In September 2015, Sweden’s Transport Agency outsourced management of its database and other IT services to IBM offices in the Czech Republic and Serbia. The agency uploaded its entire database to cloud servers operated by those offices while dismissing its own IT technicians. According to the source, some personnel received broad access to the system, and required security checks were bypassed to accelerate the transition and reduce reliance on local staff.
The Swedish Security Service discovered the situation in March 2016 and began an investigation, warning other government agencies that unauthorized foreign-based personnel had gained control of sensitive government IT systems. Director General Maria Ågren, appointed in 2015 after the outsourcing decision was made, resigned and was charged with negligence. A Swedish court later found her guilty and imposed a penalty equivalent to half a month’s salary. The case exposed the risks of rushed public-sector outsourcing, inadequate access controls, and executive accountability gaps; her predecessor, Staffan Widlert, retired without penalty.
