Cybersecurity needs to be taken very seriously – and proactively managed by the CIO.
– Cybersecurity already starts in business planning. You have to budget for it and bring in the right skills. Here we offer a variety of solutions,” says Christer Samuelsson, CIO at IT consultancy Softronic.
The risk of Swedish companies and organizations being affected by cybercrime has increased significantly in recent years, partly as a result of a geopolitical deterioration in security in the region, and partly Sweden’s entry into the NATO security alliance.
Cyber-attacks are carried out by criminal groups and individuals seeking financial gain, but also by state actors aiming to cause political destabilization or public unrest in a foreign country.
At the same time, the modus operandi of cybercriminals has changed, with an increasing degree of specialization.
– Some are skilled at breaking into IT systems, for example through a phishing attack, while others are skilled at encrypting information and demanding payment through a ransomware attack. These services are bought and sold in the underworld,” says Christer Samuelsson.
CIO has a key role in security
This development places higher demands on cybersecurity work and an organization’s CIO, as ultimately responsible.
– In today’s world, cyber attacks happen so quickly. It’s a matter of hours, and it often happens on a long weekend when most people are off work. You can’t be reactive and try to stop what has already happened. As a CIO, you have to be proactive at all times, have your protection up and ready,” he says.
He believes that policymakers need to take the issue of cybersecurity much more seriously today than just a few years ago.
– The question is not whether the organization will suffer, but when it will happen. Someone will try. It’s just a matter of time,” he says.
The cybersecurity protection an organization should build depends entirely on the nature of its business and the infrastructure it already uses.
– There is no one-size-fits-all cybersecurity solution; it must be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. “You shouldn’t buy more than you need, because you won’t gain anything from it. You have to analyze and take into account many factors, such as the industry in which you operate,” says Christer Samuelsson.
Softronic acts as a security partner
Picking up solutions from different suppliers on your own can cause problems.
– Cybersecurity is a chain and its different parts must be connected and fit together. There has to be a common thread. That’s why it’s better to use a supplier who can put together the best solutions available on the market,” he says.
Softronic sees itself as a long-term partner to its customers. Trust and security are important concepts in the business relationship.
– You have to be able to trust your partner and also have a very good and open dialog together when it comes to cybersecurity. You can do that with us,” concludes Christer Samuelsson.
Read the article on Dagens Industri here!
