Trusted advisors from day one

Founded just over a year ago, Above IT is a specialized IT consultancy serving as trusted advisors to organisations IT departments. Unlike typical IT providers, Above IT offers strategic guidance rather than full-scale outsourcing. Co-founders Juha Kari (CEO) and Mika Hakkarainen (CTO) describe their role as acting like trusted advisors—or "consiglieres"—for their clients, navigating complex IT, security, and compliance challenges.

"We’re the trusted right-hand for our customers, helping them navigate their biggest worries: cybersecurity, data protection, budgets, and keeping business processes running smoothly," Juha explains.

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Navigating the Compliance Maze

From day one, Above IT prioritized information security and compliance—not due to regulatory requirements alone, but as a critical part of their credibility. With new EU regulations like NIS2 and frameworks such as ISO 27001 emerging, it became essential for them to demonstrate robust internal security practices.

Initially, they relied on manual Excel-based solutions. However, it quickly became clear that spreadsheets lacked the efficiency and clarity they needed.

Mika recalls, "We started working with Excel sheets, but soon realized it wasn't scalable. It was difficult to maintain and lacked the clarity we needed. We knew there had to be a smarter way."
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Discovering Cyberday: A better path forward

In spring, shortly after their founding, Above IT sought a better approach to managing compliance. After evaluating several options, including international tools, Cyberday quickly stood out due to many supported frameworks, ease of use, and clear guidance.

"What really sold us on Cyberday was how clearly it organized different regulatory frameworks and how intuitively it guided us through each step," Juha says. "The ability to cross-reference requirements made our compliance work significantly simpler."

Cyberday enabled Above IT to efficiently implement the NIS2 framework internally and transition smoothly towards ISO 27001 certification readiness. Mika and Juha quickly became enthusiastic advocates after experiencing Cyberday's clarity and ease of use firsthand.

"The very first night we had the trial version, we got so excited that we completed over a thousand tasks. It showed us immediately how much easier compliance could be compared to traditional methods."
_{Juha Kari, CEO}

Using Cyberday, the small team could clearly track progress, assign tasks flexibly, and adapt easily to fluctuating workloads. It provided transparency on their compliance status, enabling Above IT to proactively manage information security without overwhelming their lean operation.
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From complexity to clarity

Since adopting Cyberday, Above IT has seen significant improvements in both efficiency and clarity. Their initial compliance effort that began in spring was successfully completed by autumn—a timeline the two men couldn't have managed with spreadsheets alone.

"Cyberday provides clear structure and direction, significantly simplifying compliance. It saves us a tremendous amount of time compared to building everything manually with Excel sheets."
_{Mika Hakkarainen, CTO}

In addition to internal improvements, Cyberday boosted their market credibility. Prospective clients frequently turned sales meetings into compliance interviews, validating the importance of their investment in structured security management.

"We've experienced scenarios where potential customers shifted the focus from our services to asking about our internal compliance," Juha shares. "Having Cyberday and working towards ISO 27001 not only helps internally but also makes us more trustworthy in the eyes of clients."
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A strategic partnership that works

The benefits Above IT experienced led them naturally into a partnership with Cyberday, enabling them to offer the tool directly to their clients. Cyberday now complements their consulting services, helping clients simplify compliance and strengthen relationships between IT departments and company leadership.

"Cyberday fits seamlessly into our advisory services. When clients identify compliance issues through Cyberday, we’re ready to help them address these technical needs," Mika explains. "It strategically expands our business opportunities."

Additionally, Above IT appreciates Cyberday's responsive support, highlighting it as a standout advantage.

"The support team at Cyberday is excellent," Mika notes. "They're responsive, helpful, and always accessible right within the portal. This support is invaluable, especially for clients navigating compliance for the first time."
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Focusing on business, not spreadsheets

With Cyberday, Above IT – a lean, three-man startup at the start, now grown to five – significantly accelerated their compliance process, enabling them to concentrate on their core business rather than wasting valuable time managing spreadsheets. Cyberday not only streamlined their internal processes but also elevated their credibility and strengthened client relationships.

For businesses looking to simplify compliance and build trust through structured security management, Mika offers a clear recommendation:

"Give Cyberday a trial. You’ll quickly see its value. We don’t just recommend it—we rely on it ourselves."
_{Mika Hakkarainen, CTO}

Ready to simplify your compliance journey? Start your free trial of Cyberday today.