- I packed my things, moved from Kristiansand to Oslo, and started my career in IT security. A year before completing her online studies in Networking and IT Security at Noroff, Torill Holm was offered a job at Atea.
Torill had worked in kindergarten for over ten years before deciding to change direction. She began online studies in Networking and IT Security at Noroff and found a flexible path into a new career.
- I wanted a program that could be combined with work and family life, and Noroff offered a direction that truly interested me.
Alongside her full-time job, she studied part-time and experienced that the courses provided both broad understanding and a solid foundation. In 2022, with one year left of her studies, she received a job offer from Atea – and took the leap.
Leading major security projects
Today she is a project manager for Atea’s national IT security team. She started on April 1 and immediately joined the work on this year’s Security Days – a series of conferences in five cities with presentations from both internal experts, Faktisk.no and partners.
- I started right away with Security Days, five major conferences in a row. Now we’re creating content for Security Champion – an internal training program – for the whole Nordic and Baltic region. In addition, I work with events, marketing campaigns, partner follow-up, and the podcast *Before the Alarm Goes Off*.
Photo: Private
When AI-Torill took the stage
This year’s Security Days culminated in the lecture “Face to Face with a Real Deepfake,” led by Atea’s CTO. The audience was introduced to a virtual version of Torill – AI-Torill – which demonstrated both the potential and risks of modern generative AI.
- We created the avatar with three short recordings: 15 seconds still image, 15 seconds of nodding and smiling, and a 90-second clip of me speaking. The voice was originally Danish, but we adjusted it to a Southern Norwegian dialect to make it more believable.
The avatar was connected to a language model and could answer questions in real time, even in Spanish, with synchronized lip movements and a natural tone of voice.
- It was fascinating to see how easy it was to make it work, and at the same time frightening how realistic the result became. We used it for learning and awareness, but it shows how easily the technology can be misused. It’s no longer a question of if we’ll be deceived, but when.
AI is changing security work
For Torill, artificial intelligence is both a driver and a challenge in the security field.
- AI has been used in automation for a long time, but now it’s available to everyone through tools like Copilot and chatbots. That makes data management and access control even more important. What data do we have, who has access, and who shouldn’t have it? Many probably need to clean up.
Torill started without much IT experience, but the online studies gave her both academic breadth and work habits she uses daily.
- The program gave me a basic understanding that makes it easier to build on new knowledge. Online studies require self-discipline and structure, and I bring that with me into my role as a project manager.
Photo: Private
Advice for new online students
- Make a plan and stick to it. If the plan fails one day, decide right away when you’ll make up for it. Find a network of fellow students to discuss with – it makes the study period less lonely and the learning better. Be curious: you don’t need to be equally good at everything, but find what you’re passionate about and dive deeper there.
Read more about Noroff Online Studies here.
Switching from kindergarten to IT meant new expectations and greater independence.
- At Atea you have 100 percent responsibility for your own deliveries, with leaders who support and cheer you on. I was also surprised at how much of my studies I actually use, and how many different roles the education opens up for.
Why Atea values Noroff graduates
Atea and Noroff have collaborated on curricula, guest lectures, and career days, and many at Atea have a Noroff background.
- Noroff provides practice-oriented competence. Students understand the theory and how it applies in real life, and that makes them attractive, she concludes.
