March 16
In light of the Russian attack on Ukraine, Swedish officials have made the following recommendations for everyone in Sweden:
- Update passwords on various platforms and use good cybersecurity practices to prevent potential cyberattacks. Read additional cybersecurity recommendations in The Local article, and at ready.gov (an official U.S. Government website).
- Be aware of, but not alarmed by greater military presence across Sweden in the coming weeks, and do not take photos or share information on military movements that you may witness.
Some of the news in Sweden has discussed preparing to defend the country against a potential Russian attack, which may sound concerning. Please be assured that there is no current direct threat in Sweden from Russia. Neither the U.S. Government nor any EU government is advising against travel to Sweden as a result of the attack on Ukraine.
The Swedish Armed Forces will hold weekly press conferences on Thursdays at 15:00, and DIS will continue to monitor the situation. We are committed to the safety of our students, staff, and faculty. We recognize the uneasiness that you may be feeling and the DIS Care Team is available to support you. Contact the DIS Care Team at care@disstockholm.se as needed.
Swedish Cultural Context on Emergency Preparedness
Sweden has strong institutions and a high level of trust amongst citizens and public institutions. This includes information sharing when the status quo changes. Swedes are expected to stay up to date (usually through press conferences) and make informed decisions.
There is also a tradition of emergency preparedness for Swedish society as a whole, in order to increase the overall resilience of the country. The belief is that all parts of society, including individual citizens, have a role to play in a variety of emergencies including winter storms, foreign attacks (cyber or otherwise), power outages, wildfires, etc. Many Swedes will revisit their own level of emergency preparedness at home (e.g. stocking up on food or checking flashlight batteries in case of a temporary power outage), to be responsible citizens and support society.
See more about last week’s press conference and stay up to date through the following sources: