Uploaded August 2025 | Updated September 2026, 8 hours ago
Erlend Andreas Gjære (Secure Practice, NO)
Erlend Andreas Gjære has studied security and people for 15 years, including six years as a research scientist, with a focus on training, awareness and culture, behavior and incident response. In 2017, he became a tech-founder at Secure Practice, to help people with digital security at scale. He has delivered more than one hundred preparedness exercises across Norway and Denmark, through a tour concept of free events to increase cyber preparedness among thousands of small and medium enterprises, with support from the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC), and winning the European Digital Skills Award 2024 for this effort.
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Preparedness exercises allow people to engage first-hand with a cyber incident scenario, seeing how they respond to various situations and dilemmas. They help us learn how to better respond to a crisis, but will often highlight risks and vulnerabilities which are possible to immediately convert to preventive mitigations. When multiple companies exercise together, participants can also learn from each other, and even make new security friends.This talk summarizes what we've learned through national cyber exercise tours in Norway and Denmark, where 5000 people who are responsible for IT, security and preparedness from 3500 companies have participated since last year. We will describe key findings from discussions and input across a wide range of sectors, roles and locations participating. You will also learn useful tips and tricks for facilitating your own exercises, to create awareness and good learning moments for all of your colleagues -- whether they are part of an incident response team or not.
Erlend Andreas Gjære (Secure Practice, NO)
Erlend Andreas Gjære has studied security and people for 15 years, including six years as a research scientist, with a focus on training, awareness and culture, behavior and incident response. In 2017, he became a tech-founder at Secure Practice, to help people with digital security at scale. He has delivered more than one hundred preparedness exercises across Norway and Denmark, through a tour concept of free events to increase cyber preparedness among thousands of small and medium enterprises, with support from the European Cybersecurity Competence Centre (ECCC), and winning the European Digital Skills Award 2024 for this effort.
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Preparedness exercises allow people to engage first-hand with a cyber incident scenario, seeing how they respond to various situations and dilemmas. They help us learn how to better respond to a crisis, but will often highlight risks and vulnerabilities which are possible to immediately convert to preventive mitigations. When multiple companies exercise together, participants can also learn from each other, and even make new security friends.This talk summarizes what we've learned through national cyber exercise tours in Norway and Denmark, where 5000 people who are responsible for IT, security and preparedness from 3500 companies have participated since last year. We will describe key findings from discussions and input across a wide range of sectors, roles and locations participating. You will also learn useful tips and tricks for facilitating your own exercises, to create awareness and good learning moments for all of your colleagues -- whether they are part of an incident response team or not.
