Sammanfattning: The NIS2 directive raises cybersecurity requirements for Swedish municipalities and requires systematic risk management, incident reporting and robust IT systems.

Date: September 21, 2025
Author: Johan Lido

Civisto: Gamifying Civic Engagement for Stronger Communities

How can we make it more fun and easier for citizens to report issues in their municipality? And how can we transform civic engagement into something that strengthens both our democracy and Sweden’s Total Defense? With Civisto, we’re taking the next step.

The Challenge: From Fault Reporting to Civic Engagement

Many municipalities today use digital tools for issue reporting—for example, via platforms like FixMyStreet or their own web forms. But these solutions often feel outdated and uninspiring. Citizens report potholes, broken streetlights, or litter, but rarely receive feedback or see any visible impact from their efforts.

The result?

  • Engagement drops.
  • Fewer issues are reported.
  • Municipalities miss out on valuable input from their citizens.

Civisto’s Solution: Gamification and AI Triage

Civisto is a new platform for civic engagement that gamifies the process of reporting and following up on community issues. Our vision is to make it as engaging to contribute to your community as it is to play your favorite mobile game.

Key features:

  • Gamification: Citizens earn points, badges, and levels for their contributions.
  • AI Triage: Incoming reports are automatically categorized and prioritized, making it easier for municipalities to act quickly.
  • Feedback loops: Users receive updates on their reports and can see the impact of their engagement.
  • Community challenges: Municipalities can launch campaigns and challenges to encourage collective action.

Why Gamification?

Gamification isn’t just about making things fun—it’s about motivating and rewarding behaviors that benefit everyone. By introducing game elements, we create incentives for citizens to participate more actively and for municipalities to respond more efficiently.

Strengthening Sweden’s Total Defense

Civic engagement is a cornerstone of a resilient society. By making it easier and more rewarding to participate, Civisto helps build trust between citizens and municipalities. In times of crisis, this trust and engagement are crucial for Sweden’s Total Defense.

Civisto vs. Traditional Platforms

Feature Civisto FixMyStreet Traditional Web Forms
Gamification Yes No No
AI Triage Yes No No
Feedback to Citizens Yes Limited Rare
Community Challenges Yes No No

Join Us on the Journey

We believe that civic engagement should be accessible, rewarding, and impactful. Civisto is currently being piloted in several municipalities—do you want to be part of the journey? Contact us to learn more or to book a demo.

Together, we can build stronger, more resilient communities—one report at a time.

In 2025, the EU’s new cybersecurity directive, NIS2, will be incorporated into Swedish law. This marks a paradigm shift for many organizations, especially for the country’s municipalities. The requirements for robust and systematic cybersecurity are being significantly tightened, and responsibility is being elevated to the executive level. For a municipal leadership, this means a new, formal responsibility to protect the networks and information systems that essential community services depend on[1].

The NIS2 Directive aims to establish a high and uniform level of cybersecurity across the entire EU. For municipalities, this means concrete requirements for everything from risk analysis and incident management to supply chain security and mandatory reporting of serious incidents[2]. Building this capability from scratch is a complex and resource-intensive task. This is where a national, secure, and standardized platform like Civisto becomes a strategic asset.

Civisto as Part of the Municipality’s NIS2 Work

Using individual, unsecured communication channels such as email, social media, or various custom-developed apps for citizen reporting is no longer a sustainable option in light of NIS2. Each new app and every new database represents a potential attack surface that must be secured, monitored, and maintained. Civisto offers a centralized and secure solution that helps municipalities meet several of the key requirements of the new directive.

NIS2 Requirement How Civisto Contributes
Risk Management Civisto provides a centralized platform where risks related to civic issue reporting can be managed systematically. By using a proven and secure platform, the municipality reduces risk compared to developing or managing multiple different systems.
Incident Management The platform has built-in mechanisms for detecting and handling security incidents. Centralized logging and monitoring make it easier to quickly identify and respond to suspicious activity.
Supply Chain Security As a provider of a critical digital service, Civisto takes responsibility for ensuring the platform meets high security standards. This relieves the municipality from the need to conduct in-depth security reviews of several smaller app providers.
Reporting Obligation In the event of a serious cybersecurity incident, it must be reported to authorities within 24 hours. Civisto’s centralized system and clear division of responsibilities facilitate fast and accurate reporting.
Management Responsibility By choosing a platform designed with NIS2 in mind, municipal leadership can demonstrate that they take their new responsibilities seriously and have taken proactive measures to secure an important part of their digital infrastructure.

A Safer Digital Dialogue with Citizens

The dialogue between municipalities and citizens is a cornerstone of a well-functioning society. In an increasingly digitalized world, this dialogue must take place in a secure manner. Allowing citizens to submit reports through open, unencrypted channels is not only a security risk—it also undermines trust in the municipality’s ability to handle information responsibly.

Civisto is developed with security by design as a fundamental principle. All communication is encrypted, data is stored on secure servers within the EU, and the platform undergoes regular security testing and audits. For the municipality, this means confidence that digital dialogue with citizens takes place via a channel built to withstand today’s and tomorrow’s cyber threats.

The introduction of NIS2 does not have to be a burden. Instead, it can serve as a catalyst for modernizing and securing the municipality’s digital infrastructure. By joining a national, secure, and standardized platform like Civisto, the municipality can take a major step toward meeting the new requirements, while simultaneously strengthening democracy and streamlining its services. In the new digital reality, cybersecurity and civic engagement are two sides of the same coin.

References

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Introduction to Civisto: Enhancing Civic Engagement through Gamification

Civisto is a pioneering Swedish civic engagement platform that utilizes gamification to empower citizens in reporting community issues. This innovative approach not only fosters a sense of community but also encourages active participation in maintaining and improving local environments.

Key Features of Civisto

  • Issue Reporting (Felanmälan): Civisto simplifies the process of reporting issues within municipalities, making it easier for citizens to contribute to their community’s upkeep.
  • Gamification (Spelifiering): By incorporating game-like elements, Civisto motivates citizens to engage more actively in civic activities, promoting a sense of accomplishment and community pride.
  • AI Triage: Civisto leverages AI technology to efficiently categorize and prioritize reported issues, ensuring that they are addressed promptly and effectively.

Comparison with Existing Platforms

Feature Civisto FixaMinGata
Gamification Yes, with rewards and leaderboards No
AI Triage Yes, for efficient issue management No
Community Engagement Strong focus on community interaction Limited

Role in Total Defense

Civisto’s role in Total Defense is multifaceted. By engaging citizens in the reporting and resolution of local issues, Civisto contributes to a more resilient and responsive community. This aligns with the broader goals of Total Defense, which emphasize the importance of collective effort in maintaining national security and stability.

Benefits for Municipalities

  • Enhanced Citizen Engagement: Civisto encourages active participation from citizens, fostering a sense of ownership and responsibility within municipalities.
  • Efficient Issue Management: The AI-driven triage system ensures that issues are addressed quickly and effectively, reducing the administrative burden on municipalities.

Conclusion

Civisto represents a forward-thinking approach to civic engagement, combining gamification with advanced technology to create a more responsive and community-driven platform for issue reporting. As the EU’s NIS2 Directive emphasizes the importance of cybersecurity and resilience in critical infrastructure, platforms like Civisto play a vital role in enhancing community resilience and engagement.

For more information on NIS2, visit MSB’s resources.

Vanliga frågor

What is the NIS2 directive?
An EU directive that raises cybersecurity requirements for critical and important operations, including municipalities, with requirements for risk management and security measures.