This Trøndelag-based team aims to keep one million Europeans safer online

'Our goal is to protect society and the people around us from criminals and malicious actors,' says Erlend Andreas Gjære.

He is sitting in Secure Practice's offices in Trondheim, overlooking the sparkling fjord and Munkholmen.

'Cybercrime is a somewhat invisible threat that can affect us all, both as businesses and as individuals. We want to help people feel secure and able to deal with that threat.'

While working as a researcher and overseeing security training at a large company, the founder saw a clear need to provide people with more active support in making everyday security decisions, both big and small.

So, in 2017, he founded Secure Practice with his wife, Ragnhild. Today, it is a fast-growing gazelle company tipped to become 'Norway’s next export success story'.

The Trondheim-based company's first product was MailRisk – a user-friendly inbox button that employees can click if they receive a suspicious email. MailRisk then analyses the email's authenticity. At the same time, a cloud service collects data about the email, quickly identifying whether others have also been targeted by the scam. This transforms employees from what is often called the weakest link into a valuable resource in the company's security efforts.

'The positive feedback we received from the outset inspired and motivated us to continue helping people feel confident about cybersecurity,' says Gjære.

He also highlights the importance of major customers such as Posten Bring, which believed in Secure Practice's solutions from an early stage and actively adopted them.

The entrepreneur is currently touring the country with the 'Hele Norge øver' cybersecurity exercise. Businesses are flocking to the sessions, where a digital, interactive simulation gives them first-hand experience of what it is like to be in the midst of a cyberattack.

- Cybersecurity has become more relevant with each passing year. As long as society has assets of value, we need to protect them. It is a rapidly growing market, and it affects everyone.

This autumn, the company is heading to Denmark, taking its successful training programme and cloud services with it. The rest of Europe is next. This expansion is made possible by EU funding from Digital Europe, the EU programme for the digital transformation of businesses and the public sector. Last year, Secure Practice received €2.5 million – around NOK 29 million – becoming the first Norwegian company to receive funding through the programme. The company has also received the prestigious EU accolade, the ‘European Digital Skills Awards 2024’, for The Whole of Norway Trains.

'Hele Norge øver' was developed by Secure Practice in collaboration with NHO, DNB, Telenor, DNV and Digital Norway.

'A key factor is having partners in the business community who mobilise their member companies. It is a highly effective model,' says Gjære, who is now preparing to launch in other European countries.

He continues:

- We deliver something that makes a difference at national level; it is not simply a commercial marketing initiative. It also lies at the heart of what the EU aims to achieve through Digital Europe: greater collaboration and a shared European project to support European ICT companies that have solutions to European challenges.

Secure Practice uses artificial intelligence both to analyse suspicious emails and to provide tailored training for each company and employee.

'People are different, and if security training is too generic, it wastes many people's time. By tailoring the training much more closely to each individual, it becomes far more effective and relevant,' says Gjære.

Together with the Norwegian Data Protection Authority, they have also explored how they can use data while protecting privacy, with market-leading compliance with a common European regulatory framework.

The EU funding aims to protect citizens and businesses, strengthen the European cybersecurity industry and create jobs in Europe. For Secure Practice, the funding has led to 10 new positions, bringing its total workforce to 22.

'The EU also wants to reduce its dependence on other markets, particularly in light of the US focus on cybersecurity,' says Gjære, adding that local sovereignty is also important to Secure Practice.

- We want to retain control of the company through local ownership – so we do not risk being sold. That really matters in today's market.

The founder points out that the EU's many regulations also create market opportunities.

- We have built solutions that give us an advantage in the EU, and that is a strategic choice for us. The market is huge – we can grow as big as we want.

We have supported the company from the outset through funding, advisory and courses.

- 'You have always been there for us, and through you we continue to learn more about how the world works. You are a valued partner and have played a crucial role in enabling us to take the steps we have taken. We have put taxpayers’ money to good use and created jobs.'

Gjære highlights the first commercialisation grant in 2017 as particularly important during the startup phase. The extraordinary commercialisation grant provided during the COVID-19 pandemic was also crucial.

'I cannot overstate how important it was at the time. Having the opportunity to secure further support after several years of development is also incredibly important. It has enabled us to innovate and develop a strong product, so we can now offer solutions that inspire enthusiasm from south to north.'