NetNordic Lions Earn Bronze in Splunk’s Boss of the SOC

We are the best in the Nordics!

NetNordic’s cybersecurity team, the NetNordic Lions, proudly secured third place in this year’s Splunk Boss of the SOC (BOTS), a premier global capture-the-flag competition for security operations professionals. The event brings together hundreds of teams across the EMEA region to solve real-world security incidents using the Splunk platform under tight time pressure.

The 2025 competition featured 367 teams and over 1,100 participants. For the third consecutive year, NetNordic Lions – comprising Nicolas Samaneh, Saku Mikola, Onni Knuutila, and Lauri Rantasalo – competed with the same trusted team formation. Their ranking fluctuated between first and third place throughout the four-hour challenge, ultimately earning them a well-deserved bronze medal – just a few points short of second place.

“This is what we do every day. Responding to security events under pressure is part of our routine,” noted team captain Nicolas Samáneh.

Participants tackled realistic threat scenarios using tools like Splunk Enterprise Security and Splunk SOAR. The scenarios mimicked actual cyber incidents, requiring deep expertise in data analysis, threat detection, and incident response. The difficulty level continues to rise each year, attracting many of the most capable SOC teams from across the region.

NetNordic Lions’ success highlights not only their technical skill but also the power of teamwork, experience, and a strong analytical mindset. It’s a testament to NetNordic’s commitment to operational excellence in cybersecurity.

Congratulations to all participants—and especially to our team. Go Lions!