It only takes one small gap in a system to disrupt an entire operation.
A single weak point can stop production lines, delay shipments, interrupt supply chains, and create confusion across teams. Customers begin to question reliability, partners grow concerned, and financial losses increase with every hour of downtime. In an industrial environment where machines, software, and external partners are closely connected, these risks are always present. Without strong digital and operational security support, even a minor weakness can open the door to ransomware, expose critical systems, and lead to serious financial, safety, and compliance issues that impact the entire business.
This is where Andres Prieto Anton, Manager of D&T Infrastructure and OT Cyber Security, creates real impact.
He ensures that digital infrastructure in complex industrial environments remains secure, stable, and prepared for real world risks.
Andres:
- Builds security into digital transformation from the start
- Protects manufacturing plants, laboratory systems, and operational networks
- Strengthens network design and system visibility
- Establishes structured security frameworks to maintain resilience and compliance
His work goes beyond technical controls. He translates complex standards into practical actions teams can apply daily, prioritizing protection based on business risk. During upgrades and integrations, he ensures operations remain protected, reducing exposure to ransomware and supply chain threats. By aligning IT, operations, and external partners around shared responsibility, he helps prevent costly shutdowns, strengthen long-term resilience, and enable confident, secure growth.
Foundations in High-Stakes Environments
Andres Prieto Anton works where digital systems meet operational technology security. Early in his career, he saw how one small mistake, like a misconfigured system or weak network, could stop production, create safety risks, and harm a company’s reputation. These experiences taught him that resilience is real and affects employees, customers, and the wider community.
He has led security programs across global organizations, turning complex rules into clear, practical steps that teams can follow every day. Andres believes security works best when it is easy to understand, simple to use, and reliable even in challenging situations.
He has guided teams through major technology changes, including mergers and system upgrades. From this experience, he learned that strong security is about guiding people, managing challenges, and keeping business priorities in focus.
For Andres Prieto Anton, building a security culture happens every day. By coaching teams, running hands-on exercises, and staying close to operations, he makes security a tool that supports growth and innovation rather than slowing it down. He focuses on the most important risks, strengthens systems, and encourages teamwork. His approach builds trust, resilience, and long-term stability for the organization.
A Clear Security Framework for Smart Decisions
Andres supports innovation such as new platforms, data-driven processes, and advanced automation while ensuring operations remain reliable, compliant, and secure.
He approaches this through three main priorities:
- Strategy and architecture: Clear security framework aligned with corporate risk, industry standards, and governance, guiding all initiatives.
- Risk-based decision making: Focus on systems and sites where protection adds the most value.
- Secure-by-design programs: Integrate network segmentation, identity controls, monitoring, and data governance from the start.
This approach ensures security becomes a driver of progress rather than a barrier, allowing new technologies and analytics to be adopted safely.
Risks and Complexities in Modern Industrial Systems
Andres Prieto Anton explains that industrial systems are changing quickly to support new technologies such as drones, smart machines, and automated processes. These technologies need strong connections, fast data flow, and reliable performance. At the same time, they create new risks and more complex connections between cloud systems, on-site systems, and other platforms.
He focuses on moving from simple, flat networks to well-organized designs that protect the most important operations. He also encourages using integrated systems instead of separate tools so companies can grow safely. By planning security from the beginning, businesses can follow regulations, innovate with confidence, and keep their operations reliable, clear, and well-managed at all times.
Growing Cyber Threats in Industrial Environments
Andres Prieto Anton works to keep industrial systems and operational technology safe from growing risks. Cyberattacks can stop production, cause delays, and cost companies a lot of money. Sometimes vendors or system partners can accidentally create weaknesses, and older systems are often hard to update. Attackers are getting more skilled and are focusing on critical industries, so old methods of protection are not enough.
Connecting IT and operational systems makes things even more complicated. Cloud services, remote access, and third-party connections create tightly linked systems that are harder to protect. Andres makes sure leaders plan for problems, spot issues quickly, contain them fast, and recover so operations keep running smoothly.
Security in these systems is part of overall business safety. It affects production, product quality, employee safety, and compliance. Andres ensures these risks are included in company-wide planning, internal checks, and board discussions.
Being able to see and respond to problems is essential. You can’t protect what you don’t know about. Andres focuses on keeping accurate inventories, monitoring systems continuously, and having clear plans so teams can respond effectively.
For Andres, security is more than a cost. It is a way to keep operations reliable, protect the company’s reputation, and build long-term trust. With this approach, organizations can handle new risks, stay strong, and grow with confidence.
Clear Global Policies, Standards, and Reference Frameworks
Ensuring strong cybersecurity means balancing global rules with local needs. Andres Prieto Anton does this by creating clear policies and guidelines that set minimum expectations for IT, operational technology, and data protection. He makes sure everyone knows their roles and responsibilities. The central team sets the strategy and monitors risks, while regional teams adjust the controls to match local laws, operations, and culture.
Andres uses proven programs and standard solutions, such as laboratory and production systems, to keep security consistent across all sites while allowing necessary local changes. Andres also focuses on culture. He builds trust with local leaders, understands their challenges, and communicates in ways that make sense to each team. This hands-on approach creates a shared plan, celebrates local achievements, and respects that progress may happen at different speeds at different sites.
Investing in Team Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Andres Prieto Anton focuses on building strong collaboration across IT, operations, leadership teams, and external partners.
He starts by creating a shared language and common goals. He explains security initiatives in terms of safety, uptime, product quality, and compliance, so teams can see how their work directly impacts what matters most.
He also puts in place clear processes and governance. By bringing together IT, operations, quality, and business teams in committees and review meetings, he creates a space where decisions can be discussed openly, agreed upon, and followed consistently.
Andres builds strong partnerships with vendors and system integrators. He shares the organization’s plans and practical constraints so partners can work as true collaborators rather than just suppliers.
He invests in his team’s communication and interpersonal skills, knowing that technical expertise alone is not enough. Clear communication, empathy, and the ability to work across teams and cultures are what drive lasting, meaningful change.
The Four Pillars of Modern Cyber Leadership
Andres emphasizes that success in cybersecurity is measured across four key areas:
- Risk posture: Reduce vulnerabilities, improve network segmentation, and maintain asset visibility.
- Operational resilience: Monitor response times, recovery performance, and business continuity readiness.
- Culture and behavior: Evaluate training, simulations, and team confidence in secure actions
- Business alignment and trust: Integrate security into transformation programs, leadership discussions, and board-level decisions
Advise For Emerging Leaders and Professionals
For those stepping into cyber security, digital infrastructure, or critical systems protection, Andres Prieto Anton offers three key pieces of guidance.
First, build strong technical foundations while also gaining a broad understanding of risk management, governance, and regulations. The professionals who make the biggest impact are those who can connect technical teams with business leaders and regulators.
Second, stay curious and committed to learning. Technology and industrial environments evolve quickly, so seeking mentors and gaining experience across different roles helps you see how technology, operations, and business goals fit together.
Third, focus on human skills. Clear communication, empathy, teamwork, and the ability to stay calm under pressure are just as important as technical expertise and shape the leaders of tomorrow.
Inside the Business Mind
- One business rule you regularly break.
- I prioritize safety and production over rigid policy checklists when securing OT environments.
- One thing entrepreneurs should stop glorifying.
- Hustle culture that sacrifices resilience for speed.
- A mistake young founders keep repeating.
- Underinvesting in security until after the first breach hits.
- A word your team would use to describe you on a tough day.
- Judge Prieto, because i don´t have problems and like to take decisions to move forward: even later needs to change it.
- One “small” daily practice that keeps you sane.
- Make a 30m walk with dog at the mountains
- Your one-line prediction about the future of business.
- By 2030, cyber resilience will be the top boardroom metric, surpassing revenue growth.
