Digital defense starts with people
Cybersecurity isn’t just about technology or tools. It begins with people. In this episode of Meet Sandvik podcast, Dennis van de Wege, Product Area Architect Security Operations at Sandvik, explains why awareness and culture are the strongest lines of defense.
Episode 60
Digital defence starts with people
“Digital defense starts at the human. No matter how smart you are, there are always ways to trick the brain,” van de Wege says. Phishing emails, ransomware and espionage exploit human behaviour just as much as systems. “Humans are unfortunately easily tricked. Social engineering can override the logical centre — and once you can do that, you can make a human do something that also bypasses technological controls.”
AI is raising the stakes, enabling attackers to create smarter malware, but also giving defenders new ways to detect anomalies and respond faster. “Yes, it’s a battle of machines,” he explains, “but humans must stay at the buttons, otherwise we lose control.”
Cybersecurity habits that stick
One of the biggest misconceptions, he argues, is seeing cybersecurity as an IT problem. “It is a very large effort on a broader scale at a company to make sure that you protect your business, your computers and your people.”
And that protection starts with small, everyday actions. “Every employee’s choices matter, whether it’s checking an email carefully, labelling a file as confidential, or simply daring to ask questions,” van de Wege says. Multiplied across thousands of employees, these habits become powerful defenses.
For a global company, the real challenge lies in aligning culture and speed across divisions, countries and teams. The conclusion is clear: technology is vital, but people remain the true frontline of cybersecurity.
In each episode of the podcast Meet Sandvik you will meet different persons that give their perspective on Sandvik. Sometimes it´s an employee telling his or her story. Sometimes you will meet experts discussing how a hot topic can affect Sandvik.