The market for security services has grown robustly in recent years. In addition to the deteriorating geopolitical situation, corporate espionage has increased.
Poorer personal finances have led to a greater willingness to take bigger risks to increase income, at the same time as the use of false certificates has increased. Companies have also taken risks when they have needed to quickly bring in additional professional resources. Ework’s offering in security services has become increasingly sought after, and we have noted a significant increase in our clients’ needs in this field. The services include security and background checks in conjunction with appointments to sensitive roles.
“In just one week a new hire can be connected directly to a company’s most sensitive systems. Companies that do not take their security measures seriously are now exposing themselves to great risks.” Tobias Flodeer, Manager Protective Services Team
What is the background to this service offering?
Tobias: For some time now, we have delivered solutions that are unique to our clients and in demand in such sectors as the defense industry and energy. Arun and I quickly realized that there was also a need in other industries, so we began packaging our solutions as services in order to offer these to more clients.
Arun: The services were available in various parts of our organization, but the level of deliveries varied. We began centralizing them, reviewed the forms of delivery and realized that the product range could be supplemented.
Has there been a tendency to not take security measures seriously?
Tobias: There were many clients who, as late as the spring of 2023, were saying that they were not interested in our services – but are now our clients. They may have experienced an incident and realized the value of the services. If the cost of our services is spread out across the full cost for a professional, it is a very small increase to ensure the trustworthiness of the individual who is being recruited.
What are the foremost advantages of Ework’s security services?
Arun: Our expertise. If we believe that the client ought to have something else, or if their needs ought to be managed differently, we say so. Managing this correctly and taking it seriously are important to us. This is not just another service delivery under a paper contract.
Cosette: We have used documentation from multiple clients that we have been able to compare, and we know what works best.
Tobias: By working with many clients in almost every industry, we can stay a step ahead and capture market trends. That way, our clients have more up-to-date information. Ework’s Protective Services team works independently from the rest of the company in order to avoid the risk of potential conflicts of interest in the security assessments.
What has been the best part of this journey?
Arun: Developing the service entirely organically has been stimulating both for me and our own operations. There were gaps in our knowledge that Ework gave us the opportunity to fill. Being on the cutting edge of these developments has been amazing.
Tobias: Being able to do something entirely new. We have taken on business that, as late as 2022, we didn’t think would be possible. It has incredible potential, and now we’ll see how far we can take this. We have had the opportunity to be entrepreneurs under Ework’s name, and it has been incredibly satisfying.
Cosette: For me, this journey has been almost explosive from the start. It has been a pleasure to watch this rapid development, and those of us working operationally have been given a great deal of scope to come up with proposals for how we will work. It has been tremendously exciting.
Cosette Boqvist Bäckman, Protective Security Coordinator
At first, I worked operationally as a security coordinator, and was part of drawing up the guidelines for physical security at all of our offices in every country. In the fall of 2022, I had the opportunity to start working part-time in a newly created role, but it became full-time almost from the start. The best thing about Ework has been that all three of the managers I’ve had have been positively disposed toward change. That’s been wonderful.
Tobias Flodeer, Manager Protective Services Team
I am a lawyer by trade, and after having worked with data protection at Electrolux I came to Ework. At first, I didn’t intend to stay so long, but in 2021 the opportunity to work with security and data protection arose. The best thing about Ework is the potential for development, and that it provides scope for coming up with new ideas. It is a genuine team effort, and your position in the hierarchy makes no difference.
Arun Supasree, CISO
Five years ago, I began working as a manager for Ework’s cybersecurity. I have been given more and more responsibilities in IT and security in general. It has been a real journey that has meant taking greater responsibility where needed. The best thing about Ework is that you can effect change. Nothing here is written in stone and cannot be updated, changed, or replaced. Working with security is not simply a problem to be solved; it drives business.
