Perceptions of cyber threats in Sweden : A quantitative study of cybersecurity awareness among Swedish adults

Sammanfattning

This study examined the perceptions and beliefs that Swedish adults hold regarding the potential consequences of cyberattacks and the current cybersecurity landscape in Sweden. The study was motivated by the increasing societal importance of cybersecurity and the continued significance of the human factor in cybersecurity incidents. While previous cybersecurity awareness research has often focused on behavior, technical knowledge, or policy compliance, this study instead focused on public perceptions of cyber threats, societal vulnerability, and national preparedness. A quantitative research approach was employed using a survey distributed to Swedish adults through the survey platform Pollfish. The final sample consisted of 500 respondents. A tailored survey instrument was developed to measure perceptions concerning the consequences of cyberattacks and the current cybersecurity landscape in Sweden. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, Cronbach’s alpha and correlation analysis in IBM SPSS Statistics. The results indicated that respondents generally demonstrated a relatively high level of awareness regarding the potential societal, organizational and personal consequences of cyberattacks. Respondents largely agreed that cyberattacks can disrupt critical infrastructure, cause economic damage, negatively affect society and everyday life. Participants also generally perceived cyber threats against Sweden as increasing in frequency and sophistication. At the same time, the findings suggested that certain aspects of the current cyber threat landscape, particularly the scale of cyber threats and the exposure of Swedish institutions, may still be somewhat underestimated. Confidence in the preparedness of Swedish organizations and critical infrastructure was moderate and broadly aligned with the current cybersecurity discourse in Sweden. Overall, the findings suggest that Swedish adults possess relatively high cybersecurity awareness regarding the consequences of cyberattacks and the broader cyber threat landscape. However, the study also indicates that awareness alone may not be sufficient to address cybersecurity challenges and that continued efforts related to competence development, preparedness, and public education remain important as society becomes increasingly digitalized and dependent on digital infrastructure.