Norway’s computer and network security sector sits close to the country’s most critical digital infrastructure. From national communications and transport systems to healthcare, defense, and enterprise environments, security leaders in this industry are expected to operate where availability, trust, and resilience are non-negotiable. The CISOs below stand out for combining deep technical grounding with strategic judgment, often shaped by experience in high-assurance, regulated, and operationally demanding environments.
Sverre Skipenes — Chief Information Security Officer, blinQ AS
Sverre Skipenes brings a rare blend of operational, architectural, and strategic security experience shaped by work in defense, aviation, telecommunications, and large-scale digital transformation programs. His background spans security-critical systems in Telenor Norge, Avinor’s Remote Towers initiative, and overseas defense communications, where availability, encryption, and controlled access are foundational. This experience has produced a security leadership style that balances strong governance with practical delivery, always anchored in business value and operational reality.
Øystein Balstad — Chief Information Security Officer, Defendable
Øystein Balstad combines hands-on security leadership with strong engagement in the broader security community. As Chief Information Security Officer at Defendable and an active leader within the Cloud Security Alliance Norway Chapter, he brings a modern, cloud-oriented perspective to security governance. His background in healthcare security and advisory roles reflects a pragmatic approach to risk, compliance, and operational security, particularly in environments where trust and continuity are essential.
Oddbjørn Skauge — Chief Information Security Officer, Sicra AS
Oddbjørn Skauge is an experienced technology and security executive with a strong track record in enterprise-scale transformation. His leadership spans cybersecurity governance, information security management systems, regulatory readiness, and large IT operating model changes across international organizations. Known for treating security as a business enabler rather than a constraint, he focuses on simplifying complex landscapes, strengthening decision-making through data, and ensuring security scales alongside digital maturity.
Jan Harry Haraldsen — Chief Information Security Officer, Applica Consulting AS
Jan Harry Haraldsen represents a deeply technical security leadership profile rooted in embedded systems, real-time software, and regulated development environments. With long experience in software architecture, quality assurance, and standards-driven engineering, his approach to security is tightly integrated with system design and lifecycle management. This background is especially valuable in safety-critical and industrial contexts where software reliability, validation, and compliance must coexist.
Tobias Aabel — Chief Information Security Officer for Scandinavia, Sopra Steria
Tobias Aabel brings a distinctive blend of intelligence analysis, law enforcement experience, and enterprise security leadership. His career spans organized crime investigation, financial sector risk governance, and large consulting environments, shaping a security mindset focused on situational awareness, resilience, and third-party risk. As a regional security leader, he emphasizes structured decision support, incident readiness, and the integration of security into complex client ecosystems.
Securing the Backbone of Digital Norway
The computer and network security industry underpins much of Norway’s digital economy and public services. The leaders featured here operate where failure is not an option, translating security principles into operational stability, regulatory confidence, and long-term trust. Their work highlights how modern security leadership is as much about judgment and coordination as it is about technology—especially in environments that form the backbone of a connected society.