Representatives from business, government and research gathered in Oslo for SINTEF's annual seminar on cyber security on 22 January to debate challenges and best practices. 

Key takeaways from the event are:

#1: Some of the most severe cyber-attacks, such as DDOS, are very easy to execute. Be prepared! Skandiabanken at SINTEF seminar on cyber risk.

#2: What exactly is cyberspace, and how does it affect the way we assess risk? The need for conceptual clarification was highlighted by practitioners and researchers.

#3: Malicious or not? Should the risk of cyber-attacks by actors with motive and intent be assessed in the same way as non-malicious cyber-threats? This question invoked a lively debate among practitioners and researchers.

#4: Four simple and effective ways to stop 80-90% of the most common attacks: (1) Upgrade your software and hardware. (2) Immediately install security updates as soon as they are available. (3) Do not give end-users administrative rights. (4) Do not allow the execution of non-authorised applications (use a whitelist).

#5: What do we mean by uncertainty? The importance of being precise and clear when communicating cyber-risk assessments to managers was highlighted.

The seminar offered a forum for promoting 'Cyber-Risk Management', November 2015, Springer Briefs in Computer Science, a book authored by SINTEF experts who are part of the WISER consortium. It was also the place chosen for the first sneak preview of the first WISER online tool specifically designed for small businesses, making it easy for them to assess their cyber risks. Watch this space!