Hybrid threats combine military and non-military as well as covert and overt means, including disinformation, cyber attacks, economic pressure, deployment of irregular armed groups and use of regular forces. Hybrid methods are used to blur the lines between war and peace, and attempt to sow doubt in the minds of target populations. They aim to destabilise and undermine societies.
Nato 2024
The threat to Europe
Europe has seen several recent examples of Russian hybrid attacks against organizations and companies, including arson attacks on Ukraine-related targets in the UK and vandalism and dissemination of Russian disinformation in the Baltics. Russia has also instigated cyberattacks in Germany and Czechia. Read about the sabotage threatBoost the resilience of your security organization
As the aim of hybrid means is to destabilize and undermine social cohesion, the organizations in our society need to become more resilient. Authorities, companies and volunteer organizations should improve upon their ability to resist hybrid means and incorporate security into daily operations, and to this end, they need access to the knowledge required to make informed decisions.
At PET, we raise awareness of the threat and the tools to address it.
Robust security organizations increase national security. Danish companies and organizations are already doing a lot to prevent and address break-ins, fires, network disruptions and disinformation – thereby contributing to the overall prevention of sabotage and other threats. In addition, it is important that standard procedures are in place for reporting unusual incidents to the organization and the police.
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Report suspicious incidents to the organization and to the police Suspicious incidents should be reported to the police, and a security incident log should be kept to help the organization identify out-of-the-ordinary events, internally as well as externally. |
As illustrated in the figure above, good security management requires an understanding of roles and responsibilities, security plans, security culture and crisis management.
- Efficient security management requires clearly defined roles and responsibilities. The allocation of roles and responsibilities should be clear across the organization, and security decision mandates well defined. Overall responsibility must be at the appropriate management level.
- The security plan and ongoing briefing of the management constitute the framework of organizational security work. The purpose of the security plan is to document the guidelines and procedures implemented by the organization. A key component is regular security briefing of the senior management.
- A strong security culture is key to ensuring that security remains top-of-mind in all work-related activities. Furthermore, a strong security culture requires the management to clearly communicate why security is a priority in the organization. This creates a shared understanding of the importance of new measures and awareness of the incident reporting procedures.
- Crisis management is a key component of a robust security organization. When a risk materializes or an unforeseen event turns into an actual security incident, it is imperative that you are ready to deal with it. Crisis management can be coupled with existing emergency management plans in order to ensure that the senior management stands ready to convene in the event of such an incident.
Read our full guide to good security management
Inspiration for emergency management planning and security
The authorities offer comprehensive advice and guidance to organizations and companies on how to boost their resilience to hybrid threats.
Inspiration for emergency management planning and security
Go to the website of the Danish Emergency Management Agency (DEMA)
Go to the guide