Security Breach: Swedish Security Service Criticized for Data Leaks

Säpo's bodyguards openly log running routes in an app – 'serious', says expert

Last fall, Le Monde revealed that bodyguards and military personnel on secret missions were logging their running routes openly on the Strava app.

The consequence: Anyone can get a picture of the protected person's residence, workplace, and favorite running route.

Swedish Säpo did not comment on the French scoop at the time.

But despite nearly a year passing, it seems Säpo has not closed the gaps, as Dagens Nyheter now reveals.

Bodyguards Reveal Location Information

The newspaper has analyzed over 1,400 training sessions that were publicly available. The bodyguards behind the profiles on the Strava app have leaked information concerning the royal family, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, his predecessors Magdalena Andersson and Stefan Löfven, as well as SD leader Jimmie Åkesson.

At the same time, they have also revealed data about their own employer, Säpo, and their own residences.

This is serious, according to security expert Johan Wiktorin, who has worked within Must, primarily with intelligence.

Are you surprised it looks like this?

– Yes, I was actually a bit surprised. I had an image of the Security Police as a professional organization, he says.

He believes it is about individual employees who have not taken the rules seriously, prioritizing their own training data over the protected person.

– 95 percent do their job, but now they have to take the blame for this.

– It's just that too many do not follow the existing rules. It's an attitude problem they need to work on. Some see individual training performance as more important than the protected person.

Terrorists Could Benefit from Data

The most serious scenario is that the running route falls into the hands of a terrorist organization, according to Wiktorin.

– Organizations that have capacity but may have certain mapping problems. They can't crawl around in the bushes. They benefit the most from this, he assesses.

What do you recommend Säpo do now?

– That they have a thorough review with all staff. Some form of follow-up or rules. They might even prohibit logging data during business trips.

– Then they change the routines. The Prime Minister's running routes will not look the same in the future.

Karl Melin, press chief at the Security Police, says the revelation shows how important continuous security work is.

– Just as we tell other organizations to be careful with social media, it applies to us too.

He dismisses the criticism that the bodyguards prioritized their own training despite Säpo's rules.

– There are routines. In this case, they have not been followed, and now we ensure they are followed.