Author: Martin Strid

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link22 awarded Master Gazelle

link22  /  Articles by: Martin Strid

link22 awarded Master Gazelle

Our main task is to protect critical infrastructure, ensure citizen privacy, and enable efficient work in vulnerable environments. Silence is a good sign, everything works. This aligned with our purpose, but sometimes we also need explicit confirmation. If we do a good job, word spreads and more businesses want to do business with us. Therefore, receiving the Master Gazelle award from Dagens Industri gives us extra energy.

Välkommen Peter Alvarsson

Master Gazelle companies are those that have been awarded Gazelle Company for three or more years. To become a Gazelle Company, the following must be met:

  • A net turnover exceeding SEK 10 million, according to the latest annual report.
  • At least ten employees, according to the latest annual report.
  • Increased its turnover by at least double, if you compare the first and the last financial year in the four-year survey period.
  • Increased its turnover every year for the past three years.
  • A positive operating profit for the last four financial years.
  • In essence, grown organically, not through acquisitions or mergers.
  • Sound finances.

Very few companies succeed in becoming a Master Gazelle. Link22 achieved this feat in just three years, in other words, the shortest possible time.

"For over ten years, we have patiently built a stable company ready for growth. This has allowed us to grow rapidly without compromising on quality."

- Conny Ljungqvist - link22 CEONow the work continues for a continued safe and efficient society. If you want to join our journey, we gladly accept your application. Read more about opportunities on our career page.

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Link22 granted membership in Swedish defense industry organisation

link22  /  Articles by: Martin Strid

Link22 granted membership in Swedish defense industry organisation

We at Link22 are proud to announce that we have been accepted as members of the Security and Defense Companies (SOFF) industry organisation. SOFF is an industry organisation for companies in the security and defense sector with operations in Sweden, aimed at promoting the competitiveness of its member companies.

We see that the market for cybersecurity is huge and there is room for more players and growth, the same goes for the defense industry as a whole. The security situation will always be challenged, and it is necessary for market-competitive actors to also collaborate towards the higher goal of creating a safer society.

As members of SOFF, we have the opportunity to participate in the work to ensure that the security and defense industry in Sweden has the best conditions to operate successfully. We look forward to collaborating with other leading companies in the industry and contributing to market-promoting processes and activities.

Välkommen Peter Alvarsson

The world is rapidly being digitized, more and more things are being connected. Authorities are digitizing, industries depend on digital systems and critical infrastructure is connected. The concepts of cybersecurity and general security have an increasingly larger overlap. The situation is becoming more complex, which puts higher demands on the solution. We look forward to collaborating with both direct colleagues and new partners through our membership in SOFF.

We are convinced that this membership will be important for our continued work in the security and defense industry. We are grateful for the opportunity to be a part of an organisation with such a strong position and influence in the industry, and we look forward to contributing to SOFF's work. As one of Sweden's leading cybersecurity companies, it is a natural step for us to be members and we believe we can contribute to the work towards a thriving market for member companies, both domestically and internationally.

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Renewed ISO 9001 quality certification

link22  /  Articles by: Martin Strid

Renewed ISO 9001 quality certification

Välkommen Peter Alvarsson

Quality

Quality is of utmost importance to us. Our security products must meet every attempt at intrusion, without exception. When our customers are subjected to an attack, they have only one chance to defend themselves. We must succeed every time for our customers to maintain their effectiveness. When it comes to defense, quality is preferable over quantity. Our products need to maintain high quality and in order to achieve this, we believe that the entire operation must maintain high quality. Values spread across people, domains and tasks, we value quality. That's why it's self-evident for us to meet the requirements of ISO9001 which deals with quality assurance of operations, and we are proud to announce that we have just renewed our quality certification through third-party certification body DNV.

We look forward to continuing to deliver cybersecurity without compromise.

 

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Three government security challenges solved with data diodes

link22  /  Articles by: Martin Strid

Three government security challenges solved with data diodes

Appropriate data security

As government authorities are becoming more vulnerable to various types of cyberattacks, it is crucial to prioritize cybersecurity and implement systematic measures to protect against these threats. An important aspect of cybersecurity is selecting the appropriate solutions, such as data diodes, which are designed to withstand attacks and provide a high level of security for sensitive information. By utilizing data diodes, government authorities can effectively address a range of IT security issues and ensure the protection of data security.

The data Diode

A data diode is a cybersecurity solution that utilizes one-way-communication to exchange information. This hardware product provides high assurance in maintaining the integrity of networks by preventing intrusions, while also protecting sensitive information through maintaining network confidentiality. Data diodes are an important part of any comprehensive cybersecurity strategy.

säkerhetsprodukt link22

Data diode or Firewall?

When it comes to protecting sensitive or classified information from leakage or manipulation, one common solution is to completely disconnect it from other networks. However, there may be times when data needs to be transferred to or from the protected network. In these cases, a firewall may not be sufficient for improving cybersecurity. While a firewall can help protect the network by only allowing certain traffic through, a high assurance supplement in the form of a Cross Domain Solution (CDS) may also be necessary. A CDS, like a data diode, helps to maintain secure information exchange between domains with different security or protection needs. Data diodes, specifically, are a type of CDS that facilitate communication, sharing, or movement of information between domains while also applying validation, transformation, or filtering to the exchange.

Secure File Transfer

One use of data diodes for government authorities is secure file transfer. When transferring important information from a high-security system to a lower-security administrative office network, there is a risk of security breaches. However, by using a data diode to send the data from the high-security network to the lower-security network, the information can be transmitted safely while maintaining the integrity of the high-security network. The data diode ensures that no one can use the same connection to access the sensitive network and potentially manipulate it while also protecting the sending domain.

Learn more about the functions of data diodes here.

Using data diodes for traceability and logging in security-sensitive operations

Centralized log collection in security-sensitive systems can increase the risk of attacks. To mitigate these risks, a solution is needed that protects both log information and all connected systems.

Many IT systems generate logs that allow for troubleshooting and traceability. To maximize the usefulness of these logs, it is important to collect logs from as many systems as possible into a central system for storage and analysis.

If you have security-sensitive or zoned systems and want to implement centralized log collection, you must consider the inherent goal conflict. Logging benefits from having a common system for all zones/subsystems, but a common system increases the risk of various types of attack and the risk of information leakage between the supervised systems.

Data diodes can provide powerful protection for centralized log collection. Each zone that delivers log information is protected with a data diode. The data flow is unidirectional towards the log system. This allows for the use of a common log system, regardless of the number of zones that deliver data to it. 

Read more about logging and CDS here.

Welcome Henrik Nilsson!

Secure Updates

As the use of Windows and/or Linux based systems within ICS/SCADA has grown, the need to update these systems has become more pressing. This is because complex software often contains bugs that need to be fixed in order to maintain system stability and security.

However, if not done properly, the process of updating can itself pose a security risk. The integrity and availability of the systems must be maintained, and most system updates are not adequately evaluated in the environment in which they are used or in combination with the applications that are running.

One way to securely perform updates is by using a data diode to ensure one-way communication. The data diode is connected in such a way that information can be imported into the system, but since no traffic can be transmitted in the opposite direction, information leakage is prevented.

We know the in and outs of data diodes from a cybersecurity point of view. Please do not hesitate to ask us anything.

Book a demo or a meeting here.

Welcome Henrik Nilsson!
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A national safety discussion secured by Shield

link22  /  Articles by: Martin Strid

A national safety discussion secured by Shield

A meeting between military Officers and the ministry of defense is held with security support from Shield

Mobile phones are relatively easy to use for eavesdropping on meetings. Phones are therefore an attractive target for foregin powers who want to conduct espionage. They can be hacked through downloaded apps that have access to the microphone and by physically getting a hold of the phone to install malicious software. This means that a phone should never be left out of sight and that a phone never should be laying around during a meeting where sensitive information is discussed. An obvious cyber security conundrum.

Safety meeting

Shield is our solution to this problem, a noise-box especially developed to make phones less of a security risk. Here is an example of how Shield can be useful in a meeting between politicians and national defense.

Two high ranked officers have a meeting with the defense ministry and two politicians from the ruling party. None of the participants want to leave their phone out of sight as it is a security risk for them. They enter the meeting room and put their phones in Shield. One of the politicians has a smartwatch that she puts in the Shield. The meeting is held at full discretion.

Read more about Shield here.

Welcome Henrik Nilsson!
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The Year 2022

link22  /  Articles by: Martin Strid

The Year 2022

The record year 2022

2022 has been a record year for Link22. Not only have we closed record-large deals, but we have also gained renewed trust from our customers when it comes to protecting critical infrastructure, integrity, and data. Our customers have been very satisfied with this year's deliveries, which is the most important thing for us.

But it's not just our customers who have shown trust in us. We have also been named a Gazelle company for the third year in a row by Dagens Industri, something we are very proud of. In addition, our CEO Conny Ljungqvist has been nominated for Entrepreneur of the Year by EoY.

During the year, we have also participated in Innovation Day and the cybersecurity fair Sec-t, which has given us the opportunity to showcase our products and services to a wider audience. We have also expanded our office with new, nice premises, which has given us even more room to grow and develop. In addition, we have strengthened our team with several new employees, including Björn Knuthammar, Peter Alvarsson, Joakim Forsberg, Kevin Kvissberg, Elis Hallqvist and Hanna Karlström.

We have been Quality Certified according to ISO 9001:2015, which is important because we promise to deliver uncompromising security and therefore consistently high quality.

During the past year, we have launched new products, including the Data Diode Proxy 3.5, which has been well received. This shows that we are not only a reliable partner, but that we also constantly strive to develop and improve.

Finally, we would like to thank all of our customers and partners who have placed their trust in Link22 during the year that has passed. We look forward to an even stronger 2023 together with you.

The employees at link22 donated their Christmas gifts to charity through the Red Cross.

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year from all of us at link22!

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Cyber security for the toughest security requirements.

link22  /  Articles by: Martin Strid

Cyber security for the toughest security requirements

More of everything

We feed more people with fewer resources, we educate more humans faster and more people live in luxury. All thanks to the printing press, the agricultural revolution and the industrial revolution. It's now clear that digitalization is taking over in order to optimize and improve society further. Products are being connected, information is being created and shared in real-time, people are meeting, value is being saved on blockchain networks, and the list goes on. Society is changing fundamentally and everyone is affected.

Cybersecurity

What was once protected by guards, locks, and long distances need new types of defense in our digital world. Cybersecurity is essential to maintain function and security in society. Our product portfolio is the result of 16 years of helping organizations and businesses meet the highest security requirements. We offer the market-leading off-the-grid laptop Outpost, which is used by hundreds of customers. Outpost is the best in the industry and ensures compliance with the highest security requirements in Sweden.

Full control

Government agencies, businesses, municipalities, defense forces, infrastructure, and individuals are all interconnected. The economies of scale are obvious and the challenges are many.

How do we protect critical infrastructure? How can we digitize government agencies without jeopardizing the integrity of the citizen? How can we link domains with different security classifications? How do we give people access to data without making them targets for extortion? How do we make it easy for citizens to administer their personal data without enabling manipulation from anyone else?

Welcome Henrik Nilsson!

Take back control

To have full control, meet data security requirements and privacy guidelines, the solution in many cases is a so-called on-premises solution. We are specialists in this area. A number of cases have taught us how a government agency or company can maintain its effectiveness without having servers, data storage or processor power outsourced to a third party. Full control without compromise.

Adaptability

The digital landscape is constantly changing, so adaptability is key. We deliver ongoing modular solutions to help our customers who constantly face new needs, requirements, and threats. We are a long-term and reliable partner in an ever-changing world of cybersecurity.

Contact us for a free initial consultation on how we can work together to address your cybersecurity needs.

Welcome Henrik Nilsson!
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Shield preventing insider trading within big pharma

link22  /  Articles by: Martin Strid

Shield preventing insider trading within big pharma

Shield helps to safely reveal test results from cancer medicine research within a pharmaceutical company

Mobile phones are relatively easy to use for eavesdropping on meetings. Phones are therefore an attractive target for competing companies and insider traders who can benefit from conducting espionage. They can be hacked through downloaded apps that have access to the microphone and by physically getting a hold of the phone to install malicious software. This means that a phone should never be left out of sight and that a phone never should be laying around during a meeting where sensitive information is discussed. An obvious cyber security conundrum.

Shield is our solution to this problem, a noise-box especially developed to make phones less of a security risk. Here is an example of how Shield can be useful when sensitive information is to be discussed at a big pharmaceutical company.

Insider trading prevention

A publicly traded pharmaceutical company that is a lucrative target for insider traders has an internal meeting to go through test results for a new cancer medicine. The information of discussion will heavily affect the stock price. None of the participants can leave their phone out of sight since an unattended phone is at risk of being manipulated. All phones and smartwatches are put inside Shield before anything regarding the tests results are discussed. Shield is placed inside the meeting room.

Read more about Shield here.

Welcome Henrik Nilsson!
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The NIS2 Directive

link22  /  Articles by: Martin Strid

What is the NIS and NIS2 directive?

The article is an introduction to the NIS directive and the NIS2 directive, aiming to strengthen the EU's protection of critical infrastructure. We briefly go through what the directive means in practice and who is affected. We help businesses manage security challenges with tailored solutions. Book a demo to discuss how NIS affects you and what measures you may need to take.

Secure cloud system with link22

About the NIS directive

(The Directive on security of network and information systems) The purpose of the NIS directive is to heighten the security levels for critical infrastructure in the European Union.

link22 and the NIS Directive

The NIS Directive affects each company and organization differently, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to meet the requirements and stay efficient. It can be hard to assess whether or not the NIS Directive affects your company at all. We have helped governments, organizations and companies with challenges like this for 16 years and can be of use in many ways. It can seem complicated to determine what this means for you; what are you obliged to do or not to do? If you are unsure about this we suggest that you book a demo with us where we make an assessment together. Based on your situation we reason together and specify what you need to do to meet the new requirements and most importantly to secure what's valuable in your possession.

What does the term “directive” mean in this context?

It means that it can be incorporated differently in every member state to functionally harmonize with local legislation. In Sweden, the NIS-directive came into force on august the first in 2018 though The information security law.

Why does the NIS directive exist?

The NIS-directive was created to protect european citizens by heightening security around critical infrastructure within the member states. Specifically by improving information security related to critical infrastructure.

Digitalization gave rise to NIS and NIS2

The number of hacker attacks from criminal organizations and nation states has increased significantly. Attacks are more sophisticated and so are the motifs. Hackers are not just in it for money, elections and national security is also at stake. Cyberwar is a fact. There is good reason to prevent and prepare for attacks to keep critical infrastructure intact. The NIS and NIS2 directive is ultimately meant to serve european citizens.

The NIS directive affects certain industries

Energy, health care, transport, finance, water supply and digital infrastructure are considered critical according to the NIS directive. Companies and organizations within these sectors are obligated to secure their information according to the NIS directive.

The NIS directive in reality

The NIS directive means generally stricter security requirements around information security. Concerned entities must consider people, process and technology when securing information. They need to classify information and systems. These entities must also prepare for the eventualities that an attack may lead to and specify action plans to increase resilience. Continuous knowledge gathering by incident reporting is mandatory with the purpose of always becoming more prepared. Companies and organizations are expected to direct their NIS-related actions towards network and information-systems.

The NIS2 Directive

To oblige- and benefit by the NIS-directive

The NIS directive is a useful place from which to start making valuable cybersecurity improvements. Best practice in this case may be to first create an overview of the organization as a whole and then extract potential and useful changes in order to improve information security. Some processes are crucial for core functionality, some individuals have access and responsibilities that make them targets for extortion and some parts of the technical infrastructure are more vulnerable than others. This is properly complemented by an external assessment of the external cybersecurity landscape, specifically what kind of attacks that are common and what kind of attacks that may become common in the future. Information transfer between security domains and/or networks are, for example, one of the most exposed and vulnerable situations in cybersecurity today. Implementation of data diodes, countersign and encryption are three actions that will make a significant difference for many organizations in the coming years. Separate domains for different security levels is a good idea that can be implemented when one has specified what information is more important than the other. A clear information hierarchy is necessary to maintain efficiency and security.

The NIS-2 directive to improve the NIS directive

The NIS directive includes continuous review to ensure incremental improvements and adaptations to meet the change rate of the digital world. This has resulted in NIS 2.

Identified weaknesses

  • European companies do not have sufficient ability to defend themselves against cyber attacks
  • European companies do not have sufficient ability to stay operational during a cyberattack
  • European companies do not have sufficient ability to return to normal functionality after a cyberattack
  • Some sectors and states are significantly stronger than others, the European digital landscape has obvious weaknesses
  • The cyber threat awareness among EU member states is low
  • There are no common crisis management practices regarding cyberattacks within the EU

Improvements through the NIS 2 Directive

The NIS directive has been extended to further enhance security. Here are some of the most important add ons:

  • New sectors have been added
  • Increased minimum security and reporting requirements
  • Stricter supervisory measures for nation authorities
  • Stricter compliance requirements for nation authorities
  • Administrative fines has been made possible
  • Increased cooperation and increased information sharing between Member States' authorities

The NIS2 Directive affects more entities

NIS2 covers more sectors and more companies and organizations within each sector. The original NIS-directive considers energy, healthcare, transport, finance, water supply and digital infrastructure as critical for a functional society. With NIS2, public administration, pharmaceutical production, critical medicine technology and space has been added to the list.

The NIS2-directive also affects sectors in the periphery of critical infrastructure, these include; waste disposal, chemicals, post service, food, motor vehicles, production of medical machines, computers and electronics, machine equipment and digital suppliers

The majority of affected entities are medium and large enterprises within the above mentioned sectors but some small companies may also be affected depending on their profile.

link22 and the NIS Directive

The NIS Directive affects each company and organization differently, there is no one-size-fits-all solution to meet the requirements and stay efficient. It can be hard to assess whether or not the NIS Directive affects your company at all. We have helped governments, organizations and companies with challenges like this for 16 years and can be of use in many ways. It can seem complicated to determine what this means for you; what are you obliged to do or not to do? If you are unsure about this we suggest that you book a demo with us where we make an assessment together. Based on your situation we reason together and specify what you need to do to meet the new requirements and most importantly to secure what's valuable in your possession.

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    Helena Gällerdal Högfeldt
    sales@link22.se
    +46 13-13 24 00

    Helena Gällerdal Högfeldt
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    Björn Knuthammar joins link22

    link22  /  Articles by: Martin Strid

    Björn Knuthammar joins link22

    Välkommen Peter Alvarsson

    Welcome Björn

    It is with pride we announce that Björn Knuthammar just joined team link22. He brings with him years of valuable experience from The Swedish Defence Research Institute, RISE, Flextronics and Ericsson. We asked a few questions regarding work, cybersecurity and life in general.

    Björn puts competence and exciting technology first. Cybersecurity excites him because it is a technical challenge with societal security at stake. He welcomes the change it means to go from a large to a small company;

    “I look forward to working in a small company with tight communication between leadership, sales and development.”

    Björn spends his spare time in the woods, either running or looking for a golf ball as a consequence of a missed shot.

    We are on an expansive and exciting journey. If you or anyone you are in for a rewarding challenge in an industry with a bright future we recommend a visit at our career site.

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