Cyber threats are no longer distant risks—they’re happening right here, right now. In 2024, nearly half of businesses operating in Flanders —46%—were targeted by cyberattacks, according to the Flemish government's latest Cybersecurity Barometer. Even more concerning? One in ten of those attacks succeeded, leading to data breaches, ransom demands, and serious business disruptions.

The message is clear: protecting digital infrastructure isn’t just important—it’s urgent.

Because let’s face it: it’s not a matter of if a cyberattack will happen, but when. That’s why organisations need to be ready—not just to defend against threats, but to bounce back fast when they strike.

Cyber resilience isn’t just about having the right tech. It’s about being prepared, staying vigilant, and recovering quickly. While many companies chase the latest tools, the real game-changer is knowing what you already have—keeping systems patched, monitored, and built for rapid recovery.

And here’s where mindset matters just as much as technology. A cyber resilience mindset means accepting that disruptions will happen and focusing on how to come back stronger.

This is especially critical as AI reshapes the threat landscape. Generative AI is making phishing attacks more convincing and malware harder to detect. But AI isn’t just a threat—it’s also a powerful defence. When used right, AI can help organisations detect threats earlier, respond faster, and recover with minimal disruption.

Here’s how AI is already making a difference:

• Threat Detection & Prevention: AI can monitor networks in real-time, flagging suspicious activity before it becomes a breach.
• Risk Assessment: AI tools can sift through massive data sets to pinpoint vulnerabilities and prioritise what to fix first.
• Data Protection & Compliance: Machine learning helps classify sensitive data, enforce access controls, and detect breaches, keeping you aligned with privacy regulations.
• Incident Response: AI can automate how we detect, analyse, and respond to incidents, cutting down response times and limiting damage.

For Belgium’s financial sector, these capabilities are arriving just in time. The EU’s new Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), which came into force in January 2025, sets a clear framework for how financial institutions—and their IT partners—must build cyber resilience.

Alongside similar regulations emerging across the global digital economy, DORA provides a standardised approach to help ensure that financial entities in the EU, including those in Belgium, as well as those globally who do business with them, and their third-party IT services providers, have a clear pathway to effective cyber resilience.

Achieving regulatory compliance can be challenging. Companies that lack the skilled workforce to implement mission-critical changes will need to align with a partner that is experienced in both business and technology.

So, while regulations provide a solid foundation and set the framework, they don’t make the tough decisions. The real effort begins when you translate that guidance into action. Where should you allocate your security budget? How much risk are you willing to accept? These are questions every organisation must answer based on its own risk profile.

Every euro spent on security should be traceable to a clear impact: what does this investment actually do to reduce real risk? Compliance is necessary, but only a part of the equation. Without a risk-based approach, it’s easy to overspend in some areas while leaving others exposed.

By working hand-in-hand with trusted service providers, Belgium’s enterprises can do more than just keep pace—they can lead with confidence. Together, they can turn compliance into a catalyst for transformation, using regulations not just as a checklist, but as a springboard for building smarter, more resilient operations.

As countries and regions move toward consistent, effective measures to safeguard business continuity, those who embrace resilience as a mindset, not just a mandate, will be best positioned to thrive in a digital world defined by both complexity and opportunity.