Security has been one of our organisation's strategic objectives for years. With the appointment of a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), Belnet shifts to a higher gear in the area of information security.
Our CISO is responsible for the development of Belnet's tactical and strategic security policy, and this in close cooperation with all required stakeholders. Belnet will implement its information security governance and controls compliant with the ISO 27001 standard. One of the first steps on the roadmap is an assessment of the current security maturity. All ensuing and new actions and initiatives are being addressed with an ISO 27001 compatible approach.
The importance of risk management
Our strategy focuses on organisation-wide and coordinated risk management. This means that at the start of each new project we will systematically map all business and operational risks, including those in the area of cybersecurity and privacy. The Belnet CISO and DPO (Data Protection Officer) work in close collaboration in the “Risk Office” unit.
This approach ensures that Belnet can take informed and knowledgeable actions when making decisions. By systematically documenting risks, we are better prepared to deal with this. In this process, the necessary focus is set on getting third parties and partners on the same page when it comes to Belnet's security policy.
Belnet community
Security remains a major challenge for our community. To assist our customers in this, Belnet is working on a few new customer-oriented initiatives. One of them is launching a Community Forum that focuses on Information Security to bring interested customers in contact with each other. We hope to foster exchanges regarding their concerns and needs in the area of information security.
In addition to fulfilling an advisory role for our customers, we also want to discuss cooperation opportunities with the federal Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT.be) and the Centre for Cyber Security Belgium (CCB), for example to proactively report risks and threats to our community.
Our CISO will also act as a spokesperson for the Belnet community and provide guidance, when necessary, at the level of information security management. In the future, we want to support our community in the awareness initiatives they wish to set up for their employees and end users.
Transversal thinking
With the appointment of a CISO, Belnet resolutely chooses a structural and coordinated approach to security. Belnet wants to play a pioneering role and be a reference for its community.
Our new CISO accepted this challenge with lots of enthusiasm and from a passion for security and privacy. G. Pappas: “The implementation of our information security strategy requires the involvement of every department in Belnet. I look forward to working together with internal and external stakeholders, and I am convinced that my critical attitude, transversal and holistic way of thinking and communication skills will help me support Belnet's business and operational excellence.”