Transportstyrelsen facts for kids
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| Agency overview | |
|---|---|
| Formed | 1 January 2009 |
| Headquarters | Norrköping, Sweden |
| Employees | 1,600 (2010) |
| Agency executive |
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| Parent department | Ministry of Infrastructure |
Transportstyrelsen (which means "transport agency" in Swedish) is a special office that works for the Swedish government. Its main job is to make sure that all kinds of transport in Sweden – like trains, planes, boats, and cars – are safe and follow the rules. They also make sure these rules are kept.
This agency started on January 1, 2009. It was created by combining several other government offices, including the one that used to manage air travel. Transportstyrelsen is part of the Ministry of Infrastructure, which is a big part of the Swedish government.
The main office for Transportstyrelsen is in a city called Norrköping in Sweden.
Contents
A Big Problem in 2015
What Happened with Computer Systems?
In September 2015, Transportstyrelsen made a decision to let other companies manage their computer systems and databases. They chose companies in the Czech Republic and Serbia to do this work.
This meant that all the information from Transportstyrelsen's databases was moved to computer servers owned by these two companies. Some employees of these companies were given full access to this information.
When the Problem Was Found
In March 2016, the Swedish Security Service (which is like a secret service for Sweden) found out about this situation. They started an investigation because they were worried that people who were not supposed to have access to sensitive information now did. This happened because Transportstyrelsen had tried to make the change to the new computer system very quickly.
What Was the Impact?
This situation was a big deal because a lot of important information was handled by people outside of Sweden's direct control. This information included:
- Details about roads and bridges, like how much weight they can hold.
- Information about people in the Air Force, including their names and where they live.
- Details about people who are in police records.
- Information about people in very secret military groups.
- Details about people who have a protected identity, meaning their information is usually kept secret for their safety.
- Information about government and military vehicles, like their type and any problems they might have.
What Happened Next?
After this big problem, the person in charge of Transportstyrelsen at the time, Maria Ågren, left her job. There was a serious investigation into what happened. A Swedish court later found that she had not been careful enough in her decisions. This event showed how important it is for government agencies to protect sensitive information very carefully.
