SUMMARY: Once, a broom outside a Finnish home meant “no one’s inside” — a simple symbol of trust in a safer world. But in today’s digital age, that same trust can leave our data vulnerable. The age of cyber innocence is over, and every system must now be secured with care. Based in Finland, where cybersecurity laws don’t require backdoors, BestCrypt and BCWipe deliver transparent, trustworthy protection for sensitive data.
Cybersecurity in the Modern World
Years ago in Finland people used to put a broom in front of their door, so passers-by knew that there is no-one home. Hence they shouldn’t waste their time looking for someone inside. There were no locks as these would have been expensive, and there was little to steal in most houses. And even if there was, the thief would have been caught soon, due to everything being easily identifiable before the age of mass production.
Many of us still carry the values of that time. What is owned by another person, is his/her property, and doesn’t need to be put behind a lock. So every time a toy is stolen from ones backyard or a phone that was accidentally left in a restaurant isn’t there anymore the next day, people are surprised. Our world has changed too: a thief takes what is loosely attached, and a more dedicated thief takes also that what is tightly attached.
The same goes for cybersecurity. In Finland as well as other parts of the world, we have traditionally trusted that information or systems that seem to have no monetary value are safe from criminals. Only tabloids would care about medical records, and they would only care about the records of celebrities. Control systems of power plants and traffic lights do not interest anyone. Except that they do, now.
New Motivations for Cybercrime
Medical records can be sold, them coming publicly available would be a scandal, and their destruction would be a disaster – and the people delivering ransomware know this. Power plants or traffic lights can be used as a part of a hybrid operation, or they can be used in a botnet – the biggest known DDoS attack of 2016 was executed using millions of IoT-devices like security cameras, lamps and thermostats.
Real-World Consequences of Digital Vulnerability
Some attackers don’t even want to gain anything, they just want to cause harm. Even in the physical world you protect yourself and your property from thieves, spies and vandals in different ways. You should do the same in the cyberworld: Stuxnet was an attack by governments to harm Iran’s nuclear program, while hacktivists may want to harm companies they see as enemies. Sadly, a very common type of attack is ransomware, which harms your files, unless you pay the ransom: A criminal doesn’t care about your lost files, just the lost ransom.
When Ransomware Becomes the New Thievery
In our hands, we have the end of innocence in cybersecurity. Nowadays every door in the countryside has a lock. Similarly, we should properly secure every part of our computer systems that someone can get their hands on. When I say properly secure, I mean that we must think what are the ways someone could attack the system and also the ways someone could gain from attacking the system, and use this information to properly secure our systems. We cannot isolate our systems, and even if we could, it wouldn’t work: also systems that are isolated from the internet are successfully attacked regularly.
Everything is becoming connected – and everything that is connected can be hacked.
Mikko Hypponen
Learning from the Finnish Mindset
We still hold trust to a high regard in Finland, and that can help us turn threats to opportunities. Finland is one of the most non-corrupted, politically stable, transparent countries, with a high quality of life. Our cyber security laws don’t require companies to build backdoors to their products, and my appreciation of Finland as a constitutional state grows the more I follow current events around the world.
We trust, and we are trusted. Let’s put this trust to our products, and make sure that Finnish products are secure. A “made in Finland” mark in an elevator, machine or a cybersecurity program should be a sign, like a broom in front of a door: Do not bother, there is nothing for you inside.
Endpoint Data Protection Software by Jetico
Jetico provides pure and simple data protection software for National Security, Compliance and Personal Privacy. Trusted for over 10 years by the U.S. Department of Defense, Jetico’s BCWipe can wipe free space and securely erase files beyond forensic recovery such as in response to classified data spills, while BCWipe Total WipeOut can erase hard drive data entirely such as for disposal or decommission. To protect stored data, Jetico’s BestCrypt Container Encryption delivers encryption for selected files or folders, while BestCrypt Volume Encryption offers data encryption software for whole disks. Jetico Enterprise Editions include central management for client software control.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Trust creates transparency between technology providers and users. It means there are no hidden backdoors, encryption is genuine and security decisions are made responsibly.
Cyberattacks have expanded beyond financial institutions to target healthcare systems, IoT devices and critical infrastructure. Motivations now include not only financial gain but also espionage and political disruption.
Regular backups, data encryption and secure wiping of retired devices are essential. Avoid clicking unknown links or attachments and use reliable endpoint protection software.
Finland’s strong commitment to transparency, privacy and independence means products are developed without government-mandated backdoors. A Made in Finland label signals integrity, reliability and respect for user privacy.
BestCrypt provides encryption for files and disks while BCWipe securely erases data beyond recovery. These trusted tools have been used for over a decade by the U.S. Department of Defense to meet strict national security standards.