Protecting the Future: WithSecure's Approach to Cybersecurity

The Finnish cyber security company WithSecure, which employs a team of 90 people in Poland, has established Poznań as a key center for product development and management. The company has been operating in the market since 2015, and in June 2023 moved to new premises at the Andersia Center in Poznań, where it also organizes various cyber security events. We had the opportunity to talk to Leszek Tasiemski about their presence on the Polish market and the valuable cyber security education and support they provide to local communities. 

WithSecure has been highly visible in Poland this year, with various events and community initiatives. Can you give us a brief overview of your recent activities?

One good example is our WithSecure truck, which recently made a stop at the Stary Browar yard in Poznań. The truck is a mobile meeting space equipped with an educational game that helps our customers understand cybersecurity in a fun, hands-on way. It travels across Europe, spreading awareness. With our new Poznań office, we are ready to be hosting a range of events for businesses, communities and social circles. 

Another long-standing initiative is our CyberHero program (Cyfrowy Bohater), where we visit schools to conduct training sessions and workshops for students, teachers, and parents, teaching online safety practices to keep kids safe on the internet. The program is particularly active in Poznań, but we also offer online sessions nationwide. We have team members specializing in different age groups to ensure that these sessions are engaging and age appropriate. Over the past couple of years of this project, we have visited numerous schools and trained thousands of kids and adults. 

And we’re also involved in some NGO activities. We actively work with local Fundacja Czas Kobiet on topics connected with cyber violence. 

Are education and digital security initiatives an important part of the company's strategy?

Absolutely, they’re a natural fit for our strategy. While we are a commercial company, we’re also dedicated to improving societal safety, especially in the digital space. Our team’s expertise can make a real difference in the community, so offering this support is rewarding. It’s not just about business; it’s about making a positive impact.

Do you also work with local universities?

Yes, we have an active partnership with the Poznan University of Technology and the University of Economics in Poznań. I was surprised to find that the University of Economics in Poznań has a very high quality faculty of information science, including cybersecurity. Although this program doesn’t give an engineering title, students can still gain engineering-level skills and come fully prepared to work in the field. Many students at these universities have a strong background in technical fields, so we are glad to have technical specialists from the University of Economics in Poznań on our team.

It sounds like Poznań has a solid talent pool for cybersecurity. How do you view the local labor market?

Yes, both universities are excellent, and there are also private institutions. The labor pool is strong and Poznań deserves its label as the “city of Know-how”. Of course, we are seeing a shift in the labor market; it was a total employee market two years ago, and now the situation is somewhat the opposite. 

How long has the company been in operation and how many people are on the Poznan team?

WithSecure was originally part of F-Secure, which started in Poznan in 2015, when it acquired N-Sense. The two companies officially split in 2022. Our Poznan team is quite international, with 90 people and members from countries such as the UK, Ukraine,Vietnam, Italy, France and Tunisia. We have people associated with the Poznań office spread around Poland. 

How are your sales in Poland at present? 

Poland is not our main market, but it is stable, which is important to us. Compared to other markets, Poland is relatively small in the whole group. For this reason, our office in Poznań focuses exclusively on product development, though we have a sales presence in Poland. This strategy allows us to make better use of our resources to improve our offerings and tailor them to customers' needs. It can help us increase our presence on this market in the future.

You mentioned partnerships with NGOs earlier. Could you tell us more about it?

We partner with a local Poznań non-governmental organization – the Fundacja “Czas Kobiet” which supports women facing various forms of violence. WithSecure specifically addresses cyber violence, which often involves cases where a woman’s current or former partner tries to monitor, harass, or impersonate her online. We offer practical assistance, along with publications and educational materials. It’s important to raise awareness that violence doesn’t have to be physical to be harmful. Unfortunately, some outdated attitudes still dismiss invisible forms of abuse. The old mentality that “if there is no blood, there is no violence” still exists. Of course, this varies from police station to police station, but sometimes it still happens. That's why we try to raise awareness that violence doesn't have to be visible. Through WithSecure’s support, we can use our enterprise-grade Elements software to protect affected women free of charge.

Thank you for this interesting conversation and we look forward to the 10-year party!

Thank you!