Category: Secure

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

Mobile Insecurity: Changing Workplace Models Expose Enterprise Vulnerabilities

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Secure
Amy Larsen DeCarlo – Principal Analyst, Security and Data Center Services

Summary Bullets:

• Almost half of organizations queried suffered a mobile device related breach in the last year.

• The majority of organizations link the increase in incidents to migration to a hybrid work environment.

It is no secret that the sudden shift to remote work during COVID-19 lockdown put tremendous pressure on IT teams as they scrambled to deploy and manage new collaboration tools and related IT services. Over time, it became apparent that many enterprise security vulnerabilities were exposed in that overnight migration, and as a result there was an uptick in breaches. Continue reading “Mobile Insecurity: Changing Workplace Models Expose Enterprise Vulnerabilities” →

Executive Departure Adds More Uncertainty to Broadcom’s VMware Acquisition

by Steven J. Schuchart Jr., posted in Cloud Enable, IT Leader, Secure
S. Schuchart

Summary Bullets:

  • Tom Krause is leaving Broadcom to become CEO of Citrix-Tibco, increasing tensions around the planned acquisition of VMware.
  • Broadcom CEO Hock Tan is taking over the Broadcom Software division, but there may be a chance that VMware’s leadership team could run the division if the acquisition closes.

The latest chapter in the saga of Broadcom’s quest to buy VMware sees the architect and face of the deal, Broadcom Software President Tom Krause, leaving Broadcom to become CEO of Citrix-Tibco. For fans following along at home, Citrix was purchased by private equity firms Vista Equity Partners and Elliott Investment Management that plan to merge Citrix with Tibco. The merger of those two is much like the purchase of VMware by Broadcom – a move with very few synergies that leaves everyone scratching their heads and wondering why. It seems as if the thought process is that any software company can be merged with any other… because they are all software, right?

Continue reading “Executive Departure Adds More Uncertainty to Broadcom’s VMware Acquisition” →

Vodafone Delivers Purpose in Action

by Rob Pritchard, posted in Internet of Things, Mobilize, Network, Secure
R. Pritchard

Summary Bullets:

  • Vodafone is seeking to demonstrate how it uses technology to address connected education and connected health markets in both developed and developing countries.
  • Propositions such as ‘school in a box’ and m-mama in Africa have helped in delivering the education sector and safer healthcare for pregnant women.

Vodafone recently presented examples of its Purpose initiative, whose goal is stated to be “we connect for a better future by enabling inclusive and sustainable digital societies.” The three pillars of this strategy are Digital Society (connecting people, places, and things and digitizing critical sectors); Inclusion For All (ensuring no one is left behind in a digital society); and Planet (tackling the climate crisis, reducing carbon emissions, and helping others reduce theirs). These all demonstrate practical implementations of the company’s environmental, social, and governance (ESG) agenda, as well as demonstrating that offering socially useful applications can also be a commercial opportunity.

Continue reading “Vodafone Delivers Purpose in Action” →

DevSecOps is Now Ops’ Greatest Digitization Challenge

by Charlotte Dunlap, posted in Cloud Enable, Secure
C. Dunlap

Summary Bullets:

  • DevSecOps’ barriers to adoption include culture clashes between teams and technical challenges.
  • Emerging tools are beginning to appear among traditional platform providers and startups.

The move to microservices-based apps has unleashed a flood of new DevOps and GitOps platforms in recent months aimed at helping enterprise operations and developer teams create continuous integration and continuous development pipelines for streamlining the deployment of advanced apps within complex processes. Efforts to spin off new app architectures, including Kubernetes clusters, require configurations between networking, security, and provisioning of computing. This need involves the developer as part of a ‘shift left and GitOps’ movement taking place over the past 18 months, spurred by the need to automate continuous delivery and operations of apps and infrastructure. However, progress toward this effort has been slow.

Continue reading “DevSecOps is Now Ops’ Greatest Digitization Challenge” →

Organizations Combat Chronic Security Understaffing by Hiring Less-Experienced Professionals

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Secure
A. DeCarlo
A. Larsen DeCarlo

Summary Bullets:

  • Facing serious internal IT security expertise limitations, many organizations are hiring lower-level staff and providing professional development on the job.
  • This strategy appears to be yielding good results with many prepared to work on assignment independently within six months, according to an (ISC)² survey of hiring managers.

IT security organizations are under acute pressure.  Navigating an escalating threat environment often with a lack of internal expertise, companies are reassessing approaches to staffing and casting a wider net with respect to hiring for IT security roles.

Continue reading “Organizations Combat Chronic Security Understaffing by Hiring Less-Experienced Professionals” →

Atos’ Future Will Bring a Much-Needed Restructure

by Rena Bhattacharyya, posted in Big Data, Cloud Enable, IT Leader, Secure
R. Bhattacharyya

Summary Bullets:

  • Atos announced plans to split into two companies: one will focus on digital solutions and the other on information systems.
  • There is still much uncertainty regarding what will happen to Atos in the long term, with rumors flying of a potential acquisition by another French organization.

For France-based Atos, significant change is imminent. In mid-June 2022, the IT services provider (ITSP) announced plans to split into two companies:  SpinCo will offer high-growth solutions that support digital transformation, big data (including Atos’ computing portfolio), and cybersecurity; and TFCo (Atos’ Tech Foundations) will provide low-growth managed infrastructure services, digital workplace solutions, and professional services.  By restructuring, Atos is separating its higher-growth and higher-margin businesses from its underperforming divisions, which have been dragging the company’s overall financial performance down for several years.

Continue reading “Atos’ Future Will Bring a Much-Needed Restructure” →

With Atos Partnership, ZainTech Is Positioning Itself to Capitalize on Next-Gen Enterprise Services Boom in MENA

by Ismail Patel, posted in Cloud Enable, IT Leader, Secure
I. Patel

Summary Bullets:

  • After it consolidated its digital and enterprise divisions into ZainTech in late 2021, the deal with Atos is a signal of Zain Group’s strategic direction.
  • The partnership with Atos is part of Zain’s strategy to allow ZainTech to enter into deals with major enterprise vendors and grow organic revenue by selling next-gen enterprise services to regional clients.

Zain Group announced a partnership with French technology company Atos to provide digital transformation services to ZainTech enterprise customers in the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. The deal comprises the provision of the following three services: a round-the-clock managed cybersecurity solution, a cloud solution to help businesses deliver next-gen digital technologies, and an end-to-end video analytics platform for customizable AI models (e.g., Atos Computer Vision Platform).

Continue reading “With Atos Partnership, ZainTech Is Positioning Itself to Capitalize on Next-Gen Enterprise Services Boom in MENA” →

IBM’s Quantum Roadmap for 2025 Brings Practicality and Excitement

by Steven J. Schuchart Jr., posted in Cloud Enable, IT Leader, Secure
S. Schuchart

Summary Bullets:    

  • IBM’s roadmap for quantum computing leans heavily into software/development as the interface to make solving problems on quantum computers as easy as it is on classical systems.
  • IBM’s introduction of its modular quantum computing plan will allow, in the long term, parallelization of quantum computing, essentially creating larger quantum CPUs out of several smaller ones.

As it has been for the last several years, the quantum computing market is again boiling with a great deal of vim and vigor.  In May 2022, IBM made an announcement that it is expanding its roadmap for quantum computing, particularly at a large scale with a focus on realistic problems. IBM’s very near-term, previously disclosed roadmap includes the 433-qubit processor named IBM Osprey, which the company expects to make available later this year. In 2023, IBM intends to introduce IBM Condor, a quantum CPU that reaches 1,000+ cubits.

Continue reading “IBM’s Quantum Roadmap for 2025 Brings Practicality and Excitement” →

IBM Expands Cybersecurity Grant Program to Help K-12 Institutions Battle Ransomware

by Amy Larsen DeCarlo, posted in Secure

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

Summary Bullets:

• Often under-resourced from an IT perspective and possessing a wealth of valuable personal data, educational institutions are prime targets for ransomware.

• With incidents against K-12 school systems rising dramatically, IBM is looking to help districts mount a better defense through its cybersecurity grant program.

The number of ransomware incidents levied against educational institutions is soaring. K-12 school systems in particular have suffered a brutal few years. To help mount a better defense, IBM is again offering cybersecurity support to public school districts in the US and a number of other countries.

Continue reading “IBM Expands Cybersecurity Grant Program to Help K-12 Institutions Battle Ransomware” →

Red Hat Summit: Ansible’s Growing Prominence

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

Summary Bullets:             

  • Red Hat Ansible Automation Platform is growing in prominence within OpenShift and the industry in general
  • Ansible’s popularity has prompted a new round of key partnerships to expand OpenShift’s ecosystem

Red Hat Ansible has matured into a shining star, not only among OpenShift’s portfolio, but the industry in general for its ability to abstract the complexity of building and operating IT automation at scale as part of enterprises’ business transformations.

Continue reading “Red Hat Summit: Ansible’s Growing Prominence” →