Building Digital Resilience: The Key to a Secure Future for Public Organizations

In today's world, where the digitization of public transport and school operations is complete, the implications of digital resilience have never been more critical. Sara Lidbaum, the head of the business area Robust Digital Organizations at Netnod, emphasizes that while organizations have become increasingly reliant on technology, the absence of resilience poses a significant security risk. Families are left in the lurch when systems go down, unable to access their children's schedules, while elderly individuals risk missing crucial home care services. All of this can lead to activities grinding to a halt. Lidbaum points out that our growing reliance on digital platforms comes with a lack of understanding about the full extent of the systems businesses depend on. "It's easy to focus on technology, but true robustness transcends IT; it begins with the organization's goals and identifies what is fundamentally necessary for operations," she explains. This shift from merely physical robustness to a comprehensive strategy for digital resilience is essential for today’s public organizations. For decades, Netnod has been securing the physical infrastructure of the internet in Sweden. Now, they are poised to support public organizations in reinforcing their digital resilience. According to Lidbaum, municipal experiences reveal a fragmented system landscape that has evolved piecemeal, with cloud services added one at a time. Many organizations mistakenly assume they have redundancy in their systems, even though effective backup solutions are frequently absent. "Often, plans exist, but they are overly reliant on individuals or susceptible to single points of failure," Lidbaum notes. To truly build resilience, organizations must test their plans in real scenarios. "True robustness is developed through training, shared experiences, and collective problem-solving," she emphasizes. With 25 years of experience in building robust digital infrastructure, Netnod employs practical methods for enhancing resilience through controlled testing with public sector partners. These pilots allow organizations to simulate various scenarios to evaluate how backup systems function, identify critical dependencies, and gauge the impacts of losing digital capabilities. "Our goal is to deliver an accurate picture of organizational endurance during digital disruptions," states Lidbaum. Robustness, she asserts, is rooted in evidence, not in promises. In an increasingly unpredictable global environment, building digital robustness cannot be viewed as a one-time purchase; it is an ongoing process that requires time, development, and adaptation. As public organizations embark on this journey, collaboration and commitment to continual improvement will be key elements in ensuring a robust digital future. About Netnod: Netnod is dedicated to reinforcing the internet's resilience and operates Sweden's crucial internet traffic exchange points, DNS services, time services, and security measures. Owned by the nonprofit TU Foundation, Netnod is committed to advancing the internet's integrity and contributing to a safer, more resilient society. Related Sources: • Source 1 • Source 2