The war in Ukraine affects companies' cybersecurity efforts 

In the early days of the war, the lives and safety of staff have been at the forefront of the minds of companies with employees and operations on the ground in Ukraine. It is also clear that information security is increasingly affected. There have been numerous reports on the use of cyberspace by Russia and Ukraine, as well as on the activities of non-state actors and hacker groups. This is compounded by an information war that raises important questions about online content. There is also a risk of spreading malware used in the conflict and other serious consequences of cyber attacks.

Several of the member firms described that they are noticing an increase in concerns and questions about cybersecurity from their customers. There are also more targeted attacks than before. However, it is not possible to say for sure how much is related to the war in Ukraine. As companies become more vigilant, more incidents are being detected. These can be ongoing attacks, but also traces of things that have happened in the past. One thing that has definitely increased is the scanning of systems to find weak points.

Participants testified that they spend a lot of time advising and supporting customers on security - and they have also taken security measures themselves, including reviewing their supply chains. The meeting also noted that there is already a lot of advice on how businesses can manage information and cyber security, from suppliers and authorities, and that this work has been strengthened.

For companies in the tech sector, there will be a continued need to share experiences on security issues in the wake of the war in Ukraine - even if it is the physical consequences of the war that are most concerning and cause great suffering.

TechSverige continues to follow developments in cyber security and to be in contact with member companies.