Emerging Technology
PR Newswire | August 04, 2023
Global IT research and advisory firm Info-Tech Research Group has been selected for participation in the US Department of Defence (DoD) Enterprise Software Initiative (ESI) program. This new partnership enables the DoD and its IT leaders to access world-class resources, gain industry-leading guidance, and receive transformative insights and invaluable consultation from experts with extensive experience. The agreement also includes McLean & Company, a division of Info-Tech known for its exceptional HR research and advisory services, and MyPolicies, the firm's provider of robust online policy management and administration software.
The DoD ESI is an official DoD initiative sponsored by the DoD Chief Information Officer (CIO). The initiative is designed to streamline procurement and optimize cost efficiency in the acquisition of commercial software, IT hardware, and services. Through its joint team of experts, ESI consolidates requirements and establishes agreements with IT providers, resulting in a unified contracting and vendor management strategy across the entire department.
"We are honored to have been selected to provide services as a member of the US Department of Defense's Enterprise Software Initiative. This partnership affirms our commitment to providing world-class IT research and advisory services to the public sector," says Ron Gumbert, senior managing partner at Info-Tech. "There is a shared vision to foster a technology-enabled, efficient future for the DoD, driving strategic change and transforming challenges into opportunities."
Info-Tech's public sector executive services and research team comprises highly experienced industry experts focused on supporting government clients to address mission-critical, technology-enabled initiatives.
"Our recent expansion into Arlington, Virginia, signifies our dedication to being an integral part of the IT ecosystem in the US, and this collaboration with the US Department of Defense's Enterprise Software Initiative further solidifies that commitment," adds Gumbert. "Our Arlington office stands ready to serve as a strategic hub for our work with the DoD and other Federal agencies, providing unparalleled research and advisory services. This pivotal development marks a new chapter in our mission to drive impactful digital transformation within the defense sector and beyond."
About Info-Tech Research Group
Info-Tech Research Group is one of the world's leading information technology research and advisory firms, proudly serving over 30,000 IT professionals. The company produces unbiased and highly relevant research to help CIOs and IT leaders make strategic, timely, and well-informed decisions. For 25 years, Info-Tech has partnered closely with IT teams to provide them with everything they need, from actionable tools to analyst guidance, ensuring they deliver measurable results for their organizations.
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Emerging Technology, Cybersecurity
PR Newswire | August 18, 2023
Axiad, a leading provider of organization-wide passwordless orchestration, today announced a new Unified Credential Management System (UCMS) package calledPasswordless for Air Gapped and Critical Environmentsto meet the phishing-resistant requirements of The White House Executive Order (EO) 14028. This package brings passwordless authentication and end user self-service capabilities to air gapped and critical infrastructure environments that integrate Microsoft Security solutions. Overall, the package helps government agencies as well as critical infrastructure and defense industrial base (DIB) organizations maximize security and end-user acceptance and minimize security overhead.
In the United States, critical infrastructure systems continue to be a top target for cybercriminals. In fact,Microsoft reportedthat critical infrastructure cyberattacks doubled in 2022 from 20% to 40% of nation-state-sponsored attacks. Because of this, the U.S. government, via EO 14028 on improving the nation's cybersecurity, has mandated security measures, including strong passwordless multi-factor authentication (MFA), for government agencies and is strongly recommending the use of this technology for critical infrastructure.
In response to this growing need, Axiad's Passwordless for Air Gapped and Critical Environments provides a seamless way for organizations to integrate government-grade, phishing-resistant passwordless authentication as well as key functional and operational support into on-premises air gapped environments.
The new package provides full interoperation with a range of Microsoft products – including Microsoft Active Directory Federation Services and Microsoft Certificate Authority – to ensure authentication is highly secure and consistent and customers get maximum value out of their existing environments. Additionally, it provides credential management and self-service credential enrollment and account recovery (CEAR), which are critical capabilities due to the high costs or the complete lack of on-site IT support in air gapped environments.
"Organizations with air gapped and critical infrastructure environments need passwordless authentication and a range of physical and platform authenticators to help prevent cyber-attacks," said Jerome Becquart, chief operating officer at Axiad. "With this new package, Axiad is the first company to provide all these elements plus the critical missing ingredient – self-service authentication management, including enrollment and account recovery – and bring them to the on-premises Microsoft ecosystem."
Axiad's Passwordless for Air Gapped and Critical Environments provides the following unique capabilities:
Strong Authentication:The package provides government-grade FIPS 140 validated passwordless authentication with the flexibility needed to accommodate the full range of needs of employees, contractors, vendors and suppliers. For example, it offers a range of passwordless options, including both physical (YubiKeys, smart cards, PIV cards, USB keys, etc.) and platform (virtual smart cards).
Powerful Self-Service Capabilities:Axiad AirLock, which provides help desk automation by eliminating temporary passwords, provides self-service credential enrollment, and Axiad MyCircle provides self-service account recovery within a trusted circle of colleagues rather than waiting for the help desk to respond – both of which help to increase operational efficiencies for frontline workers and reduce IT costs.
Ready Implementation:The package's architecture is made to operate in air gapped environments and to seamlessly interoperate with existing authentication and infrastructure investments without requiring upgrades. This package fully leverages and extends the life of Microsoft authentication (e.g., Microsoft Active Directory) and infrastructure (e.g., Microsoft Windows Server) investments.
"Axiad's integration with Microsoft empowers critical infrastructure, government and defense industrial base to easily upgrade their existing Microsoft on-premises infrastructure to become passwordless," said Ehud Itshaki, principal product manager at Microsoft. "With phishing-resistant, passwordless authentication, they can enhance their security posture and comply with the recent EO mandating phishing-resistant MFA – all while getting more out of their existing Microsoft authentication and infrastructure investments."
About Axiad
Axiad delivers organization-wide passwordless orchestration to secure people, machines, and interactions for enterprise and public sector organizations that must optimize their cybersecurity posture while navigating underlying IT complexity. The company's flagship product, Axiad Cloud, is a comprehensive, secure and integrated authentication platform that allows customers to move to a passwordless future without the friction and risk of fragmented solutions. Axiad supports the widest range of credentials in the industry including FIDO, mobile MFA, Windows Hello for Business, YubiKeys, smart cards, TPM and biometrics, and is trusted by public sector organizations and Fortune 500 companies across aerospace & defense, financial services, insurance, healthcare, oil & energy and more.
For more information visitaxiad.comand follow us onTwitterandLinkedIn.
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Emerging Technology
Globenewswire | July 07, 2023
Gorilla Technology Group Inc. , a global provider of AI-based edge video analytics, IoT technologies, and cybersecurity, today announced that it signed a contract with the Government of Egypt to implement a Smart Government Security Convergence solution. The contract, worth more than $270 million over three years, represents the largest customer win in Gorilla’s history and a notable stride in its globalization strategy, putting Gorilla on a path toward profitability by the end of 2024.
“We're extremely excited to execute the contract and officially embark on what we expect to be a long-term relationship with the Government of Egypt,” said Gorilla CEO Jay Chandan. “This is the largest project we have ever won and, inclusive of our recent win in Taiwan, we have now secured $300 million worth of projects this quarter. We could not be more excited by our momentum and future. The execution of this contract affirms our standing as a reliable global solutions provider, particularly when the MENA region governments are actively seeking innovative partners to support their crucial transformation from conventional systems to digital technologies and underpins future growth opportunities more broadly in the region and across the globe.”
“I am thrilled with this groundbreaking contract. This partnership marks a significant milestone in our mission to create a secure and connected governance ecosystem,” said Gorilla’s Chief Innovation Officer Dr Rajesh Natarajan. “By integrating cutting-edge technologies such as AI, IoT and data analytics, we are poised to revolutionize the way governments safeguard their critical assets. This collaboration reaffirms our commitment to delivering innovative solutions that empower governments to proactively address emerging security challenges. Together, we will build a resilient and future-ready security framework, setting standards for safety and governance in the digital age.”
The key objective of the smart government security convergence solution is to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of security operations while enabling better decision-making, proactive threat detection, and quick response to emerging risks.
The system includes:
Access Control and Identity Management: Robust access control systems to manage and authenticate the identities of individuals accessing critical resources in the governmental network.
Interagency Collaboration: Enable interagency collaboration by enabling seamless information sharing and communication among government entities via email, document sharing, voice, and video conferencing.
Cybersecurity Measures: Strong cybersecurity measures integrated to protect the entire smart government security convergence infrastructure from cyber threats. These measures include network segmentation, encryption protocols, intrusion detection and prevention systems, and continuous monitoring of network traffic.
Command and Control Center: A centralized command and control center to act as the nerve center of the security infrastructure, integrating data from multiple sources, providing operators with a comprehensive situational awareness dashboard for effective decision-making and rapid incident response coordination.
The implementation of these advanced technologies and systems within the smart government security convergence project aims to create a highly secure and interconnected air-gapped environment. It facilitates proactive threat detection, timely incident response, and effective resource allocation, enabling governments to protect their critical infrastructure.
“We deeply appreciate the trust placed in our team, products, and solutions by the Egyptian Government. This achievement is a testament to the tireless efforts of representatives of the Government of Egypt and all at Gorilla. The sheer scale is unique, propelling us closer to our vision of being acknowledged as a global platform-as-a-service provider and a catalyst for innovation,” Chandan added.
About Gorilla Technology Group Inc.
Gorilla, headquartered in London U.K., is a global solution provider in security intelligence, network intelligence, business intelligence and IoT technology. Gorilla develops a wide range of solutions including Smart Cities, Smart Retail, Enterprise Security, and Smart Media. In addition, Gorilla provides a complete Security Convergence Platform to government institutions, telecom companies and private enterprises with network surveillance and cyber security.
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