Sweden Launches Security Overhaul Amid Repeated NATO Strategy Leaks
In response to repeated security breaches involving Sweden's NATO strategy, the government has appointed former Säpo chief Klas Friberg to conduct a thorough security review of government protocols.
- • Former Säpo chief Klas Friberg appointed to review Swedish government security.
- • Multiple incidents involved mishandling and public disclosure of NATO strategy.
- • An official discussed sensitive NATO negotiations loudly on speakerphone at Arlanda Airport.
- • Report from the task force due by March 15, 2026, aims to improve security measures.
Key details
Sweden is taking decisive action to bolster government security after multiple incidents exposed sensitive information about the country’s NATO strategy. The government has tasked former Säpo chief Klas Friberg with leading a comprehensive review of the Swedish government office’s security protocols. Friberg, who served as head of Säpo from 2018 to 2021, will focus on tightening security measures and ensuring compliance in response to recent serious lapses.
These incidents include former national security advisor Henrik Landerholm leaving classified documents at a training site and abandoning his mobile phone at the Hungarian embassy. Another case involved a government employee who accidentally left a confidential folder in a bathroom at Arlanda Airport during Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson’s NATO meeting in Turkey in 2022. Additionally, a government official connected to former Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson was overheard discussing Sweden’s NATO negotiations on a speakerphone in public at Arlanda Airport. During this conversation, the official revealed details about Andersson's travel plans amid ongoing discussions with Turkey.
Security expert Jörgen Holmlund criticized this breach, stressing that such sensitive subjects should never be spoken about where others can overhear. The government hopes that the findings of Friberg’s task force, due by March 15, 2026, will lead to stronger internal policies and prevent further breaches.
Friberg expressed his honor in undertaking this crucial review at a time when Sweden’s national security is closely intertwined with its NATO aspirations. By investigating these incidents and current protocols, the task force aims to restore confidence in the government’s handling of classified information.
This crackdown comes amid heightened sensitivity over Sweden’s NATO strategy negotiations, underscoring the risk posed by unsecured handling of critical national security matters.