<img height="1" width="1" style="display:none" src="https://www.facebook.com/tr?id=2528533714139722&amp;ev=PageView&amp;noscript=1">
New call-to-action
https://4295993.fs1.hubspotusercontent-na1.net/hubfs/4295993/INT_CIONET-International/VIDEO/CIONET_HM.mp4
CIONET - What's next

Connecting ambitious digital leaders and businesses around the globe.

Catch up on the upcoming CIONET Events

             
Banner

Italy Sep 25, 2025 Invitation Only Physical italian

Innovation in Balance: governing the power of data and automation

Nel percorso verso l’AI e la trasformazione digitale, dati e automazione sono gli elementi centrali di ogni strategia tecnologica. Ma senza una governance chiara, rischiano di diventare non solo fonte di inefficienza, ma anche di rischi e incoerenza.   Come garantire che i dati siano completi, accessibili e affidabili? Come automatizzare le operation IT e i processi aziendali mantenendo controllo, compliance e sicurezza?   Durante questa roundtable esclusiva, organizzata da CIONET Italia e IBM, affronteremo:   La governance come abilitatore di dati affidabili e automazione sicura. Come prepararsi a un’adozione dell’AI realmente scalabile. Il ruolo di controllo, resilienza e gestione del rischio nell’innovazione.

Read More
Banner

Belgium Oct 16, 2025 Invitation Only Physical english

CIONET Round Table - Rethinking AI

AI isn’t just another tool. It changes how we work, how we think, how we organise ourselves.Yet most organisations still approach it like a digital upgrade, deploying assistants, automating workflows, testing use cases inisolation.The results are predictable. Short-term wins. Long-term confusion.Effort spent. Value unclear.Many companies can’t connect AI to their actual strategic goals,and the promised ROI never materialises.At the same time, something deeper is shifting.AI can now reason, decide, adapt. Not just mimic processes butcontribute to them.The technology is evolving, but the way we implement it hasn’tcaught up.If your AI still fits inside a single department, you’re likely solvingthe wrong problem.If it works only for individuals, you're missing how your teamsactually deliver value.If it replaces people instead of supporting them, you're buildingfor today, not tomorrow.The next step isn’t more AI. It’s the right AI.Built for your business, your teams, your way of working.Not a tool to add but a structure to build around.Are we ready to treat AI as a shared capability, not a scatteredexperiment?Can we move beyond individual efficiency and build systems thatcollaborate, learn and adapt with us?Those are the questions we’ll explore at the round table.

Read More
Banner

Poland Oct 17, 2025 Invitation Only Physical & Virtual Polish

IT EXECUTIVE MASTERCLASS 5

Read More
Banner

Germany Oct 28, 2025 Country Members Physical german

Köln: Powershift

Am 28. Oktober lädt CIONET CIOs und Digital Leaders nach Köln ein: hier stellen wir reale Anwendungsfälle vor, in denen KI-Agenten Aufgaben autonom übernehmen, Prozesse beschleunigen und Entscheidungen vorbereiten – mit messbarem Nutzen für das Business.

Read More
Banner

France Nov 4, 2025 Country Members Physical french

Maîtriser la souveraineté numérique: du réseau à la donnée

À l’ère des mutations géopolitiques et réglementaires, l’établissement d’une souveraineté numérique est devenu un élément stratégique essentiel pour les entreprises. Ce dialogue stratégique mettra en lumière le rôle fondamental du réseau dans la mise en place du contrôle, de la confiance et de la résilience. Nous explorerons comment une infrastructure moderne et résiliente permet d’appliquer des politiques de gestion des données et d’assurer la continuité opérationnelle. Ce dialogue stratégique, réservé à un groupe restreint de pairs, est conçu pour permettre aux leaders du numérique d’échanger sur l’un des enjeux les plus urgents aujourd’hui. Nous discuterons des réseaux « sovereign-ready » et débattrons des préoccupations croissantes autour de la souveraineté des données, qui motivent l’adoption de politiques de confidentialité et de protection des données de plus en plus strictes à l’échelle mondiale.

Read More
Banner

Netherlands Nov 10, 2025 Public Physical english

Reis mee: CIO Innovation trip Web Summit 11 nov 2025 Lissabon

CIONET Nederland vertrekt met een groep Nederlandse CIO's en digital leaders 10 t/m 12 november 2025 voor de geheel verzorgde CIO Innovation Trip naar de Web Summit in Lissabon, Portugal. Reis jij mee of neem je collega(s) mee!

Read More

Recent Cases

Please Log In with your CIONET account first

Weatherford Independent School District protects student data and relieves IT staff stress with Trend Micro

Protects student data and relieves IT staff stress with Trend Micro

 

OVERVIEW

Imagine receiving a notification that your eight-year-old child has been declined on a car loan, or that your ten-year-old was turned down on a credit card application. Those nightmare scenarios were experienced by the parents of many elementary-age children after a massive data breach of the Toledo, Ohio public school system. With K-12 school systems now a target by cybercriminals, it’s become a common scenario, one that Cody Lee has been working feverishly to avoid.

As the executive director of technology for Weatherford Independent School District (ISD) in the city of Weatherford, Texas, Lee and his staff of 10 are tasked with protecting 8,000 students, 1,200 staff members, and a large, enterprise-class network.

 
 

CHALLENGES

“The challenges we face at Weatherford ISD are similar to other school districts everywhere. For example, kids will be kids, and 8,000 students represent 8,000 potential questionable actors,” says Lee.

“Our staff has kept busy by issues stemming from students taking down the network during testing season and internal users unintentionally yielding sensitive data to spearfishing attacks,” he adds.

“Credential harvesting is the single largest threat his system faced. It’s so much easier for cybercriminals to trick an end user into trusting them than it is to get through all the tried-and-true security measures in place,” says Lee.

 
 

WHY TREND

With Trend Micro as a security partner, Lee and his staff are not working quite as feverishly as they once were. “When it comes to cybersecurity, everyone needs some help,” says Lee.

“I wanted a single-pane-of-glass view that we could use to tie together different applications, providing a single platform for recognizing and responding to threats,” he says. Trend Micro recommended the Trend Micro Vision One solution for security operations teams. “After doing some research, I realized that no other platform offered the equivalent capability of Trend Micro Vision One in pulling so many different applications into a single unified view, which was crucial in helping our organization defend against my worst threats,” says Lee.

 

"Trend Micro Vision One covers us on all aspects, from endpoint to cloud app security, to perimeter, as well as east-west traffic inside our network."

Photo of Cody Lee  Cody Lee - Executive Director of Technology, Weatherford ISD
 
 

SOLUTION

Weatherford ISD worked with technology solutions provider CDW, who first recommended Trend Micro to Lee and facilitated the purchase of Trend Micro products. Trend Micro responded to Weatherford ISD’s needs by providing a proof of concept (POC) that involved a full Trend Micro Vision One deployment, including endpoint protection, server protection, Cloud App Security, Deep Discovery Inspector, and Tipping Point. “It was the end-to-end coverage of Trend Micro Vision One that was the differentiator,” says Lee.

“Trend Micro Vision One covers us on all aspects, from endpoint to cloud app security, to perimeter, as well as east-west traffic inside our network. The ability to see all that and pull it all together in a single pane of glass has reduced both time demands and headaches for me and my staff. Nobody else is doing what Trend Micro is in pulling those different applications together,” he says.

 
 

RESULTS

“One of the big benefits we’ve seen is knowing exactly what end users are doing. By giving us a single place to monitor to see if any issues are occurring—or to just confirm that everything is fine—Trend Micro’s solutions have worked out extremely well. They’ve allowed me to relax and get better sleep because I feel we’re better protected than we’ve ever been,” says Lee.

“We’ve used a third-party security operations center for some time. They’ve been great, but we’ve already seen Trend Micro products catch a few problems that the security operations center missed. That’s just an added layer of relief for me. It gives me a little room to breathe, knowing we’re doing the right thing for the kids in this district,” says Lee.

 
 

WHAT'S NEXT

Lee looks forward to leveraging the help of Trend Micro in achieving zero trust security. “If something were to get by the solutions we have in place, the zero-trust framework will target, encapsulate, and isolate the issue, giving us time to respond. That’s going to be the next big thing, and I’m very excited about it,” he says.

Zero trust wasn’t even in his plans until Trend Micro provided a roadmap for integration. Lee is also planning to further bolster security by strengthening the use of multi-factor authentication. “I know it will layer well with our Trend Micro solutions,” he says.

With a secure network, the personal data of teachers and students is protected. Teachers are far less likely to be negatively impacted by technology issues and Lee and his staff are enjoying reduced stress levels.

 
 

Checkout our CIONET COOKBOOK

cookbook

Embark on a culinary journey through the ever-evolving world of digital leadership with our third edition of the CIONET Cookbook: Recipes for Digital Success. Unveiling the intricate trilemma faced by today’s Master Chefs, our trailblazing European CIOs address a challenge at the nexus of customer interests, digital transformation strategies, and IT modernisation. Their secret? Synchronising the gearing between customer, business, and technology to create a frictionless movement through the digital landscape.

The CIONET Cookbook uses the analogy of a five-star restaurant to explain the importance of optimally integrated technology, with the CIO as Master Chef. In order to provide the best service to its customers, a top restaurant must have the right atmosphere, an inviting menu, a well-equipped kitchen, talented and committed front-of-house and kitchen staff and smooth-running processes that ensure an enjoyable experience for diners.

CIONET TV

 
Banner

Kalman Tiboldi - CTO & Founder at GemOne-TVH - Simplify or Die: Why Complexity Is the Real IT Challenge

Banner

Isabelle Droll - CIO for Airline, Corporate, Hotels & Resorts and Sustainability at TUI - Data, Diversity, and Destinations

Banner

Sharon Prior - CIO in transition - How Great Tech Leadership Begins with Business Thinking

Banner

José Antonio López, Group CIO at TOUS - Jewels, Data & AI: Inside the Digital Transformation of TOUS

Banner

Tom Tanghe - General Manager ITC EMEA at Daikin Europe - Reinventing the CIO Role

Banner

CIOFEST 2025 - From Order Taker to Proactive Disruptor

CIONET Reports

 
Banner
Get your copy

Cybersecurity in critical infrastructure

Geopolitical tensions have dominated the headlines for over two years now. In this context, the cyber threat landscape is also evolving rapidly. The protection and security of critical infrastructure – both physical and digital – is becoming increasingly important.

Banner
Get your copy

HDS - From Hype to Reality Navigating the Challenges of GenAI

Banner
Get your copy

Integration In An Era Of AI: Challenges And Opportunities

Join over 10.000 digital leaders worldwide

in our exclusive CIO community

Latest CIONET News

Join your local CIONET community

Discover the CIONET app

Staying ahead of trends and connecting with other CIOs was never easier.

In our new app, our members connect with other digital leaders from around the world to find better solutions to their challenges.

Connect with digital leaders like you

Share ideas, best practices, and new resources

Experience inspiring and thought-provoking content and conversations you can’t find anywhere else

Make better, more well-informed decisions about the topics that are most important to you

Anna Kopp (1)

Anna Kopp

Head of IT Germany and Regional Office Lead Munich, Microsoft

“The CIONET App allows us to learn from eachother and and find the courage to be authentic by hearing stories from others! Thanks to Tobias and the whole team for bringing us together:-) ”
Mauricio Amaro

Mauricio Amaro

IT Director, IT Thinker

“The main things that I would like to get from our community of Digital Leaders are: networking, share experiences, share best practices and successful cases, and comments and recommendations about providers.”
Vijay Anand

Vijay Anand

Vice president IT & Compliance, VisionaryRCM (A Carlyle Grp Company)

“The CIONET app provides a really cool platform to network and share insights.”

About CIONET

CIONET’s mission is to help IT executives become more at ease and above all more successful in their jobs. So they can do more than just keep up with change but ultimately define it. CIONET opens up a whole new universe of opportunities in IT management.

With the largest membership of corporate digital leaders across Europe, Latin America, US and Australia, CIONET has the expertise and pioneering vision to solve or address any IT management challenge.

Why join CIONET?

From our local and global events, from our publications and research to our executive education programmes, everything we do is aimed at making sure digital leaders maximise their potential.

Connect

with digital leaders who share your interests, who face the same challenges, who care about the same topics.

Share

stories, experiences, and ideas around our shared mission.

Learn

from our exclusive events, publications and research.

Find

inspiration, thought-provoking conversations, expert perspectives and exclusive first-hand content each and every day

Grow

and make better, more well-informed decisions on how to lead your digital business.

Maximise

your potential. Realise your ambitions.

About CIONET

Join CIONET

We'd love to welcome you as the newest member of our CIONET community where Digital Leaders unite. 

You can either send us a registered handwritten letter explaining why you'd like to become a member or you can simply talk to us right here!

Contact us

Would you like to know more about CIONET, membership or partnership opportunities? Do you have feedback or any other question? Send us a message!