Mikko Axelson

As a security evangelist As a security evangelist, I strive to make complex information easy to understand and advanced technology transparent to users. By visualizing and translating data into actionable insights, I provide businesses with intelligence that is easily comprehensible and can be used to make informed decisions.

My mission is to ensure that IT and related controls enable businesses and serve people, rather than disrupt or hinder them. One of my core principles is that it should be difficult to make mistakes and easy to do things correctly; otherwise, adjustments are necessary.

Successful and rapid decision-making relies on understanding whether the current situation is the same, better, or worse than it was yesterday.

Profile

I am an experienced principal information security advisor, architect, and consultant with a broad technical background in it-security, it- compliance, and risk management. I deliver my commitments efficiently and objectively with the highest quality.

Easy to work with and enjoy life, I live in Ekerö, Stockholm, with my beloved wife and son. To maintain work-life balance, I spend my free time with family, scuba diving (mostly with my son), and engaging in various construction activities, gardening, computers and home automation, photography, and video, although not all at once.

Since 1998, I have participated in and led several successful projects and roles in the field of information security, encompassing design, projects, and the implementation of infrastructure and security solutions.

Working in various roles as a leading security advisor, architect, creative manager, and mentor with a focus on security and compliance, I have gained broad knowledge in many areas and the ability to specialize when needed. I am accustomed to working both independently and in groups to achieve set goals and am appreciated by clients, teammates, and management.

My assignments have mostly been related to the financial sector and socially critical high-security solutions for the public sector, always with IT security and compliance in focus. This has given me a very good understanding of business requirements and how they affect IT and related risks and vice versa.

I always use a pragmatic approach to security and enjoy designing, implementing, and describing security solutions and related flows, as well as formulating criteria and evaluating solutions from a security perspective. I speak out and share my thoughts, whether positive or negative.

In summary, I am proficient in handling itsecurity-related assignments within strategy, architecture, design, risk and vulnerability assessments, visualization, cyber resilience, policies, and frameworks. I assess security and compliance for solutions, systems, and processes.

I have worked in the IT security field since 1998 and have been playing with computers since 1981..

Consultancy areas and expertise

Imagine... easily understanding whether your risk, security, and compliance levels are better, worse, or the same as yesterday. How would that impact your business decisions?

Informed business decisions are often based on gut feeling and the “it worked yesterday” principle. However, they become far more credible when grounded in comprehensible data and actual risk assessments.

With today’s tools, automation, and AI-driven Business Intelligence systems, this vision becomes reality. You no longer have to imagine.

If you are able to easily understand if your risk, security and compliance level are better, worse or the same as yesterday, how would that affect your business decisions?

Helping you in any area, from start to end or just between, click on the picture below to see how I can assist

Skills

  • General computers 40+ years
  • Information security 20+ years
  • Security assessments 20+ years
  • Documentation 20+years
  • Risk and compliance 10+years
  • PCI DSS, ISO2700x 15+ years
  • Network and security tech 20+y
  • Servers, virtualization and infrastructure 15+ years

Industry knowledge

  • Managed Services 20+ years
  • Financial Sector 10+ years
  • Public Sector 7+ years
  • National security 3+ years

Current certifications

  • CISSP, since 2009
  • CISM, since 2011
  • CRISC, since 2012

Language

  • Swedish, native
  • English, fluent

Employments

Security Consultant Trafikförvaltningen, CGI

May 27, 2022
Consultant at Trafikförvaltningen 2022 - Current Assists Trafikförvaltningnen in their security journey, for Swedish National Security Law, including most aspects within IT. Including, inventory, information classification, infrastructure, writing instructions, manuals and a lot more.

Security Manager, Public sector, CGI

Dec 1, 2021
Security Manager for customer in public sector, CGI Sweden 12/2019 – 11/2021 I served as Security manager for CGI Swedens total services delivery towards customer in public sector, including security management, security advisory, incident response, architecture, project, and governance. Taking

Service architecht, Sweden RegTech, CGI

Dec 1, 2021
CGI Sweden, 12/2021 – 05/2022, As service architect I'm responsible for architecting and developing the service offering architecture for RegTech unit and the Compliance Assurance services. Aside from the service development I support pre-sale for large BID for security and

Lead Information Security Advisor, Tieto AB

Jan 1, 2019
Lead Information Security Advisor, Tieto AB, 01/2017 to 01/2019 Worked as Lead Information Security Advisor, where I was one of the driving forces in the design and implementation of innovative IT solutions for compliance cloud (mainly based on PCI DSS)

Red team NISÖ 2018, Tieto

Feb 16, 2018
Worked as red team member within the Swedish national information security exercise NISÖ 2018 hosted by MSB. The exercise aimed to strengthen society's ability to handle national IT-related crises, primarily by developing the ability for cooperation and coordination between private

Lead Security Architect, Security services - Tieto

Jan 1, 2017
Lead Security Architect - Security Services, Tieto AB, 01/2016 to 01/2017Lead Security Architect within the unit for "managed security services" where independently conducted work on the requirements of services and to ensuring the security of deliveries, as well as sales

Lead Security Specialist, Tieto AB

Mar 1, 2016
Lead Security Specialist, Tieto AB, 11/2012 to 01/2016Lead Security Specialist in the network area, mostly with network-related security services, where I designed and implemented secure environments, designed PCI DSS certified infrastructure. Worked with sales and design of security services within

Senior Security Consultant, TrueSec AB

Nov 1, 2012
Senior Security Consultant, TrueSec AB, 03/2012 to 11/2012I worked as a senior security consultant, specializing in social engineering and security auditing / testing as well as evaluating the security level of various companies. The assignments included various ways to test

Senior Security Specialist, Tieto Sverige AB

Mar 1, 2012
Senior Security Specialist, Tieto Sverige AB, 01/2007 to 03/2012 Worked as a senior security specialist and network technician, where I designed and built high-security solutions for infrastructure for community-critical services and customers with the highest security and accessibility requirements. Gained

IT specialist, Abaris AB

Jan 1, 2007
IT Specialist for a software development company in the financial industry where I was responsible for the IT infrastructure and security at the offices in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. The broad variety of technical areas as network security, infrastructure, threats,

Engagement and interests

Engagement and having fun is key elements in success as a security advisor and manager, or any other area. I’m not afraid taking decisions, and I have no prestige in those decisions, better to take a faulty decision that can be adjusted then no decision at all. But most of all I need to have fun and challanging environments to thrive.

I adjust as we go along.


Diving with my son is something I realy enjoy, mostly dive in sweden and the red sea. CMAS** / SSI Diveguide

Prima eSport

Involved in eSport as my son finds it interesting, it’s an another world, So between 2019-2022 I was chairman of the board for Prima eSport Ekerö. Involved in bootcamps, LAN party and related activities

Hockey youth skating coach

Beetween 2015-2019 I was leader in youth hockeyschool as volunteer, training youth to scate and have fun

Hockey coach / leader Team-06

Between 2012-2019 I was headcoach/assistantcoach for Ekerö IK / Skå IK Team-06