Who is Arvid Berndtsson?

Arvid Berndtsson, a software engineer from Sweden, specializes in practical digital solutions and sustainability. Explore my journey and insights.

Hej! I'm Arvid Berndtsson, an Information Security Specialist and Software Engineer from Varberg, Sweden. I'm interested in technology that solves practical problems and improves user experiences, with a strong focus on security. Currently, I work as Head of Information Security at Vertiseit. My work there involves areas like ISO 27001, Data Loss Prevention (DLP), and improving our overall security posture. My background in Information Architecture from Malmö University provided a good foundation in technology, design, and user experience, which I apply to my security work.

How I started programming

I built my first website when I was 8 years old using Apple's iWeb (if you remember that app). Later on, I spent a lot of my teenage years creating Garry's Mod addons in Lua. At one point, I even got paid €50 for an addon—back then, it felt like serious money. During gymnasium (upper secondary school), I freelanced by building WordPress websites and themes. I also ran a small UF company called Strato UF, where we built websites for local businesses.

Professional experience

My professional career officially began at Vertiseit AB, where I currently work developing web applications and in-store experience management solutions. At Vertiseit, I've gained practical experience with different programming languages and frameworks.

I've also worked as an Amanuens (Teacher Assistant) at Malmö University for three programming courses. Teaching others made me realize how much there still is to learn about programming.

Personal projects

In March 2023, my friend Ellie and I co-founded Merely Emissions. It measured website carbon emissions through web scraping but has been paused since January 2024. In May 2024, I started LimeTip to simplify VAT validation for businesses—it is also currently paused due to limited time.

Current interests

I'm currently interested in DevOps—especially DevSecOps—and practice daily on TryHackMe (partly because hacking legally is fun). Web scraping is another big interest of mine, both from a cybersecurity perspective and because it's genuinely interesting to see what information you can gather from websites. Recently, I've been experimenting with creating vector embeddings from scraped data to build RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation) systems—basically teaching computers to answer questions based on real-time scraped data.

Self-hosting adventures

I enjoy self-hosting my own services and applications. Currently, I'm hosting several tools, including:

Nextcloud for personal cloud storage.
Umami for privacy-friendly website analytics.
Serpbear, for tracking website rankings without expensive subscriptions.
A self-hosted alternative to Linktree.
And, of course, this very website you're reading right now!

Self-hosting has taught me a lot about server management, security practices, and maintaining services reliably, mostly through trial and error.

Academic Background

My studies at Malmö University and Blekinge Institute of Technology have given me a solid foundation in computer science, information architecture, and security models. I've also learned a lot about effective programming practices and even more about debugging code.

Outside of tech

When I'm not working or studying tech-related things, I read and listen—a lot. Honestly, I'm not sure if Storytel makes any profit off me at this point. Besides that, you'll probably find me outdoors or participating in local activities around Malmö.

If you're curious or want to know more about me professionally, just search "Arvid Berndtsson" or reach out directly via LinkedIn or email at [email protected].