Discussing the future of ICT security education (left-right): Harald Holt (Noroff), Reidar Grevskott (Project Manager), Arnt Aske (GCE NODE) and Otto Isaksen (Digin).

Leading experts and people from GCE NODE, Noroff and Digin joined forces to propose building blocks for a new ICT security education.

At a meeting in Kristiansand Monday, experts from The Norwegian Data Protection Authority (Datatilsynet), The Norwegian National Security Authority (NSM) and The Norwegian Communications Authority (Nkom), among others, shared their knowledge and thoughts on ICT security. And representatives from various companies weighed in with their views on an increasingly important topic.

“The goal is to establish a fore-front education on ICT security; not merely a theoretical college-level course, but a practical approach. ICT security will always be about technology, but culture and human behavior are as important issues to address,” says Arnt Aske, Business Development Digitalization at GCE NODE.

MANAGEMENT DISCUSSION
Monday’s meeting was part of a project, which involves partners GCE NODE, Digin and Noroff College. In addition to presentations given by top ICT security experts, the meeting reviewed findings from a survey and in-depth interviews with higher-ranking officers in companies participating in the project.

According to the survey, 75 per cent of companies interviewed said they had discussed ICT security in senior management teams within the last month.

“This is encouraging! When management starts talking about ICT security, we start changing behavior,” says Aske.

PILOT COURSE THIS FALL
The next phase of the project is to define a curriculum, the base for a pilot course offered by Noroff starting this fall.

“More and more machines and gadgets are being connected every day. The Internet of Things has significant potential for companies and industries, but we need to remember the risks associated with the fully connected world,” says Aske.

The project is funded by Innovation Norway.