Swedish National Defence College

About: Swedish National Defence College is a education organization based out in Stockholm, Sweden. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Crisis management & European union. The organization has 218 authors who have published 569 publications receiving 8074 citations.

Papering over the cracks: The effects of introducing best practices on the web security ecosystem

Abstract: Hypertext Transfer Protocol Secure (HTTPS) is the de facto standard for secure end-to-end web communication. However, numerous flaws discovered during recent years, such as Apple's "goto fail" bug, and cryptographic weaknesses as illustrated by the Poodlebleed vulnerability, have brought the efficiency of the mostly self-regulated web security market into question. In this cross-disciplinary paper, the authors survey some 160.000 HTTPS-enabled servers among popular web sites over a time period of three years. The research question is what effect the introduction of best practices and vulnerability publication have on web server security in the form of protocol support. Main findings include that (i) insecure configurations, although well known, can remain widespread for over a decade, (ii) the introduction of best practices affect the decline of insecure configurations only moderately, whereas highly publicized security flaws have a significant impact, and (iii) economic incentives for website owners to provide secure services are weak, motivating such other levers of influence as legislation or blocking of noncompliant sites.

Integrated defence workforces: Challenges and enablers of military–civilian personnel collaboration

Abstract: Abstract Defence organisations are unique in that they comprise integrated military and civilian personnel working in partnership with each other (e.g., in headquarters, on bases, on missions, in academic settings). Many defence civilians are supervised by military supervisors and managers, while others are themselves responsible for managing military personnel. At the same time, despite often high levels of partnership and integration, military and civilian personnel are governed by very different personnel management systems, and have distinct cultures. These factors can affect the nature and quality of the collaboration and influence personnel outcomes and organisational effectiveness. Indeed, defence organisations are increasingly recognizing the importance of optimizing integration between their military and civilian workforces, with many adopting organisational terms implying that the military and civilian workforces form a cohesive whole: the Defence Team (Canada), the Whole Force Concept (United Kingdom), One Defence Team (Sweden), and Total Defence Workforce (New Zealand). This paper presents results from the Military–Civilian Personnel Survey (MCPS), which was administered in 11 nations as part of a NATO Research Task Group on the topic of military-civilian personnel collaboration and integration (NATO STO HFM RTG-226). This survey was the first systematic examination of large samples of military and civilian respondents, and the first to examine military–civilian relations from the perspective of both military and civilian personnel. The results presented here are based on three open-ended questions included in the survey, which asked respondents to identify 1) the most important factors for establishing and maintaining positive military-civilian personnel work culture and relations, 2) the challenges of working in a military-civilian environment, and 3) the main advantages of working in a military-civilian environment. Results of 5 nations, including Canada, Netherlands, New Zealand, Sweden, and the United Kingdom (n =1,513 military respondents and n = 2,099 defence civilians) are presented. Results indicate that mixed military-civilian work environments present both unique challenges and advantages, and identified the factors considered to be important for enhancing integration and collaboration between military and civilian personnel. Given that many cross-national patterns emerged, these findings provide useful insights for enhancing military and civilian personnel integration and collaboration across nations. *Adapted from the material first reported in Goldenberg, I. & Febbraro, A.R. (2018; in publication). Civilian and Military Personnel Integration and Collaboration in Defence Organizations. NATO Science and Technology Organization Technical Report - STO-TR-HFM-226. DOI 10.14339/STO-TR-HFM-226. ISBN: ISBN 978-92-837-2092-8.

Competition short of war – how Russia’s hybrid and grey-zone warfare are a blueprint for China’s global power ambitions

Abstract: China is set to build an empire where its economic, strategic and security interests in Asia, the Pacific, Europe and the Arctic will be safe guarded for generations to come. Using the concepts of ...

Natural Disaster Science: A Nordic approach to Integrated Research on Disaster Risk

Abstract: This Thematic Issue is motivated by the need to provide an inter/multi‐disciplinary forum for disaster risk research and to assemble a coherent illustration of the scope and perspective that this r...

Technology: From Substance to Abstraction and What This Means for Our Understanding of it

Abstract: The question “What do we really mean by technology?†has initiated a rich discussion among researchers and students, as well as consultants and lecturers, on a website during and after the summer of 2011. Complementary or alternative perspectives on topics like knowledge were discussed. Some discussants pointed at the meaning of knowledge and what is required of this ‘matter’ to understand technology. This article discusses factors that contribute to the difficulties in understanding technology, explaining by providing examples the movement from the concrete to abstractions when people try to design, classify, and understand technology in their environments. What has been ongoing during the last century is a process of understanding and controlling a radically changed world where terms like globalization and modernity express some of its key aspects. This process illustrates Beniger’s (1986) claim that humans apply symbolic control systems which then control by their meaning. Each new technology increases the need for control and for improved control technology. The naming of artifacts/technologies is part of the control efforts. The use of metaphors is common and useful, but also adds to the abstraction.