We asked Kjell Kjebekk, Head of Business Security for Telenor in Norway, about the cybersecurity challenges and threats on the rise in companies today.
In our discussion, Kjell reveals critical cybersecurity solutions, detailing what enterprise organizations can do to protect themselves.
Here’s what Kjell shared:
Kjell: Our new geopolitical reality requires us to think differently to protect societal values. Those who attack us actively work daily to discover the weak links in Norway's digital infrastructure.
They are less concerned about whether they attack private companies, municipalities, hospitals, or the military infrastructure. At the same time, and regardless of the geopolitical situation, the threat posed by organized cybercrime is ever-increasing.
Financially motivated and organized cybercriminals operate opportunistically, for example, when ransomware attacks that exploit known vulnerabilities hit vulnerable businesses, regardless of who they are, for the most part.
The police say in their threat assessment for 2022 that data breaches and ransomware are crime phenomena that could affect all Norwegian public and private businesses in the years to come.
Kjell: In recent years, several Norwegian institutions, agencies, companies, municipalities, and media houses have been exposed to extensive cyber-attacks that have majorly impacted their ability to deliver goods and services, and some have even threatened state security.
Several of these attacks have received considerable media attention. It is positive that there is more transparency about these attacks and what methods the attackers use.
Companies previously wanted as little attention as possible. They were afraid to expose their mistakes and weaknesses publicly. Still, now we see that more people are open about their experiences. This kind of knowledge sharing makes us all better equipped.
Kjell: Occasionally, there is talk about the "security culture" in companies as if it is a separate issue. But companies that succeed in security in a way that corresponds to the real threat picture and the desired level of risk in the business are the ones that manage to establish security as part of the corporate culture in everything they do.
Good IT security is a combination of stable and secure architecture, along with an organization that keeps the systems secure and up to date – and can detect if damage has occurred and has good processes across the organization to close these incidents.
It is a challenge of knowledge and competence for managers, technologists, and other employees who face daily choices and must take actions that could have consequences for cybersecurity.
Kjell: Most companies have digitalization high on their agendas, while security has been further down. Security in supply chains is critical.
It is about setting requirements for suppliers and ensuring that these requirements are passed on to subcontractors – implementing security and control mechanisms for suppliers and deliveries, requiring strong expertise for most businesses.
Security in supplier/supply chains is not only about what comes from subcontractors but also about one's role in supply chains. It is essential to consider that you, as a supplier, bear the risk for your customers.
Kjell:
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