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Welcome to CIONET Belgium

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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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Mount Pleasant School District leverages Trend Micro to protect all data and prepare for the future

Leverages Trend Micro to protect all data and prepare for the future

OVERVIEW

Known as a technology trailblazer with over 20 years of experience in technology and a passion for discovering innovation, Noe Arzate, chief technology officer for Mount Pleasant Independent School District (ISD) knows that leveraging technology to accomplish current needs and prepare for the future is crucial. With thousands of confidential records, Mount Pleasant ISD considers securing data a top priority.

“We have to evaluate technology pragmatically. We have to prepare for the worst and hope it doesn’t happen,” says Arzate.

 
 

CHALLENGES

Educational institutions in the US experienced an average of more than two attack incidents per school day in 2020, according to the K12 Security Information Exchange. Mount Pleasant ISD in Titus County, Texas, faced the challenge of protecting more than 5,400 students across eight campuses, plus approximately 1,000 faculty and staff members, while leveraging technology to inform curriculum and instruction decisions. To accomplish this, and to prepare for the district’s future security needs, Mount Pleasant ISD chose Trend Micro.

 

With Trend Micro, it’s not just a purchase, it’s a relationship. It’s not just the technology, it’s the people that stand behind the technology.

Photo of Noe Arzate  Noe Arzate - Chief Technology Officer, Mount Pleasant Independent School
 
 

WHY TREND

While the district previously used Trend Micro™ TippingPoint™ to protect its data and endpoints, it was replaced by other tools due to a change in direction by school administrators. However, the COVID-19 pandemic presented the district with new security concerns, as students alternated between remote and in-person learning. He evaluated several other vendors to determine if they’d be a better fit for the district’s needs of securing each learning environment.

“We wanted to have the best protection for students learning from home, but we didn’t want to create obstacles to that learning. We needed to meet compliance requirements and empower kids to learn and progress. I kept coming back to TippingPoint because of the excellent job it did when I was a customer years ago,” says Arzate.

He also liked the fact that Trend Micro’s support and partnership compared to other vendors.

“With Trend Micro, it’s not just a purchase, it’s a relationship. It’s not just the technology, it’s the people that stand behind the technology,” says Arzate.

The solution and customer experience are exceeding Arzate’s expectations.

“I’m impressed with TippingPoint and Trend Micro. I know if I need help, I can get a hold of someone quickly who can help. I’m confident and happy that I selected Trend Micro,” says Arzate.

 

With Trend Micro, it’s not just a purchase, it’s a relationship. It’s not just the technology, it’s the people that stand behind the technology.

Photo of Noe Arzate  Noe Arzate - Chief Technology Officer, Mount Pleasant Independent School
 
 

SOLUTION

Arzate especially likes what he’s seeing in TippingPoint, the next-generation intrusion prevention system (IPS), which protects critical infrastructure, data, and vulnerable applications in real time from known, undisclosed, and unknown vulnerabilities without adversely affecting network performance. “When it comes to IPS, Trend Micro does things differently than other vendors. I like the architecture of TippingPoint and the way it’s positioned. We can set it up in different architectures and situations in our environment. It’s nice to see that the core of IPS and Trend Micro hasn’t changed—it has evolved to make something really good into something even better,” says Arzate.

Arzate also appreciated how seamless implementing and integrating TippingPoint has been during a demanding time for the district.

“TippingPoint has been extremely easy, from the sales side of things to the implementation of the product. I was able to schedule a call with Trend Micro and get it up and running very quickly. I also like the automation. You can set it up and forget it, which frees my staff to work on other critical needs,” says Arzate.

 
 

RESULTS

Mount Pleasant ISD is already seeing improved security protection without adverse impacts to its network performance. The district also works with another security vendor to provide external domain name system (DNS) protection. Placing TippingPoint in front of the firewall, in between its other server security vendor, allowed Arzate to see that some security events were still filtering through.

“Without TippingPoint, I wouldn’t have been able to see that. I could see that our other vendor is doing a good job, but not an excellent job because some security events are still getting in,” says Arzate.

The district plans to leverage that information to mitigate the events that are penetrating the system.

“It’s about finding the best position for TippingPoint to leverage the capabilities our other systems don’t have. Ultimately, having TippingPoint means having more data than ever to protect students, staff, and faculty even better,” says Arzate.

 
 

WHAT'S NEXT

Working with Trend Micro again has influenced Arzate to consider other ways in which the two organizations might collaborate in the future. “I’ve gotten to know Trend Micro again as a company, to understand their values and why they do what they do. That’s helped me see Trend Micro in a different light and to consider how we might expand our partnership in the future,” says Arzate.

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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