Terrorism and Cybersecurity in the 21st Century
ISDP FORUM with
Ambassador Olof Ehrenkrona
Senior Advisor to the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs
Dr. Ulrik Franke
Senior scientist at the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI)
Dr. Magnus Norell
Adjunct Scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a Senior Policy Advisor at the European Foundation for Democracy
Thursday, May 22, 2014, 10.00-11.30
Post-9/11, the 21st century has been marked by the threat of transnational terrorist networks, as well as threats of nuclear weapons and dangers from other non-conventional weapons. These have been a constant cause for concern, but with the world’s increasing dependence on and advancement of information technologies, new threats to security and stability have emerged, on both a regional and global level. Following rapid technological development during the beginning of the 21st century, the concept of terrorism has been broadened to include cyberattacks, which can range from hacking attempts to rendering entire computer systems useless to the overhaul of an entire sector, resulting in physical violence or extreme financial harm. As cyberterrorism only increases in its scope and creativity, cybersecurity has become a top priority.
This ISDP Forum will discuss new variants of terrorism in the 21st century, from the topic of more traditional terrorism to the emerging threat of cyberterrorism and the question of cybersecurity. Ambassador Olof Ehrenkrona, Dr. Ulrik Franke and Dr. Magnus Norell will each give a short presentation on the topic based on their perspectives and expertise, before the floor is opened for questions from the audience.
Ambassador Olof Ehrenkrona is a Swedish Ambassador and Senior Advisor to the Swedish Minister for Foreign Affairs, H.E. Mr. Carl Bildt. He primarily deals with issues regarding Globalization, Internet Freedom, Technological Change and Policy planning. Ambassador Ehrenkrona received his first public assignment in 1978, when he became Advisor to the Minister for Economic Affairs. He went on to become the Head of Policy Planning in the Swedish Prime Minister’s Office in the early 90’s. During 1984-1990, Ambassador Ehrenkrona was active as an editorial writer in Svenska Dagbladet and has also published a number of books on Swedish political and economic history. He is, since 2007, Governor for Sweden in the Asia-Europe Foundation (ASEF). Ambassador Ehrenkrona has studied Political Science and History of Ideas and Learning at Uppsala University.
Dr. Ulrik Franke earned his PhD in Industrial information and control systems from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) and is currently a senior scientist at the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI). His research interests include the impact of technology on national security, IT systems’ availability and security, different forms of information warfare and how situational awareness and human decision-making can be improved with the aid of information systems. In 2012-2013, he led the cross-disciplinary FOI research project National Security in the Information Society. Dr. Franke is also an officer in the Swedish Army reserve, with service experience both from missions abroad and from the Armed Forces HQ.
Dr. Magnus Norell is an Adjunct Scholar at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy and a Senior Policy Advisor at the European Foundation for Democracy, Brussels. Previously, Dr. Norell was a senior analyst and project leader at the Swedish Defense Research Agency and a senior research fellow at the Swedish Institute for International Affairs in Stockholm. Prior to joining the Swedish Defense Research Agency, Dr. Norell served as an analyst for the Swedish Secret Service and Swedish Military Intelligence. He has a PhD in Political Science from Stockholm University.
Location: ISDP, Västra Finnbodavägen 2, Stockholm-Nacka. For a map and directions, please go here.
To attend: RSVP by May 21, 2014 to Ms. Anna Nielsen at anielsen@isdp.eu