When asked, 57 per cent of people say they fear loss of life or physical injury in their own company as a result of cyber attacks. Many also state that the security surrounding the company's industrial operating systems is not as robust as the IT-system security.
Need more experts
Knudsen also points out that there is a critical lack of expertise:
"Most companies have IT security under control, but have a long way to go when it comes to cyber expertise.”
Cyber security is a major growth area in DNV, which currently has a total of over 200 cyber experts.
Maria Jinert Johansson, head of DNV’s cyber security section, has gained approximately 35 new colleagues over the past year. Next year, the goal in Norway is to recruit 15-20 people across the entire spectrum, from brand new graduates to those with extensive experience.
Traditionally, many engineers apply for jobs in DNV, but the teams work across disciplines and many types of expertise are relevant.
IT security is often used when referring to information the company is trying to protect. Processes, procedures, and routines may have been implemented to prevent sensitive information from being leaked to unauthorized third parties.
Cyber security encompasses the actual technology used to manage the information. For example, technical infrastructure such as computers, routers, servers, and firewalls.
"Both national and international authorities are increasingly interested in cyber security. For example, we now see that, in the maritime industry, all new buildings must have cyber security classification from 2024,” says Jinert Johansson.
"Each generation of new technology requires a new level of awareness, and cyber security must become an integral part of the agenda for the entire organization, not just an issue for the IT section", Knudsen points out.
Collaboration between industry and academia
DNV is a global company that currently has 12,500 employees in over 100 countries. The company started off as Det Norske Veritas, which was established in 1864.
"Our work on cyber security is the digital parallel to the company’s original purpose in the maritime industry - to safeguard life, property, and the environment. We do the same thing today, and that’s highly motivating for us who work here," says Haakon Knudsen.
DNV is an independent foundation and has a long tradition of cooperating with universities and other educational institutions, as well as with industry. This means that research and applied practice can mutually benefit each other.