Threats Related to Open Geospatial Data in the Uncertain Geopolitical Environment

Abstract

During the last few decades, there has been increasing interest in open data, especially with regards to the public sector. Open data promotes transparency in the society, and the availability of data creates significant additional value. There are also potential threats associated with open data. After the Russian invasion of Ukraine, threats to society and national security related to open data have been given a lot more attention than before. Here, we conducted group interviews with a number of security experts in Finland to investigate potential threats related to open data and society. Based on the interviews, we created a number of threat scenarios that were further refined and discussed with experts. We recognized a large number of different potential malicious actors, ranging from hostile nations to individual criminals. The threats these actors might cause are varied, and for many, the best ways to mitigate the threat are not, in fact, related to open data themselves. In addition, changes to open datasets can have significant side effects that also need to be taken into account when considering how to manage the potential threats. Our study concludes that decisions to open new datasets, or to modify already existing ones, need to be made with care, and threat and risk assessment must always be weighted against benefits of publishing the data, as well as drawbacks of leaving the data unpublished.