Today at InprOTech Human Capital we introduce you to Ibán Morillo, manager of InprOTech.
WHAT IS YOUR ROLE WITHIN INPROSEC?
I am currently the manager of InprOTech, a “spin-out” of our parent company Inprosec, where we focus on Industrial Cybersecurity projects (technical and regulatory consulting), training and R&D.
As expected, my work covers several fronts, including business development, search for public and private funding, project management, as well as internal and external resources management among other tasks.
WHAT WOULD YOU HIGHLIGHT ABOUT YOUR ROLE WITHIN THE COMPANY?
One of my main tasks is to bring to the market cybersecurity solutions adapted to the industrial sector, which implies making users aware of the need for them. Currently, few companies in the industrial sector have monitoring systems adapted to their environment and there are many risks to which they are exposed.
As we know, although Industry 4.0 has brought with it connectivity and remote access to factories, this is not only an advance, but also a great threat as it exposes these factories to manufacturing interruptions, loss of sensitive information and attacks by cybercriminals or competitors.
WHAT HAS INPROTECH MEANT IN YOUR PROFESSIONAL CAREER?
Although I have the experience of having worked in several sectors (automotive, aeronautics, aerospace and energy) in both technical and management tasks, they have always been companies linked to the industrial world.
At one point I decided to seek new challenges, a change, and I became interested in the world of cybersecurity, AI, and other technologies that seemed very distant and unknown to me.
The trust placed in me to be in charge of this project has been a great motivation as well as a challenge. While this is usually a constant in our lives, now more than ever I can hardly imagine a time when I will stop learning.
In addition, joining the InprOTech team has meant returning to my homeland, Galicia, after 20 years abroad in places like Toulouse, Madrid, Oxford or Barcelona.
HOW DO YOU MANAGE TO RECONCILE YOUR PERSONAL AND PROFESSIONAL LIFE?
This is one of the main differences that I have found within InprOTech with respect to the classic industrial company in which people from my environment usually move; it is common to find uncontrolled schedules where, although you can enjoy a certain flexibility, the days can be extended endlessly due to the needs of customers and limits that can sometimes be blurred.
At InprOTech we have a great deal of flexibility, due to a philosophy that is mainly oriented to the achievement of objectives. The distribution and differentiation between “core hours” and “free hours”, allow you to always find a time to take your children to school, spend some time with the family or adapt your day at certain times to the purpose that may be necessary.
TELL US AN ANECDOTE THAT HAS CAUGHT YOUR ATTENTION ABOUT A SITUATION DURING YOUR TIME AT INPROTECH.
It is rather a constant that I have encountered since I entered the sector, and that is that I am very surprised by the low or even zero degree of maturity of cybersecurity in industrial environments. When a CISO told me that in Galician companies “cybersecurity is neither present nor expected”, I was astonished.
It is surprising how many things I personally assumed were done correctly, and yet, when you get to a client, the last thing they are worried about is that they are going to access their industrial network, that they might attack a PLC or a SCADA, and that they might even stop a plant. Surprisingly, they only worry about someone sending them an email with a suspicious link or having their company’s website taken down.
Another constant that will never cease to surprise me is that everyone believes that this type of attack only happens in other countries and especially to large companies, when it is precisely smaller companies that can be much more vulnerable and accessible.
WHAT DO YOU VALUE MOST ABOUT WORKING IN A COMPANY LIKE INPROTECH?
Without a doubt I value the human team that makes up the company, for me the flexibility in managing the working day has a lot of value, as well as the commitment to carry out ambitious projects in an environment with a lot of potential and still to be “exploited”.
AS AN EMPLOYEE OF A COMPANY SPECIALIZING IN CYBERSECURITY, WHAT IS YOUR ADVICE TO ANY ENTREPRENEUR WHO IS JUST STARTING OUT WITH RESPECT TO THEIR SYSTEMS?
As they say, the weakest link and the main risk is people. It is important to inform yourself and train your teams properly. Understanding the needs of the environment and managing the risks associated with them must be a constant and taking this aspect into account from the very beginning will save a lot of money, time, reputation, stress, headaches, etc.
Often the actions taken that prevent problems from arising are not sufficiently valued, we only value the actions when there has already been a problem and that money can be quantifiable, that is why preventive measures are so important.
WHAT ARE YOUR HOBBIES AT THE END OF THE WORKING DAY?
I like sports very much; running, swimming and going to the gym are things that have always been part of my routine, although between fatherhood, some recent ailments and some changes since my return to Galicia, there are many routines that I try to resume little by little.
I am fond of the mountains, where I have spent great moments with my wife and our Border Collie “Merlo”, who I suspect that he fell into a pot of coffee when he was a puppy.
I love the motor world and I can only find one reason for not sitting down to watch a good race of any motor element (F1, Motorbikes, Rallies, etc), and it is undoubtedly my children; restless, challenging and eager to understand and learn everything. Little geniuses that every day give me a new lesson.
WHO DO YOU “NOMINATE” TO BE INTERVIEWED NEXT AND WHY?
I am sure that Inés, with a background like hers, brings a backpack full of experiences and interesting things to share.