Nortal

The consequences of a successful cyber-attack on a port are not abstract; they are concrete, immediate, and financially devastating. The convergence of IT, OT, and AI has unlocked unprecedented efficiency across port operations. At the same time, it has erased traditional security boundaries, introducing new forms of risk that extend far beyond data loss. The most visible costs are the ransoms paid and the expenses for remediation. A 2023 report from HFW and CyberOwl found the average ransom payment in the maritime sector has reached €2.76 million, with the average total cost of an attack, including remediation and initial disruption, hitting €473,790. These figures, however, are dwarfed by the costs of major incidents. The 2017 NotPetya attack, which was not even targeted at Maersk but hit the shipping giant as collateral damage, resulted in losses estimated between €172 million and €258 million. In this report we introduce the cyber risks the hyper-connected port ecosystem faces and present an integrated, three-pillar strategic framework for achieving maritime cyber resilience. Read it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dEdyzY5K

In complex environments, cyber risk often comes from not having a clear view of systems and how they connect. Without that visibility, decisions are made on incomplete information, which can lead to mis-prioritised risks and security gaps that only surface later. Our client in the defence sector operates a complex mix of IT and operational systems, including isolated environments. As the regulatory pressure and cyber risk increased, maintaining a consistent approach to security became difficult, as new requirements and priorities were applied differently across teams. The challenge wasn’t just technical, but organisational - bringing structure, visibility, and consistency to how risk was understood and managed. Together we strengthened and formalised cyber security governance, aligning it to the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF) and putting in place clear and practical ways to manage risk and meet regulatory expectations. This gave teams a more consistent way to understand risk and make decisions across a complex environment. Alongside this, we established core cyber capabilities, including system inventory, risk assessment, and continuous monitoring through a Cyber Security Operations Centre, integrated into existing processes. Risks are now identified early and managed before they impact operations, allowing the organisation to operate with greater confidence. For a closer look at how we approach cyber resilience in complex environments 👉 https://lnkd.in/dqzA5ndm

🏆 Nortal is the Technology Company of the Year 2026. The recognition was awarded at Estonia’s Digital Awards, organised by the Justiits- ja Digiministeerium / Ministry of Justice and Digital Affairs and presented by Minister Liisa Pakosta. The award recognises organisations whose work creates meaningful societal value, strengthens Estonia’s reputation as a digital nation and demonstrates bold innovation. We are proud and grateful to see Nortal recognised among the organisations helping shape the next chapter of digital society. We are equally proud that our Chief Government Technology Officer, Priit Liivak, was nominated for Digital Visionary of the Year 2026, recognising the people behind some of the most ambitious and forward-looking ideas emerging from Estonia this year. Congratulations to all nominees and winners, and especially thank you to everyone at Nortal whose work made this recognition possible, as well as to the public sector partners who trust us to help build the next chapter of digital society alongside them.

Pwrteams is now Nortal. Starting today, Pwrteams officially becomes part of the Nortal brand, bringing staff augmentation and Global Capability Centers together with Nortal’s expertise in software engineering, AI, cybersecurity and digital transformation. For clients, this means simpler access to a broader range of capabilities, delivery models and global engineering talent through one strategic technology partner. For our people, it brings new opportunities to grow within a global technology company. 750+ specialists across Europe and LATAM are now part of one Nortal team. 🚀 Read the news here 👉 https://lnkd.in/d5Wbuxzg #AllinWithNortal #Nortal #GlobalTeams

A clear pattern is emerging as teams adopt AI: the second wave is not about speed, but about what speed reveals. First, AI optimizes the slow, repetitive steps. Then a new set of bottlenecks appears - ones that were always present, but hidden. Once execution becomes fast, those hidden problems surface immediately, because there is no longer slack in the system to hide them. These are not technical problems. They are people and process problems: unclear ownership, weak requirements, poor timing of communication, slow decision-making. And unlike technical inefficiencies, these are much harder to fix. Our Group Head of Engineering Tanel Tensing wrote about the second wave of AI productivity and where the highest productivity gains come from with AI, read it here 👉 https://lnkd.in/dzKfT5j6

In defence, advantage comes from applying force where it matters most. It is now possible to apply the same manoeuvrist approach to solving legacy challenges in defence using AI. techUK just published an article by our Global Head of Cyber James Thomas and Chief Architect Priit Liivak arguing that AI is now making it possible to understand complex legacy systems well enough to focus effort where it delivers the greatest effect. Solving legacy problems turns allows defence to deliver capabilities such as AI-enabled decision-making and integrated operations faster and with less risk. Learn more ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dhzTjXDx

This is not a “drone story.” This is a national resilience story. The recent incident over Estonia, where a rogue drone was neutralised by a NATO fighter jet, points to something deeper than an airspace violation. Events like this have so far been mostly singular and contained. But resilience is not measured in isolated incidents. Detecting or stopping one object in the air is one scenario. Making sense of many, at once, across systems that were never designed to work together - completely different. In that reality, countering drones is no longer primarily a hardware problem, it is a coordination and data integration problem. Europe already has many of the sensors and systems needed to detect low-altitude threats. But they are fragmented across military, civilian, public, and private actors, making real-time understanding and response difficult. So the critical question is no longer “who owns the airspace,” but “who owns and orchestrates the operational picture”? Read more from the article 👉https://lnkd.in/dSCV_GY8

Breaking into working life is hard. Building something real makes it easier. Today in Kohtla-Järve, students at the e-state hackathon are using AI to tackle the exact barriers standing between them and the job market. We're proud to support the hackathon together with the Eesti Töötukassa (Estonian Unemployment Insurance Fund) and partners, and to stand behind the AI Leap (TI-Hüpe) initiative. Nortal's own Kadri Siinmaa, PhD (Principal Consultant) and Mari-Liis Kärsten (Senior UI/UX Designer) are on-site today, mentoring the teams. The best teams will follow up with a visit to Nortal's Tallinn HQ, to see firsthand how e-government gets built, and what role AI plays in shaping it. Idea to prototype in a single day, using bilt.me's vibecoding tool. Good luck to all the teams today.

We’re heading to #CyCon2026. As digital defence becomes a defining factor in security and resilience, CyCon, the flagship conference of the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence (CCDCOE), brings together the partners shaping that space. With this year’s theme “Securing Tomorrow,” we’re there to engage with NATO allies, governments and industry leaders, and to further strengthen our role as a trusted digital defence partner. Find us and let’s connect. Experts on site: 🔹 Nick Washer CMgr FCMI, Global Head of Defence 🔹 Peeter Smitt, Business Area Director, Defence 🔹 Kadri Haufe, Chief Business Officer, Cybersecurity 🔹 James Thomas, Global Head of Cyber 🔹 Aron H., Senior Vice President, Defence #NortalDefence

Most cyber security risk isn’t caused by a lack of policy, but by how decisions are made in practice. In large organisations, different teams often make design decisions in parallel, which can lead to rework and security gaps that only become visible once systems are built and in use. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) operates one of the largest and most complex digital environments in UK Government, where cyber security decisions directly impact national security and operational capability. Together with Defence Digital, we established and operated the MOD's Cyber Security Design Authority. This created a central point for cyber security design decisions, with a clear remit and operating model from day one. A key part of the work was turning policy into something teams could actually use. We built and maintained a centralised library of architecture patterns and guidance, supported by a self-service portal for architects and delivery teams. Over time, this enabled teams to apply Secure by Design principles more consistently and reduce rework across programmes. It also showed that governance becomes effective when it is embedded into how decisions are made, not just how they are reviewed. For a closer look at how we approach cyber resilience in complex environments 👉 https://lnkd.in/dmvr9ffs