantly – more accurate data about axle loading and vehicle weight. Despite the obvious benefits, including safer highways and possibility of automated legal weight enforcement, obstacles remain for faster uptake. David Arminas reports on the manufacturers’ perspective…
    Read More

Highlighted Content