SSH COMMUNICATIONS SECURITY OYJ

Their core work

SSH Communications Security is a Finnish cybersecurity SME specialising in secure access management — controlling who can reach critical systems, under what conditions, and with what credentials. Their core commercial work centres on privileged access management (PAM) and privileged identity management (PIM), helping enterprises govern access to sensitive cloud infrastructure. In H2020 they applied this expertise to develop credential-free, zero-trust access architectures for cloud environments (EPICA) and later extended their security capabilities into industrial IoT systems operating in harsh physical conditions (CHARM). They function as a technology vendor bringing production-ready security products into research consortia rather than conducting basic research.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their first H2020 project (EPICA, 2019), SSH focused squarely on enterprise cybersecurity fundamentals: cloud access control, privileged identity management, and authentication protocols — the core of their commercial product line. By 2020, when they joined CHARM as a participant, the keyword set shifted entirely toward industrial IoT, sensors, harsh environments, and manufacturing, indicating they are positioning their secure-access technology for operational technology (OT) and Industry 4.0 contexts. The trajectory is a deliberate move from IT security (cloud, enterprise) toward OT/IIoT security (factory floors, industrial sensors), a high-growth convergence area in European cybersecurity policy.

SSH is extending its proven privileged-access technology from enterprise cloud environments into industrial IoT and manufacturing, making them a strong candidate for consortia tackling OT/IT security convergence in Industry 4.0 or critical infrastructure projects.

How they like to work

SSH has taken the coordinator role in their largest project (EPICA, EUR 2.05M), demonstrating capacity to lead consortia and manage EU project administration — not just contribute technology. In CHARM they stepped back into a participant role with a much smaller budget share (EUR 278K), suggesting they selectively lead when the project is core to their product roadmap and join as a specialist when exploring adjacent markets. With 38 unique partners across 10 countries from only two projects, their network is broad and non-repetitive, pointing to a deliberate strategy of building diverse connections rather than deepening ties with a fixed circle.

SSH has engaged 38 unique consortium partners across 10 countries, an unusually wide reach for just two projects, suggesting active consortium-building rather than passive participation. Their European footprint spans Nordic, Western, and likely Southern European partners given the diversity implied by 10 countries.

What sets them apart

SSH Communications Security brings a rare combination of commercial-grade cybersecurity products and EU research project experience — they are not an academic group experimenting with security concepts but a vendor with deployed PAM/PIM solutions adapting them to new contexts. As a Finnish SME they qualify for SME-instrument funding tracks while carrying the technical credibility of a company whose core technology (the SSH protocol lineage) underpins internet security infrastructure globally. For consortia needing a security partner who can move from research prototype to market-ready product, SSH offers a shorter path to exploitation than a university lab would.

Highlights from their portfolio

• EPICA
  SSH coordinated this EUR 2.05M project on credential-free cloud access — their largest H2020 investment and the clearest expression of their core PAM/PIM commercial expertise applied to a European research challenge.
• CHARM
  As a participant in this industrial IoT project, SSH's involvement signals a strategic pivot toward OT security, pairing their authentication expertise with harsh-environment sensor systems in manufacturing — an unusual cross-domain combination.