Maja Legernæs: Loving the combination of working with hard and soft skills

- It has been a big change! This feels like a natural continuation in further developing the skills I have honed in that role. I now have more responsibilities, but also more impact on the important decisions relating to security, together with the ability to support my fellow Security Managers with the support from leadership that they need. I look forward to continuing to push for better security in everything we do!

Maja and her colleagues work with a wide range of cybersecurity topics, from access management to vulnerability management, risk management, threat intelligence, monitoring and incident management.

- Working together with colleagues is a big part of my day. I really enjoy brainstorming ideas with others, be it for a presentation, a technical solution, infrastructure, or something simple as an e-mail. Even though I worked very much alone on my master’s degree, and loved it, it turns out that working closely with others is even more rewarding.

With around 500 cybersecurity specialists at Tietoevry, Maja has no shortage of people to bounce ideas off and get input from.

Cybersecurity, a field of increasing importance

Cybersecurity is of increasing importance, and sometimes Maja needs a time-out from thinking about the impact of her work.

- We contribute to basically everything people need to live, society to function and businesses to operate. It would become somewhat overwhelming if I were to think about the importance of my job all the time. At the same time, taking a step back in a hectic day and reflecting on what I do gives me a boost. It’s all about striking the right balance – thinking, but not overthinking.

Maja has adapted a pragmatic and realistic approach to her job, knowing that she can’t predict or prevent all things that could go wrong.
- I accept that I can’t prevent everything, so it’s more about being ready and prepared to deal with the unforeseen. We simulate crisis scenarios on a regular basis, close security gaps and know what to do when we are needed.

Maja and her colleagues are well prepared for the present, while keeping an eye on the future. The field of cybersecurity is fast-paced and becoming even more sophisticated.

- Hackers become better at their job every day, and our job is to stay one step ahead of them. It’s an exciting race, we must up our game continuously. Just as other trends do, malware and techniques used by hackers change constantly. From simple denial of service attacks to using quantum computers to crack algorithms we never imagined can be cracked. The field of cybersecurity is wider in scope than most imagine. There’s no shortage of areas in which we can and have to develop our expertise. I say: Bring it on!

Flexibility in its true sense

Flexibility is a key word for Maja when it comes to her preferences at work and working remotely is one dimension of this flexibility.
- At Tietoevry, there is no “one size fits all”, which is a big plus for me. I can decide where I work and there are no outdated rules about how often you must be in the office.

There is also great flexibility when it comes to your field of expertise.
- I know that my manager would support me if I wanted to change my domain, moving away from cybersecurity. I have had many colleagues who have switched, both to and from cybersecurity.

A final aspect of flexibility Maja appreciates is the work/life balance.
- When I’m on, I can be 100% focused, but I also have the right to log off. No one expects me to respond to e-mails after hours. I know many other companies claim to have such policies but don’t always practice what they preach. Tietoevry does, thankfully. 

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