Coop has built a modern, secure, and scalable IT platform with Sicra as its partner. The collaboration began with a need for specialized expertise in Citrix NetScaler and IT security. Over time, it has evolved to include 24/7 operational readiness and cloud migration to Microsoft Azure.
Coop is Norway’s second-largest retail operator and an important part of everyday life for millions of Norwegians. Coop is a cooperative where more than 2.6 million people own a share. You will find more than 1,200 Coop stores around the country, and Coop employs 26,000 people.
With operations within grocery retail, building supplies, specialty retail, logistics, production, and real estate, Coop depends on stable, available, and secure IT systems. High uptime, strong security, and control of risk are crucial to ensuring efficient operations and trust among employees, partners, and customers.
– Sicra is flexible. The consultants take responsibility, work hard, and make things function. Even when they are on vacation, they monitor our infrastructure and correct issues when error messages occur, says Kjell Tore Nannestad, Head of CNIT Infrastructure Services at Coop.
Collaboration that started with NetScaler
Sicra and Coop have collaborated for many years. Coop was recommended to use Sicra’s specialized expertise in IT security and Citrix NetScaler by a consulting company. The collaboration has later been expanded to include other areas. First 24/7 security readiness. Then Sicra assisted Coop with migration to the cloud, to Microsoft Azure, with modernization of infrastructure and security architecture and the transition from Citrix NetScaler to Microsoft Application Gateway.
Both Coop and Sicra highlight that the collaboration has been good and developing for both parties. Sicra has, among other things, gained valuable project experience and expanded its expertise with certification in specific products and solutions that Coop uses.
Kjell Tore Nannestad at Coop highlights some of the values Sicra has contributed with:
– Sicra has given us access to resources and expertise we have not been able to build ourselves. Deep cybersecurity expertise requires that you have a broad IT security environment. It would have been both costly and demanding for us to establish ourselves. It has been profitable for us to get help from Sicra to develop and set up the solutions. After that, we took over operations, says Nannestad.
Solid security foundation from Sicra
Sicra also delivers 24/7 readiness.
– If we were to cover this readiness internally, we would have had to hire at least three consultants, adds Nannestad.
Sicra 24/7 readiness means that Coop has access to experienced security and cloud experts around the clock. For Coop, this means rapid handling of incidents and assurance that business-critical IT services work – also outside office hours.
Fewer vulnerabilities and better control with IaC
As part of the cloud migration, Sicra has introduced Infrastructure as Code (IaC) as a methodology for Coop’s Azure environment. With IaC, the infrastructure is defined and managed as code, in the same way as applications. This provides several benefits:
-
Predictability and control: The same configuration each time reduces errors and dependence on manual processes.
-
Higher security: Standardized and pre-approved setups result in fewer vulnerabilities.
-
Faster changes: Infrastructure can be established and changed quickly and in a controlled manner.
-
Better traceability: Changes can be documented, versioned, and audited.
-
Scalability: Easier to scale environments in line with needs.
Modern security in Microsoft Azure
The transition to Microsoft Azure has made it possible for Coop to use modern, built-in security solutions in the Microsoft platform, including:
-
Microsoft Defender for Cloud: continuous security monitoring and recommendations.
-
Microsoft Sentinel: cloud-based SIEM/SOAR for advanced threat detection and incident management.
-
Conditional Access and Entra ID (Azure AD): better access control and protection of identities.
-
Privileged Identity Management (PIM): controlled and time-limited administrative access.
-
Built-in logging and monitoring through Azure Monitor and Log Analytics.
These solutions provide better insight, faster response, and a more holistic security picture: tightly integrated into the infrastructure.
Explore more
Customer stories
SOC from Arctic Wolf provides BDO with continuous monitoring and better control of digital risk
BDO has purchased Arctic Wolf SOC from Sicra
Customer stories
The deposit return system must always work: How Sicra ensures uptime and security for Infinitum
Stable and secure IT is critical to the world’s leading deposit return system.
Customer stories
Oslo Taxi secures the platform with Sicra and River Security
Even taxi companies must think like technology companies. For Oslo Taxi, IT security is about more than firewalls – it’s about protecting transactions for large amounts and a premium brand in a changing industry.
.jpg?width=292&height=195&name=shutterstock_2259920251%20(1).jpg)
Customer stories
Malling wanted a security review of their M365 environment
The security review from Sicra provided Malling with the foundation to improve their own security.