Do we need a minister responsible for IT Security? I don't think so...

The Social Democrats today make a statement on the need for a minister responsible for IT Security in Sweden. The problem I have is that they mix operational responsibility with other things. What is the Minister for IT-Security to do when something happens?

It is also the case that many years ago, it was agreed in Sweden that in time of crisis it is extremely important each agency and department of the government have to (still) be responsible for whatever responsibilities they have. Every creation of some coordination role has failed, and this is touched upon again in the report “Försvarsberedningen” released in Dec 2007 (Säkerhet i Samverkan).

A coordination role has not really been discussed formally although many reports written has asked for it. For example SOU 1999:48 about Estonia.

Now there is yet another investigation about a new agency that is to have a more coordination role, and that together with what “Försvarsberedningen” wrote might be a basis for something.

But I am extremely worried about any such coordination role at some agency that (a) risk having other agencies NOT doing their job; and (b) end up with some agency that does not has explicitly understood what is needed from the view of the people living in Sweden.

See page 4 in Dagens Industri today…

To come back to what (s) wrote…the best I think the text is is naive. They do not know what the problems actually are. And that is surprising as they where the ones that for example moved responsibililites and money between KBM and PTS in a way that created most of the confusion that exists today. So what really surprises me is that the foreign minister of Sweden, Carl Bildt(m), supports the proposal from (s).