With ships at sea, thousands of passengers and a digital operating system that can never stop, Fjord Line needed a security partner that moves as quickly as the threats they face.
– Flexibility, reasonable pricing and skilled people. They answer the phone immediately, and if something comes up, things happen quickly, says Kim Bruland, CISO at Fjord Line, about what characterizes Netsecurity.
Fjord Line is one of Norway’s largest ferry companies, with routes between Norway and Denmark. The company has had security monitoring for around ten years, but Bruland saw the need for a partner that could respond faster, tailor the solution more closely to their reality, and be more available in everyday work.
Photo: Kim Bruland from Fjord Line and Martin Mæle from Netsecurity
After assessing several suppliers, the choice fell on Netsecurity. Part of what set them apart was the willingness and ability to tailor solutions.
– They were not pushing ready-made solutions on us. They were honest, flexible, and highly skilled,” says Bruland.
An important clarification for Fjord Line was whether they should choose a dedicated security partner – one that does not also operate the systems they are supposed to monitor. One question was whether an external security partner would have sufficient insight into the systems.
– We went back and forth a bit, but concluded that it could actually be an advantage that operations and security are separate, says Bruland.
He believes that the independence helps make Netsecurity especially valuable, as they have no interests to safeguard other than keeping Fjord Line safe.
Photo: Fjord Line
What Bruland highlights as the most important difference in everyday work is the weekly meetings where Fjord Line and Netsecurity review and adjust the detection rules together.
In practice, this means that the monitoring constantly evolves in line with the company’s actual risk landscape, rather than based on a standard template. For a company with ships at sea, port terminals, ticketing solutions and a complex digital landscape, this provides a completely different level of precision than a one-size-fits-all solution.
– It is a concrete manifestation of flexibility. We sit together and fine-tune it, week by week, says Bruland.
The value of having Netsecurity close by also became clear when an incident occurred at one of Fjord Line’s subcontractors. Netsecurity was called into the meeting with the supplier.
– It was incredibly reassuring to have them with us. They were not afraid to ask difficult questions, in a good way. They were highly professional, Bruland says.
Photo: Fjord Line
For him, the choice of security partner ultimately comes down to trust – and having someone at your back when it matters. With stricter regulatory requirements from NIS2 and a constantly changing threat landscape, it is precisely the close dialogue and adaptability that he values most.
– It is a close collaboration, not just a customer relationship. They understand us and adapt to what we need, not the other way around.