Belgium vote likely to make forming next government tough

Reuters | May 23, 2019

Linguistically-split Belgium holds a national election on Sunday that polls show is unlikely to allow Prime Minister Charles Michel to renew his centre-right government. Michel, 43, has been running the country of 11 million people in a caretaker capacity since December and could face many more months in that role if party leaders struggle to form a new coalition after the vote. In 2010, that task took a world record 541 days until Elio Di Rupo, who still leads the francophone Socialists, finally took office. “The lesson from 2010 is we can cope for some time with a caretaker government. There will be a government, but it could be in 2020,” said Carl Devos, political analyst at Ghent University. Belgium effectively runs two separate elections in the Dutch and French-speaking regions, with no national parties, after which it will somehow have to weld together a federal government from a more left-leaning south and right-leaning north.

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Government Business, Cybersecurity

In Cooperation with the FedCloudIA Platform, Milestone's XProtect is Now Available as a VMS Cloud Service for the U.S. Government

Prweb | July 12, 2023

Milestone Systems, a global leader in open platform video technologies, announces today its partnership with FedCloudIA, paving the way for groundbreaking advancements in government security solutions. The company's signature software, Milestone XProtect, is now available as part of the FedCloudIA cloud service offering, a FedRAMP Ready video management solution. By participating in this FedRAMP Ready environment, Milestone XProtect becomes a trusted cloud service technology for the U.S. government. This distinction eases the process of conducting business within the government sector. With this move, any government agency seeking a FedRAMP Ready Video Management System (VMS) now has the option to use Milestone through FedCloudIA. Likewise, resellers for government agencies looking to leverage Milestone's robust cloud capabilities may proceed through the FedCloudIA platform. Through this partnership, Milestone integrators and government sector end-users gain access to a FedRAMP Ready cloud solution. The Milestone XProtect solution adheres to the security policies published by NIST and tailored to the FedRAMP Moderate baseline and DoD IL-4. Milestone XProtect is now available as a cloud service for all U.S. federal, state and local government agencies. Milestone technology partners may also be available under the FedCloudIA umbrella. "Milestone's entry into the FedCloudIA framework marks a significant leap forward for government security. Our partnership ensures that government agencies can rely on an approved, secure, and effective open platform VMS to meet their unique needs," said Walter Coady, Business Development Manager, Federal Government, Milestone Systems. "Being in the market as part of a FedRAMP Ready solution underscores our commitment to innovation, integration and the partner ecosystem." The Milestone XProtect open platform video management system currently supports more than 13,000 different security devices from more than 700 of the industry’s leading manufacturers. Technology partners include providers of network video cameras, smart sensors, cloud technologies, access control, alarm and detection systems, video analytics, GPS technology, laser scanners, emergency call boxes, and much more. About Milestone Systems Milestone Systems is a leading provider of data-driven video technology software in and beyond security that helps the world see how to ensure safety, protect assets, and increase business efficiency. Milestone enables an open platform community that drives collaboration and innovation in the development and use of network video technology, with reliable and scalable solutions that are proven in more than 500,000 customer sites worldwide. Founded in 1998, Milestone is a stand-alone company in the Canon Group. For more information visit: http://www.milestonesys.com About FedCloudIA FedCloudIA is an environment providing cloud-based video surveillance systems, access control systems, video storage, body worn cameras, and intrusion detection systems (IDS) to agencies. Agency-site equipment is supported by management infrastructure maintained by FedCloudIA and hosted in the Azure Gov Cloud. This service offering is delivered either as a Platform as a Service (PaaS) hybrid solution, or as a Software as a Service (SaaS) offering, with agency managed on-site equipment and FedCloudIA managed cloud infrastructure. FedCloudIA's PaaS offering allows agencies the flexibility to distribute resources between cloud and local systems. As a physical security environment, FedCloudIA simplifies the ATO process of multiple commercial off the shelf (COTS) manufacturers such as Milestone Systems. About FedRAMP The Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP®) was established in 2011 to provide a cost-effective, risk-managed approach for the adoption and use of cloud services by the federal government. FedRAMP empowers agencies to use modern cloud technologies, with an emphasis on security and protection of federal information.

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Cybersecurity

Carahsoft, Forescout, stackArmor Partner with Google Public Sector on Authority to Operate (ATO) Pilot Program to Secure Federal Workloads

GlobeNewswire | August 31, 2023

Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, Forescout Technologies, Inc., a global cybersecurity leader, and stackArmor, an advanced security and compliance solutions provider with a proven track record of delivering FedRAMP, DoD CC SRG, CMMC 2.0 and StateRAMP compliance acceleration, today announced a partnership with Google Public Sector to accelerate the availability of Forescout cybersecurity solutions to state, federal, and department of defense agencies. As part of an ATO pilot program, specialist solution providers like stackArmor combine with Carahsoft’s proven public sector market services, to provide ISVs like Forescout with a holistic “accreditation to acquisition” solution. "Google Public Sector is committed to working with partners like stackArmor and Carahsoft to accelerate the availability of Forescout cybersecurity solutions to state, federal, and Department of Defense agencies,” said Troy Bertram, Managing Director of Partners, Google Public Sector. “This pilot brings together partners with deep expertise and local knowledge to help ISVs accelerate the path to compliance and rapidly bring innovative technology to government agencies.” The Forescout® Cloud, built on Google Cloud, is a unified SaaS platform for security visibility, risk, and operational management. It continuously discovers and analyzes all connected cyber assets, whether they are managed or unmanaged for IT, OT/ICS, IoMT, IoT and cloud, and is a foundation for Forescout solutions that address challenges related to risk and exposure management, and threat detection and response. “We are delighted to be a partner of this ATO pilot program, which provides us with an accelerated pathway towards FedRAMP compliance and uniquely brings together engineering, compliance advisory and continuous monitoring services as well as market access solutions,” said Paul Kao, VP Product & Engineering, Forescout. “We selected stackArmor after a rigorous evaluation process and were impressed with their engineering expertise and ability to help us remove delays and friction from our aggressive accreditation roadmap.” stackArmor rapidly delivers a dedicated Google Cloud Landing Zone with NIST-compliant security services, a complete FedRAMP ATO documentation package and post-ATO continuous monitoring. To ensure the confidentiality, integrity and availability of sensitive data, ThreatAlert® provides a standardized secure by design architecture that is deployed “in-boundary” to ensure the highest levels of security and the ability to meet stringent government cybersecurity requirements including FedRAMP Moderate, FedRAMP High, DOD Impact Level 4 and 5 among others. “Reducing the time and cost of implementing NIST SP 800-53 based cybersecurity controls to achieve an ATO in compliance with FedRAMP, FISMA/RMF, DoD CC SRG and CMMC 2.0 requirements is a strategic necessity for commercial ISVs, critical infrastructure enterprises and public sector organizations, especially given the sharp rise in cybersecurity threats,” said Gaurav “GP” Pal, CEO and founder, stackArmor. “We are excited to expand our partnership with Carahsoft to bring our ThreatAlert® ATO Accelerator, which provides a secure by design cloud landing zone, defense in depth security services, OSCAL ready documentation package and continuous compliance automation to ISVs like Forescout, to accelerate the delivery of FedRAMP accredited cybersecurity services to government agencies.” "Interest in FedRAMP-accredited cloud services has accelerated since the passage of the FedRAMP Authorization Act in December of last year, which opens new opportunities for expanding the portfolio of available accredited SaaS and PaaS offerings in the federal marketplace," said Craig P. Abod, Carahsoft President. "stackArmor’s ThreatAlert® ATO Accelerator combined with Carahsoft’s unique market access solutions provide a compelling accreditation-to-acquisition solution." About Carahsoft Carahsoft Technology Corp. is The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, supporting Public Sector organizations across Federal, State and Local Government agencies and Education and Healthcare markets. As the Master Government Aggregator® for our vendor partners, we deliver solutions for Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Open Source, Customer Experience and more. Working with resellers, systems integrators and consultants, our sales and marketing teams provide industry leading IT products, services and training through hundreds of contract vehicles. Visit us at www.carahsoft.com. About Forescout Forescout Technologies, Inc. a global cybersecurity leader, continuously identifies, protects and helps ensure the compliance of all managed and unmanaged connected cyber assets – IT, IoT, IoMT and OT. For more than 20 years, Fortune 100 organizations and government agencies have trusted Forescout to provide vendor-agnostic, automated cybersecurity at scale. The Forescout® Platform delivers comprehensive capabilities for network security, risk and exposure management, and extended detection and response. With seamless context sharing and workflow orchestration via ecosystem partners, it enables customers to more effectively manage cyber risk and mitigate threats. www.forescout.com About stackArmor stackArmor provides cloud migration, security and compliance engineering services for compliance-driven markets, including Public Sector, Government Agencies, Healthcare, Education, Space & Defense, Financial Services, and Non-profit organizations. stackArmor’s ThreatAlert® ATO Accelerator provides a unique “in-boundary” solution that helps organizations rapidly achieve FedRAMP, FISMA/RMF, DOD CC SRG and CMMC 2.0 among other government-driven cybersecurity compliance frameworks. Learn more by visiting https://stackArmor.com

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Emerging Technology

Gorilla Technology Signs Contract to Deploy Massive Smart Government Project in Egypt

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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