What does a cyberattack cost, and what does it cost to be prepared?

Cyberattacks have become an everyday risk for Norwegian businesses. In its annual report “Cybercrime 2025” (Norwegian only), Kripos expects a shift in pace in the years ahead. The speed and severity of cyber-directed and cyber-supported crime will increase. Small and medium-sized businesses will be hit more frequently, as they have limited capacity and resources to prevent and manage attacks.

But how much does an attack cost, and how does that compare to the price of being prepared? At Sicra, we meet organizations every day that are trying to gain control of their security, but worry about the cost. We want to help Norwegian businesses make informed and sustainable choices that provide real protection at a reasonable cost.

When everything stops

A cyberattack can strike in many ways. Your systems may be locked down by ransomware, sensitive information may leak, or attackers may take control of parts of your infrastructure without you noticing until it is too late. The consequences are often the same: production comes to a halt, customers and partners lose trust, the company’s reputation suffers, and costs escalate quickly through operational loss, fines, and extra use of resources.

One of the most serious attacks on a Norwegian business happened in 2019, when Hydro was hit by ransomware. Production stopped, and several factories had to run manually. According to Aftenposten, the total costs amounted to nearly 800 million NOK (Norwegian only).

Smaller businesses are also affected by attacks. In 2023, a plumbing company in Gjøvik (Norwegian only) had to lay off all 35 employees after its IT provider was attacked. They had to return to pen and paper after all data was locked, and in the first week alone, they lost the ability to submit bids on projects worth more than 7 million NOK.

That same year, it was revealed that foreign hackers had gained access to the IT systems used by 12 Norwegian ministries (Norwegian only). The extent of the damage and the cost of remediation are still unknown. Most recently, during the summer, several Norwegian municipalities (Norwegian only) were indirectly affected when a third-party quality system was attacked with ransomware. Here too, the total costs remain unclear.

According to IBM’s 2025 Cost of Data Breach Report, a survey of 800 organizations across 16 countries that were affected, the average cost of a cyberattack is 46 million NOK. At the same time, reports show that many organizations still lack both contingency plans and insurance.

What does it cost to be prepared?

The first and most critical task is to review the current crisis management. Then it is about mapping infrastructure and vulnerabilities, looking at management processes, and developing plans for action. With an investment starting at 200,000 NOK, Sicra offers the opportunity to bring in experienced Norwegian-speaking security leaders to get started. We can also step in as interim or permanent CISO (Chief Information Security Officer). Our security leaders can draw on Sicra’s team of Norway’s leading security experts, who can recommend and implement measures.

It is also sensible to establish a 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC). Its purpose is to detect threats early, both proactively and reactively, minimize the extent of damage, and ensure continuous operations. Sicra collaborates with Arctic Wolf to deliver a world-leading service with response times measured in minutes and very few false positives. Arctic Wolf has repeatedly been recognized by Gartner as a market leader. This comes at a price that fits small and medium-sized Norwegian businesses. Depending on the size and complexity of the organization, the cost for a Sicra SOC starts from 50,000 NOK per month.

What makes Sicra unique is that we deliver the SOC service flexibly. You can choose whether you want a lot of help or a little help. If you want more support, we have certified Norwegian-speaking SOC specialists who extend your IT and security team. In addition to being a sparring partner, they analyze all incidents from Arctic Wolf and recommend measures tailored to your organization. Our experts can help prioritize, plan, and execute tasks quickly and efficiently.

Within a year, Sicra has won eight SOC customers with a total of 50,000 end users, and we are seeing strong market interest. The typical customer is a second-time SOC buyer with experience and high demands. Among our customers are an oil and gas operator, an auditing firm, a retailer, an insurance company, and several Norwegian municipalities.

We also offer security training through the e-learning platforms Nimblr, Junglemap or Arctic Wolf Managed Awareness Training. With our e-learning platform, we help your employees recognize and avoid digital threats – a simple but crucial part of preparedness.

A realistic choice

Being prepared is not about building a digital fortress, but about making smart priorities. With Sicra, you get world-class security solutions delivered with high flexibility and local expertise. Security investments are often necessary, but Sicra can help you achieve the best possible security effect from your budget.

Preparation costs. But not being prepared costs more.