The Swedish National Audit Office (Riksrevisionen) states on its website that Sweden invests extensive resources in research and often ranks highly in international measurements of innovation and digitalisation. At the same time, the Swedish Security Service (Säkerhetspolisen) assesses that intelligence activity targeting Swedish universities and higher education institutions has increased, and that valuable research results are being stolen, partly by foreign powers. The Swedish National Audit Office is therefore conducting a review of higher education institutions' protection of research data. The Swedish National Audit Office states on its website that Sweden invests extensive resources in research and often ranks highly in international measurements of innovation and digitalisation. At the same time, the Swedish Security Service assesses that intelligence activity targeting Swedish universities and higher education institutions has increased, and that valuable research results are being stolen, partly by foreign powers. The Swedish National Audit Office is therefore conducting a review of higher education institutions' protection of research data. "Working with security issues in an environment that also depends on openness and international exchange requires knowledge and risk awareness that is not always self-evident in the academic world," says Auditor General Helena Lindberg.

About the review

Background

Successful research requires openness and collaboration, and both the Swedish parliament (Riksdag) and the government expect Swedish universities and higher education institutions to operate on an international stage. This is complicated by the fact that universities and higher education institutions often hold large amounts of research data that may need protection. This can, for example, involve information relating to innovations, trade secrets, security or personal data. Research data is therefore a valuable information asset, and the government has noted that actors from other countries have shown improper interest in Swedish research and innovation. The aim of these attacks is, among other things, to steal knowledge and benefit their own competitiveness. According to the Security Service, intelligence activity against universities and higher education institutions has intensified in recent times. The information and knowledge illegally obtained from the sector each year is valued at large sums, and the number of unreported cases is believed to be significant. There are several indications that the university and higher education sector has neglected its information security work. For example, a relatively recent survey by the Civil Contingencies Agency (Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap, MSB), Sweden's civil defence and resilience agency, shows that Swedish higher education institutions' information security work is generally at a low level, and according to the Security Service, knowledge of what needs protection is inadequate.

Purpose

The review will answer whether higher education institutions conduct effective information security work to protect research data.

Links:

https://www.riksrevisionen.se/om-riksrevisionen/kommunikation-och-media/nyhetsarkiv/2023-01-04-riksrevisionen-granskar-larosatenas-skydd-av-forskningsdata.html