– Few people understand how complex a municipality is. We deliver services throughout the entire lifecycle. From before you are born – with prenatal check-ups – to after you have died. The IT services, which are the foundation of municipal services, must be secure and available every day, all year round, begins Stein Mortensbakke, Managing director of SYSIKT.

SYSIKT operates ICT solutions for eight municipalities in Vestland county. In addition, SYSIKT collaborates with Ikt Nordhordland and IKT Nordfjord on IT procurement, operations, and more. The three IT organizations are responsible for IT services for a total of 28 municipalities in Western Norway.

– With the security services from Sicra, we gain reassurance that both data and systems are continuously monitored, and that cyber incidents are handled immediately, Mortensbakke continues.

Stronger security, smarter spending

When 28 municipalities collaborate on procuring SOC services, they also share expertise, costs, and security infrastructure in a way that both strengthens security and reduces costs for each individual municipality. The municipalities get more and better IT security from public funding spent.

– With Sicra on board, municipalities avoid making large investments in security systems and equipment, as well as hiring additional security personnel. Sicra has many customers and therefore gains experience handling many types of IT attacks. This specialized expertise is difficult for us to build ourselves, explains Thomas Rønn-Aar, Managing Director of Ikt Nordhordland.

Daily cyberattacks

The 28 municipalities in Western Norway faced an increasingly demanding cyber threat landscape, with a growing number of attack attempts targeting IT systems.

– Municipal IT solutions are attacked many times every single day. In addition, municipalities hold large amounts of data, including sensitive personal information, which must be 100 percent secure, says Mortensbakke.

To strengthen IT security, ensure 24/7 monitoring, rapid incident response, and a robust security platform, the municipalities needed a scalable and cost-effective SOC service. SOC stands for Security Operations Center and is a digital security hub – a foundational layer that covers the municipalities’ fundamental need for a comprehensive security solution. To find the right SOC service, provider, and partner, the municipalities initiated an extensive procurement process.

Needed a strong security partner and an equally strong security platform

– Sicra quickly stood out with its dedicated focus on cybersecurity. For several of the other providers, security is only a smaller part of their business. We wanted a solid SOC solution, MDR service, and a competent security partner. That is why we chose Sicra as our partner and solutions from Arctic Wolf, says Mortensbakke.

He highlights that Arctic Wolf, through its global network of sensors, collects millions of logs from around the world every day. This allows the company to quickly detect new attack trends and vulnerabilities and thus prevent attacks before they hit customers. In addition, it was important to have 24/7 monitoring and response every day of the year.

Sicra established a complete, fully staffed security operation through Sicra SOC MDR powered by Arctic Wolf, where global 24/7 monitoring is combined with local Norwegian security expertise. Sicra SOC MDR (Security Operations Center Managed Detection and Response) is the foundation of Sicra’s security services. The technology behind Sicra SOC MDR is Arctic Wolf’s SOC platform. The solution provides municipalities with a shared, robust SOC service that replaces the need for their own platforms and internal staffing, and continuously monitors, analyzes, and responds to attacks across OT, IT, and cloud environments.

AI is driving more and more complex cyberattacks

– With artificial intelligence, the number of cyberattacks has exploded in terms of volume, speed, and the breadth of attack vectors. With 24/7 monitoring, 365 days a year, we have stopped many attacks. We see accounts being targeted, but we shut them down before anything happens, says Mortensbakke.

He explains that the municipalities also use artificial intelligence (AI) as part of the security solution. Every day, 450 million events are logged. AI is used to analyze these events and detect serious intrusion attempts.

Mortensbakke highlights the value of having an external security partner:

– Sicra has helped us become more proactive and better prepared for cyberattacks. They have reviewed our IT infrastructure and implemented several preventive security measures. This has significantly reduced the risk of downtime, data loss, and service disruptions, says Mortensbakke, adding:

– In addition, we benefit from the experience they bring from other customers. Sicra has a strong internal culture for sharing knowledge. This means that experiences from other customers benefit us as well, for

The 28 municipalities were early adopters, among the first major Norwegian customers to implement extensive Arctic Wolf solutions.

– When we look at how the market has developed, we are very confident that choosing Arctic Wolf and Sicra was the right decision, concludes Mortensbakke.

About the municipal collaboration

SYSIKT is the IT department for the municipalities of Askvoll, Fjaler, Hyllestad, Høyanger, Luster, Solund, Sunnfjord, and Vik. Ikt Nordhordland (IKTNH) delivers IT services to 13 municipalities: Alver, Aurland, Austevoll, Austrheim, Fedje, Gulen, Masfjorden, Modalen, Osterøy, Samnanger, Sveio, Tysnes, and Vaksdal. IKT Nordfjord (Nordfjordnett) delivers ICT services to the municipalities of Bremanger, Gloppen, Kinn, Stad, and Stryn. In addition, the municipalities of Etne and Vindafjord are part of the collaboration.