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+---
+layout: post
+title: "Meet the SensorFu team - Otto Mäkinen"
+date: 2026-08-23 07:30:00 +0300
+category: article
+tags:
+- article
+image: /assets/img/articles/Otto_Makinen_web.jpg
+image_alt: Otto Mäkinen 
+---
+
+In this week’s meet the team, we’re introducing @otto mäkinen our business development manager who works out of the South of France. 
+Otto brings the team business development experience as well as technical knowledge. As SensorFu is looking at internationalization, Otto is supporting SensorFu in achieving this with an international background. 
+
+**What’s your role at the company, and what does a typical day look like for you?**
+
+I work as a Business Development Manager for SensorFu, handling business development and sales, based remotely in the South of France. 
+Most of my days center around customer-facing meetings, where I walk prospects through our solution which often gets into the technical details of how it behaves across network segments, what escape techniques it tests for, and how it maps onto their existing architecture, from flat corporate networks to segmented OT/ICS environments. Having a technical background lets me speak directly to the engineers and security teams in the room, which tends to build trust faster.
+Beyond those calls, I spend time managing the active sales pipeline figuring out what each opportunity needs to move forward, whether that's a proof-of-concept, a technical deep-dive, or a well-timed follow-up.
+I also spend time working closely with our resellers and partners, since a lot of our growth depends on that collaboration. Staying current on the regulatory and technical landscape, from frameworks like NIS2 to the network security challenges our customers face day to day, helps me prioritize the conversations.
+
+**How did you get started in your career, and what led you to this company?**
+
+I started my career working for Fortinet. I worked as a web developer and was a part of the lab team in Sophia Antipolis. The lab team had a smallish data center to manage. This is where Fortinet L2/L3 support engineers, QAs and technical account managers could realize customer POCs and stress test different configurations using Fortinet and other networking/computing devices. In the lab you could simulate ISP grade traffic and also simulate different types of cyberattacks. 
+
+What led me to working with SensorFu was I wanted to try and understand business and sales. Then slightly random paths lead me in meeting Mikko Kenttälä SensorFu’s CEO and then slowly the rest of the SensorFu team. I have been happy with the random path.
+
+**How would you describe SensorFu company culture and how does it differ from other places you’ve worked?**
+
+SensorFu is definitely a nice place to work where the team is small but talented and has a lot of room to grow. Also, the company is strongly aiming at internationalization that I really want to see happening. 
+
+I would say the company culture is the total opposite of the big corporate cultures that I have experienced in the past. You can quite easily talk to anyone on the team and I feel that there is a sense of trust and respect for each other. 	
+
+**What motivated you to get involved in cybersecurity?**
+
+It was really by accident. I first started as an intern with Fortinet, where there were a bunch of internships open from the technical university in Sophia Antipolis. After that, I got more interested in learning networking, which I really like. I also got more into programming. I still try to go to CTFs when I have the spare time and energy. It's always nice to work on some digital puzzles.  
+
+Cybersecurity is an interesting field that is never finished. Now with GenAI, you can learn and develop at an incredibly fast pace. On the flipside, it can be used by bad actors for hacking purposes. I guess the industry and demand will keep getting stronger. 
+
+**What’s a project or achievement you’re particularly proud of?**
+
+Lately I have been working with RISC-V and I managed to boot the first layer
+of firmware on my processor core (OpenSBI). It’s an open source project of mine available on my github. It was really hard to understand and get everything working. 
+
+Other than that I feel proud of having learnt French as a third language that I speak more or less fluently. Fun fact, I have lived in 6 different countries in my life. 
+
+**What is the one cybersecurity trend or threat that you think more people should be paying attention to right now?**
+
+AI is becoming a threat in many places. People are prompting and giving a lot of personal and company data into the AI provider’s environments that is worrisome. Digital privacy. 
+
+
+**Where do you see the cybersecurity landscape heading by 2030? Are we winning the race against the "bad actors"?**
+
+Like I said, cybersecurity as a topic is never finished. 
+
+
+**What’s your favorite way to "unplug" and recharge after a day of being constantly connected?**
+
+I like to go out and drink coffee at my favourite small french boulangerie outside of the city. I like looking at the mountains and landscapes and being outside. The winter in this region is breathtaking. I also like driving around in my car. Sports are also close to my heart. I’ve been doing Brazilian Jiu Jitsu for about 4 years on and off. 
+
+**If you weren’t working in cybersecurity, what would your "dream job" be?**
+
+Hmm, rally pilot? The Dakar rally would be intense. 
+
+
+**If you could give one piece of advice to someone just starting out in this industry what would it be?**
+
+Be curious and seize the day. Nothing beats curiosity. Especially in cybersecurity where you have so much to learn constantly both technically and non-technically. 
+
+Go out and talk to people. You can find a way by attending events and professional groups. I still feel the human factor and spirit is most important.