Bollebygds municipality

When Ulf Aspelin, who previously worked as a teacher and principal, took on the role of coordinating information security, it felt natural to start using NanoLearning from Junglemap.
– For me, education and learning are absolutely central to changing behaviors, he says.

Networks and collaboration‍

Bollebygd Municipality is part of the Sjuhärad region, also known informally as the “Borås region.” Ulf Aspelin is part of a valuable network with other coordinators in the region, which also shares two data protection officers. While driven by resource constraints, this setup works very well.

With the rising number of cyberattacks, the question is no longer if a municipality will be targeted—but when. In this context, experience-sharing and collaboration are key to success.
– Most information security coordinators work alone. For me, it’s invaluable to share insights with others, says Ulf Aspelin. That’s how we create more transparency and reduce the shame associated with security incidents. For us municipalities, cybersecurity is ultimately part of national security.

Support from leadership‍

Bollebygd has four departments, each with its own core mission. Sparking interest in information security isn’t always easy, but a few success factors stand out. For Ulf Aspelin, executive support is absolutely crucial. His long tenure in the municipality also gives him general trust and credibility.
– We’ve been using Junglemap’s courses for just over a year now, and no one in leadership questions whether we should continue. Everyone sees the value and understands there’s still a lot of work to do in this area.

Increased awareness‍

As the person responsible for information security, Ulf Aspelin sees the risk when employees create their own systems for handling digital information—systems that may function as long as that person is around but fall apart if they leave. Often, these systems also fail to meet GDPR and other regulations.
– The courses from Junglemap have clearly been eye-openers for many. We have much greater awareness now compared to before we started with the training.

One group Ulf is especially proud to highlight is the municipality’s cleaning staff, who have achieved a strong 3.8 out of 5 on Junglemap’s STAR rating. They use iPads as part of their daily work, and there have been concrete signs of increased vigilance.
– I received reports from staff who suspected our room booking system had been hacked. It turned out to be a miscommunication, but their alertness was a very positive sign!

Follow-up through managers‍

Ulf consistently shares training results from various departments through their respective managers. This has sparked a kind of healthy competition between teams.
– It’s clear that engaged managers lead to engaged employees and better results. We’ve encouraged each other, celebrated with cakes, and tried to keep a spirit of “serious fun,” says Ulf Aspelin. Another positive outcome is that many people see personal benefits—they can use these insights in their private lives too.

Phishing simulation as a key component‍

Phishing remains one of the most common methods of cyberattack. That’s why Bollebygd has made good use of Junglemap’s built-in phishing simulations as part of their training. When Ulf Aspelin acts as the trusted sender of these simulations, quite a few employees click on the fake links—especially managers, where time pressure and trust are key factors.
– Since these attacks are getting more sophisticated, it feels only natural that our tests evolve as well, says Ulf Aspelin. Both I and the municipal director are convinced her name will likely be used in a real attack at some point in the future.

‍