Countering hybrid threats in a law enforcement perspective

Authors:

  • Ola Svenonius
  • Anders Strindberg

Publish date: 2020-10-19

Report number: FOI-R--4966--SE

Pages: 46

Written in: Swedish

Keywords:

  • hybrid threats; the Swedish Police Authority; crisis management; civilian defence; resilience

Abstract

"Hybrid threats" is a term that designates antagonistic subversion by state or proxy actors below the threshold of conventional warfare. It has become increasingly important in Swedish security policy. This report presents a framework that the Swedish Police Authority can use in the development of a comprehensive strategy for countering hybrid threats. It discusses the institutions that already exists to mitigate such threats, and then presents three ideal typical strategies - in terms of overarching plans of action - for countering hybrid threats. The three strategies are the protective strategy, the bolstering strategy, and the disruptive strategy. Using these strategies as a starting point, the report discusses different ways to counter vague and opaque threats posed by antagonist states.