Category: Secure

Secure provides guidance and insight on the myriad issues that business technologists grapple with while protecting business data assets and ensuring continuity.

Telefónica Empowers Service Providers to Deliver Tailored Security Solutions to Enterprises

by Rajesh Muru, posted in Secure
R. Muru

Summary Bullets:

  • Telefónica delivers a strong commitment and makes its cybersecurity solutions and professional services capabilities available through partnerships to assist third-party service providers and capture new revenue streams.
  • Telefónica’s differentiated value proposition includes empowering third-party service providers with limited security capabilities to deliver bespoke security solutions in less than 12 months.

The Challenged Enterprise in the New Norm

Telefónica (Telefónica Global Solutions), together with GlobalData, delivered a webinar in October 2021 highlighting the impact of cybersecurity attacks on both small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and global corporates.  To put this into context: in 2020, businesses made ransomware payments of more than $400 million in cryptocurrency, a 300% increase compared to 2019.  However, the average cost to a business in terms of financial impact, downtime, and lost opportunity is far greater, with some enterprises in the private healthcare sector, for example, highlighting post-cyberattack revenue losses in the millions and damage to brand and shareholder value. Continue reading “Telefónica Empowers Service Providers to Deliver Tailored Security Solutions to Enterprises” →

ASEAN 5G Q3 2021 Roundup: Competition Heats Up

by Alfie Amir, posted in Cloud Enable, Internet of Things, IT Leader, Mobilize, Network, Secure
A. Amir

Summary Bullets:

  • The domestic competitions across ASEAN are heating up as providers are moving from network deployment to the solution development stage.
  • Leading providers are starting to commercialize their edge computing services and gain a first-mover advantage.

The enterprise 5G market in ASEAN is moving from network deployment to the solution development stage, led by early adopters such as the Philippines, Singapore, and Thailand.  Most telcos in these countries such as Globe, PLDT, M1, Singtel, Starhub, and AIS have enabled 5G standalone (SA) networks to support a wider range of enterprises applications through edge integration, lower latency, and network slicing.  The competition at the country level is also heating up, as providers are beginning to commercialize the solutions they have been developing through industry collaborations.  This includes Singtel’s edge computing and AIS’ 5G smart manufacturing solutions.  Service providers are also expanding their collaboration initiatives with enterprises from across verticals and are expected to launch more applications in the market in the near term.  AIS and Globe are Singtel’s associates; hence, the three providers could also gain an advantage in 5G solution development in their respective markets through knowledge and partner sharing. Continue reading “ASEAN 5G Q3 2021 Roundup: Competition Heats Up” →

Connected Technology and Data Are Part of the Solution for Environmental Sustainability

by Dustin Kehoe, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate, Internet of Things, IT Leader, Mobilize, Network, Secure
D. Kehoe

Summary Bullets:

  • ICT contributes to a carbon footprint, but stats alone do not provide the full picture.
  • The industry is setting its own goals, but also enabling so many other sectors to be greener.
  • In the past two years, technology really kept us connected in the most challenging times.

GlobalData’s thematic research shows sustainability is one of the most important themes discussed in corporate boardrooms.  While previous decades have witnessed environmental movements, the current wave is unprecedented.  Each headline-grabbing event reinforces public opinion that companies must become more sustainable.  Sustainability is being reported in annual reports and established into corporate strategy.  Over the coming decade, the issue will further transform the way that business is conducted and extend across the supply chain.  Companies that take sustainability seriously now will be better placed to succeed, and technology will be part of the solution. Continue reading “Connected Technology and Data Are Part of the Solution for Environmental Sustainability” →

A Different Approach to Solving Work From Home Connectivity and Security

by Steven J. Schuchart Jr., posted in Secure

Summary Bullets:

S. Schuchart

• The challenge is for IT to improve the experience for the work from home user

• Palo Alto Networks Okyo Garde addresses issues many enterprise work from home (WFH) solutions do not

The subject of WFH has had a lot of attention, with the COVID-19 pandemic forcing the issue for a lot of companies. Many companies have taken advantage of this and have moved their employees to permanent work from home status or only in the office a few select days of the week. The struggle since the beginning of the pandemic has been to support these home users. IT departments strived mightily and, in many cases, bootstrapped solutions that could at least get the home worker up and running. But now these same IT departments are taking a closer look at more effective and permanent solutions. Issues with home networks, particularly Wi-Fi, ergonomics, and even things as basic as monitors and chairs need to be addressed – they are all part of the WFH equation.

Continue reading “A Different Approach to Solving Work From Home Connectivity and Security” →

Should ASEAN Telcos Reassess Data Center Business?

by Alfie Amir, posted in Cloud Enable, Communicate, IT Leader, Network, Secure

A. Amir

Summary Bullets:            

  • Major ASEAN telcos are considering selling their data center business.
  • As the demand is shifting, telcos should consider reassessing their data center business strategy.

In the last few days, three major ASEAN telcos – PLDT, Globe, and Indosat – were reported to be mulling over their data center businesses, worth around $500 million (USD), $200 million, and $200 million, respectively.

Not a New Trend, but Has Been Happening for Years

Having telcos exit the data center market is not new: Verizon sold its 29 data centers in the America region to Equinix in 2016; Tata Communications sold 17 facilities in 2016 and its data center arm sold a 26% stake in its Singapore business in 2019; Lumen completed the sale of its data center and colocation business in 2017; AT&T sold 31 of its data centers to Brookfield in 2018; Telefonica sold off 11 data centers in 2019 and confirmed the sale of additional four facilities in 2021; PCCW sold its data center business in 2021; and Singtel has announced that it is considering selling off its infrastructure, including data centers.  However, the trend is only recently coming to the emerging ASEAN region. Continue reading “Should ASEAN Telcos Reassess Data Center Business?” →

Fresh Bluetooth Vulnerabilities Point to Underlying Concerns About Connected Device Security

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Secure

Summary Bullets:

Amy Larsen DeCarlo – Principal Analyst, Security and Data Center Services

• Security researchers identified more than a dozen Bluetooth Classic stack vulnerabilities that affect at least 1,400 products

• This issue is highlighting broader cybersecurity challenges in the connected device world

Security researchers from Singapore University of Technology and Design cast a spotlight on vulnerabilities in 13 different Bluetooth chipsets that could put mobile and other connected devices at risk of breaches. Dubbed BrakTooth, with Brak being a Norwegian word for crash, the 16 identified vulnerabilities in the Bluetooth Classic stack can be exploited using a number of mechanisms including denial of service, firmware crashes, deadlocks, and arbitrary code execution (ACE). A wide range of devices from Dell laptops to consumer smart speakers and connected refrigerators could be vulnerable.

Continue reading “Fresh Bluetooth Vulnerabilities Point to Underlying Concerns About Connected Device Security” →

Security and Networking Consolidation Needs Concrete Examples

by Steven J. Schuchart Jr., posted in IT Leader, Network, Secure

Summary Bullets:

S. Schuchart

• Security and networking are converging, the evidence is clear, both from a technological and strategic standpoint, with security threats increasing.

• The enterprise needs tools to manage the human aspects of security and networking convergence and the fist instrument they need is real industry examples proving the trend from vendors, ITSP, carriers, and industry analysts.

By design and necessity, the security and networking industries are moving towards consolidation. Security companies are buying networking resources and networking companies are snapping up security vendors left and right. If you address a room full of vendors from the security and networking markets and proclaim that the two markets are converging, you will get heads nodding sagely. But the reality on the ground is much more complicated. Much like a stone arch, something has to move before things begin to fall in the direction gravity is pulling them.

Continue reading “Security and Networking Consolidation Needs Concrete Examples” →

Real Security Demands a Fundamental Change to Software Updates

by Steven J. Schuchart Jr., posted in Secure

2019 Schuchart Headshot Cropped
S. Schuchart

Summary Bullets:

  • IT security issues are being exacerbated by unregulated auto-update mechanisms.
  • Systemic and fundamental change to a centralized, approval-based update system is necessary.

A simple rule of thumb for complex systems is that wherever simplicity is added, there is corresponding complexity added elsewhere. For instance, in early PC computing, only software updates were required when the latest version was bought.  Bug fixes sent to existing users were exceedingly rare, as they required physical media.  With the advent of the Internet, physical media was gradually shunted to the side as bandwidth increased.  Bug fixes were suddenly available to anyone who wanted to download and install them.  Then came auto updating.  Software began to reach out on its own to check to see if it were up to date and, if not, updated itself.  Bugs were eliminated and security enhanced.  In turn, this enabled rapid iteration software development and the so-called ‘fail fast’ mentality for startups and app developers. After all, if the app was flawed, a patch would simply be applied as fast as the developer could make it. Continue reading “Real Security Demands a Fundamental Change to Software Updates” →

KubeCon Europe 2021: Key Themes Centered on Observability and Service Mesh

by Charlotte Dunlap, posted in Big Data, Cloud Enable, Communicate, Internet of Things, IT Leader, Mobilize, Network, Secure

Dunlap-100143
C. Dunlap

Summary Bullets:            

  • Prominent KubeCon themes included observability and service mesh.
  • New Relic and F5/NGINX made key announcements.

The open source software (OSS) community huddled up last week during KubeCon Europe, clearly affected by the past year’s strain on companies and DevOps teams, resolving to refine digitization via emerging technologies. Twice a year, KubeCon provides the industry with a developer-focused gauge of key trends and innovations related to app modernization, DevOps, and Kubernetes/container innovations. Continue reading “KubeCon Europe 2021: Key Themes Centered on Observability and Service Mesh” →

Dell to Spin Off VMware – Steady as She Goes for Now

by Steven J. Schuchart Jr., posted in Network, Secure

S. Schuchart

Summary Bullets:

  • The spinoff of Dell from VMware is long-term good for VMware customers.
  • Enterprise IT buyers and enterprise IT rivals to Dell need make no changes for the immediate future.

On April 15, 2021, Dell announced plans to spin off its VMware business, which will likely net Dell around $9 billion (USD) that it can used to pay down debt or go on an acquisition spree. Dell currently owns 81% of VMware, which it gained during its acquisition of EMC in 2015.  Beyond the obvious need to reduce its debt, it is widely believed that VMware (which still had its own stock) and Dell will both have higher values when they are evaluated as separate entities.  Michael Dell will remain chairman of the board for both companies. Continue reading “Dell to Spin Off VMware – Steady as She Goes for Now” →