Sicra hires Terje Vatle as Chief Innovation Officer

Terje takes on responsibility for product development and innovation in a cybersecurity landscape that is rapidly evolving in terms of both technology and threat actors.

– Cybersecurity has traditionally been about complying with regulations and avoiding financial loss. That has changed. Today, a solid foundation of IT security is a key factor for competitiveness and growth, says Terje Vatle, Chief Innovation Officer at Sicra.

– The threat landscape has become highly complex, with geopolitical instability, more attack surfaces, and resourceful attackers with high competence using advanced technologies like artificial intelligence (AI). That makes it crucial to be on the right side of cybersecurity—especially when your tasks involve product development and innovation, he adds.

Sicra invests in innovation and growth

Sicra is recognized for its strong and deep cybersecurity expertise and counts several of Norway’s most well-known public and private organizations among its clients. Last year, the company was acquired by the private equity fund Credo Partners.

– With Credo backing us, Sicra will invest in people, product development, and new services. Sicra has launched an innovation program to develop new and scalable security services. My role will be to identify and realize the best ideas, says Vatle.

Strong technological background

Vatle holds a master’s degree in computer engineering from NTNU and Karlsruhe Institute of Technology. He has previously worked in data, analytics, and AI at SAS Institute and BearingPoint, and most recently as CTO at BI Builders and part of the global team at TimeXtender.

An increasingly serious threat landscape

Cybercrime is now more profitable than the global drug trade, according to security company Fortinet. Public and private organizations are attacked and targeted daily. Cybercriminals operate with low risk and high potential reward. According to research firm Gartner, having a solid IT security platform has become a necessity for doing business.

– In the past, it might have been enough to detect and respond to attacks within hours. Today, many attacks are over within minutes. We therefore need monitoring and preparedness at the minute level. Since Norwegian organizations use many of the same technologies and business systems as other countries, this work must be done on a global scale. And when attacks are detected, the response must be carried out by highly skilled people locally. The Norwegian language is no longer a barrier due to generative AI. That presents new challenges for us as security providers. With Terje on the team, we are well equipped to develop the security services of the future, says Stig Valderhaug, CEO of Sicra.

Chose Sicra for culture and expertise

Terje Vatle had several job opportunities after leaving TimeXtender but chose Sicra because of its reputation for a unique company culture and a highly skilled cybersecurity environment.

– I wanted to join a place with a strong company culture where we make a meaningful contribution to society—where talented people thrive and grow. Cybersecurity is more relevant than ever, and it’s crucial to retain great people while also attracting new ones. Sicra has a unique combination of highly skilled experts who make a real difference and a warm, inclusive culture, says Vatle.

Read the article in Computerworld: New innovation leader at Sicra (Norwegian Only).