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Welcome to CIONET Belgium

Realise your ambition! Connect with your local community of digital leaders.

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Upcoming Events

 
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Belgium 23-9-25 Squad Only Virtual english

Cybersecurity Without the Burnout ; Refocusing effort when alerts, threats, and pressure won’t stop

Security teams are overwhelmed. Too many tools. Too many alerts. Too few people. And now, increasing pressure from the board to protect everything, everywhere, all the time. Expect honest reflection, shared strategies, and a conversation that cuts through compliance noise and focuses on what to do when your team is stretched and your risk is rising.

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Belgium 23-9-25 Invitation Only Physical english

Reclaim the cloud : Powering Belgian Finance with Sovereignty

In today's rapidly evolving digital landscape, the financial services industry in Belgium faces a critical juncture regarding its cloud adoption strategy. While the allure of cloud computing – with its promise of scalability, agility, and innovation – is undeniable, the unique regulatory demands and paramount need for data sovereignty present significant challenges. This CIONET roundtable, aims to bring together Digital Leaders from the Belgian financial sector to discuss how to navigate these complexities. We will explore how financial institutions can leverage cloud technologies while ensuring complete control over their data, maintaining compliance with stringent European regulations like GDPR and DORA, and mitigating geopolitical risks.

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Belgium 24-9-25 Invitation Only Physical english

Bridging the Unbridgeable: IT Meets M(i)OT ; Converged infrastructures demand converged security

As smart devices proliferate across operational environments — from sensors on factory lines and GPS trackers in logistics fleets to wearables in healthcare and connected systems in smart cities — the integration of Managed IoT (MiOT) is accelerating. But with it comes a surge in cybersecurity risks. No longer isolated or air-gapped, OT systems are becoming fully networked, remotely accessible, and deeply entwined with IT. This creates a vulnerable, highly complex digital mesh, one where a single compromised device can trigger physical, financial, and reputational consequences.

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Upcoming TRIBE Events

 
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September 23, 2025 Squad Session Squad Only Virtual english

Cybersecurity Without the Burnout ; Refocusing effort when alerts, threats, and pressure won’t stop

Security teams are overwhelmed. Too many tools. Too many alerts. Too few people. And now, increasing pressure from the board to protect everything, everywhere, all the time. Expect honest reflection, shared strategies, and a conversation that cuts through compliance noise and focuses on what to do when your team is stretched and your risk is rising.

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September 30, 2025 Squad Session Squad Only Virtual english

Technical Debt: When to Pay It and When to Walk Away ; Making smart trade-offs between progress, maintenance, and risk

Everyone has technical debt. The question is what to do with it. Refactor now? Wait for the next feature? Build on it and hope it holds? If you’re tired of debating whether to clean up or move on, this session helps you frame the debt conversation in a way that supports both speed and stability.

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October 2, 2025 Squad Session Squad Only Virtual english

The Career Path of the Architect ;Great architecture begins with great architects

Architecture doesn’t happen in diagrams. It happens in minds, seasoned, curious, sharp minds that understand how the pieces fit. But who’s shaping these minds? Who’s growing the next generation of digital architects? If you’re responsible for complex systems, and for the people designing them, this session is for you.

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CIONET Partner Updates

CIONET Partner Updates

Recent Cases

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URUS adopts Trend Micro central dashboard, policies, and machine learning to strengthen global security

URUS Group, a global leader in agricultural genetics, has streamlined its security operations with Trend Micro Apex Central. By providing a unified platform for managing diverse IT environments, Apex Central offers real-time visibility and control, enabling URUS to effectively protect its valuable data and systems.

OVERVIEW

URUS Group was established to meet the needs of dairy farmers and beef farmers worldwide. As a holding company with cooperative and private owners, URUS Group connects renowned organizations such as Alta Genetics, GENEX, Jetstream Genetics, PEAK, SCCL, and VAS. Each of these organizations has its own identity and unique products and services. These companies provide cutting-edge genetics for genetic progress, tailor-made livestock reproduction services, and sophisticated livestock management software and services.

 

"We have minimal management, so Trend Micro Apex Central offers a real-time overview of the complete client environment, at all times."

Egbert Nijboer- IT / Security Manager URUS

 
 
 

CHALLENGES & WHY TREND MICRO

To support these activities optimally, the IT environment has been centralized. The step to the cloud was also taken in that process. The Dutch branch of the URUS group has been using Trend Micro technology to protect all layers of the IT environment since 1998. As a long-time Trend Micro™ OfficeScan ™ customer, URUS has now migrated to Trend Micro Apex One ™ for their endpoints worldwide. The organization has secured their cloud server environment with Trend Micro Cloud One - Workload Security and their on-premises environment with Trend Micro Deep Security software. In addition to the high level of security, the possibility of central management that Trend Micro provides is important to URUS. “Although we have also tried other products for antivirus and malware, they were not at the same level as Trend Micro”, says Egbert Nijboer, IT / Security Manager at URUS. “The contacts were very good and I was involved in the pilot project for the development of Trend Micro Apex One ™ as a Service at an early stage”.

 

"With Trend Micro Safe Lock we can continue to use our human interface machines in a safe manner and without major risks."

Egbert Nijboer - IT / Security Manager URUS

 
 

SOLUTION

Trend Micro Apex One was ready for installation in 2019. However, URUS saw the number of ransomware attacks rapidly increase worldwide and decided to speed up the installation of Trend Micro Apex One to ensure they were sufficiently prepared.

URUS uses Trend Micro Apex One to protect all endpoints, including clients, laptops, and the Microsoft® Windows® servers in Azure and on-premises. “It is a great advantage for us that we can control everything centrally from the cloud, both from our private cloud and from Azure”. Nijboer also saves time with patching without having to compromise on security. “With Trend Micro Apex One, patches are automatically planned and rolled out, and zero-day risks are also closed immediately. In addition, virtual patching prevents us from running risks because a supplier does not deliver patches on time. So we know for sure that we are optimally secured”. With the addition of Trend Micro Apex Central, which acts as the dashboard of Trend Micro Apex One, Nijboer now benefits from direct insight into possible vulnerabilities within his organization.

 
 

RESULTS

With Trend Micro Apex One, URUS has the ability to apply policies centrally and roll out adjustments in one go.  “We have minimal management efforts and Trend Micro Apex Central offers an up-to-date overview of the complete client environment at all times”, says Nijboer. “Previously, management was divided by region. Now we can apply and adjust policies centrally, and patches are immediately widely rolled out. We use nine policies, and if there is a new client, we link the correct policy to it. This way we can be sure that all clients comply with the policy that we have set up for this”.

Due to their success using Trend Micro Apex One the Netherlands and Canada, URUS has made the decision to expand the solution across their environments in the US.

To protect their servers and lab equipment, URUS decided to deploy Workload Security. “This was a new solution for us. Together with Trend Micro, we have set up a dashboard and rolled it out on the servers for Microsoft 365 and our ERP system, among others. We immediately had better insight into the functioning of the servers. Through indepth analysis, we can now see whether there are vulnerabilities, but also, for example, unauthorized connections between servers”.

Application controls and virtual patching have given URUS more control over security, while the use of machine learning also offers predictive options. “With Workload Security, we not only have a good overview of all communication in the network, but also at server level. The ® dashboard provides insight into everything that is happening, and what applies to the clients now also applies to the servers”.

In addition, Nijboer is pleased by the fact that Trend Micro has made Workload Security also available for AWS, opening doors for URUS to work across multiple cloud platforms without having to organize their security differently. “We therefore maintain maximum control over the security of our entire environment. We can effectively monitor all signals via the central dashboard. Moreover, the rollout and patching is fully automated based on policies. This allows us to fully concentrate on our core tasks and to continue to grow flexibly, while security automatically grows.”

 

Partners

CIONET Circles

CIONET Business Circles

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Healthcare Circle

Digital Transformation is redefining the future of health care and health delivery. All stakeholders are convinced that these innovations will create value for patients, healthcare practitioners, hospitals, and governments along the patient pathway. The benefits are starting from prevention and awareness to diagnosis, treatment, short- and long-term follow-up, and ultimately survival. But how do you make sure that your working towards an architecturally sound, secure and interoperable health IT ecosystem for your hospital and avoid implementing a hodgepodge of spot solutions? How does your IT department work together with the other stakeholders, such as the doctors and other healthcare practitioners, Life Sciences companies, Tech companies, regulators and your internal governance and administrative bodies?

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Telenet Business Leadership Circle

The Telenet Business Leadership Circle powered by CIONET, offers a platform where IT executives and thought leaders can meet to inspire each other and share best practices. We want to be a facilitator who helps you optimise the performance of your IT function and your business by embracing the endless opportunities that digital change brings.

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Les Rencontres

Découvrez la dynamique du leadership numérique aux Rencontres de CIONET, le programme francophone exclusif de CIONET pour les leaders numériques en Belgique, rendu possible grâce au soutien et à l'engagement de nos partenaires de programme : Deloitte, Denodo et Red Hat. Rejoignez trois événements inspirants par an à Liège, Namur et en Brabant Wallon, où des CIOs et des experts numériques francophones de premier plan partagent leurs perspectives et expériences sur des thèmes d'affaires et de IT actuels. Laissez-vous inspirer et apprenez des meilleurs du secteur lors de sessions captivantes conçues spécialement pour soutenir et enrichir votre rôle en tant que CIO pair. Ne manquez pas cette opportunité de faire partie d'un réseau exceptionnel d'innovateurs numériques !

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Female Leadership Circle

CIONET is committed to highlighting and celebrating female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, creating a leadership programme that empowers and elevates women within the tech industry. This initiative is dedicated to showcasing the achievements and successes of leading women, fostering an environment where female role models are recognised, and their contributions can ignite progress and inspire the next generation of women in IT. Our mission is to shine the spotlight a little brighter on female role models in IT, Tech & Digital, and to empower each other through this inner network community.

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Check out our latest news

Testimonials

Geert Goethals
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Bart Kerkhofs
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Group CIO
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Chief Information Officer
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Vice President IT and CIO Medical Devices EMEA
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Global IT Director
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Stef Schampaert
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Chief Digital & Information Officer
Bekaert
Thomas Kessler
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Emmanuel Gob
Emmanuel Gob
CIO
DPD
pascal pauwels
Pascal Pauwels
CIO
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Koen Segers
Managing Director Belgium and Luxembourg
Dell Technologies
benoit dewaele
Benoît Dewaele
Group IT Directo
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Dirk Deridder-1
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CTO - Technology Services & Practices
SMALS
Thierry Driesens
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Koen Vandaele
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Liesbet D'hoker
Managing Director
Kyndryl BeLux
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Director General Digital Transformation
Federale Overheidsdienst Beleid en Ondersteuning
Tom Tomczak
Tom Tomczak
Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
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Cassandre Laurent
Directeur général
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An Swalens
Head Of IT (CIO)
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Elke Laeremans
Chief Digital & Supply Chain Officer at Casa International
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Head of Digital EMEA
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Head of IT European Markets
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Baudouin Corlùy
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Team

Luc Hendrikx
Luc Hendrikx
Partner - CEO
Inès De Bien
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Partner - CCO
1-Feb-08-2022-10-22-08-68-AM
Daniel Eycken
Partner - COO
Hendrik Deckers
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Partner - Founder
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Jelte Scheys
Tribes Sales Director Belgium
foto Herman
Herman Roelandts
Tribe Master
Joseph Antoun
Joseph Antoun
Senior Programme Director
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Eman De Sutter
Programme Manager
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Shelly Deracourt
Programme Manager
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Charlotte Coen
Partner Success Manager
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Ivana Bradvica
Programme Manager
ML B-W-1
Martine Lefevre
Financial Controller
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Community Manager
Phaedra Vanhaeren
Phaedra Vanhaeren
Programme Manager

Contact us

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