Rockwell's Gert Thoonen On Cybersecurity Amid Digitalization

In an interview with Inc. Arabia at GITEX GLOBAL 2024, Gert Thoonen, regional principal architect for cybersecurity in industrial control systems at Rockwell Automation, emphasized the importance of building cybersecurity into systems as they digitalize to ensure smooth and secure operations.  

"Digitalization is the important part, because it helps us in our decision-making, in our daily life, also in our production," he noted. However, he emphasized that as companies rely more on digital systems, safeguarding data becomes increasingly important. "But at the same time, we need to ensure that it is secure, because who has access to my data? Maybe you are producing something very exclusive, and you don't want to get your secret source going to other companies. So how do you protect it?" Thoonen said, stressing the need to protect intellectual property and sensitive data. 

He explained, "The biggest important message is from before you start on a journey, embark with your original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) to understand what is the best solution. There are many technologies, many boxes, but at the end of the day, security is not a cherry on the cake, security should be the cement in your infrastructure that all the things are working perfectly together.”   

When advising enterprises on cybersecurity investment, Thoonen emphasized that the initial planning stages are essential for effective security. He explained that security should be integrated into the infrastructure, rather than treated as an add-on. Establishing a foundation from the start — through careful planning, solid partnerships, and a supportive ecosystem — helps ensure that all components work together efficiently. This approach, he noted, is important for a long-term strategy that can operate reliably over the next decade.

Check out the full video for more of his insights!

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