How a renegade Chinese billionaire became a center of D.C. intrigue

politico | June 07, 2019

A billionaire at the center of U.S.-China tensions is waging a mysterious legal battle against two D.C. conservatives over a private espionage deal gone bad. The fight touches on a pair of think tanks, a senator’s widow and the capital’s tight-knit group of China hardliners, adding a new chapter to an international saga that has divided the Trump administration and the president’s external allies. It began when a firm tied to the billionaire, real estate magnate Guo Wengui, allegedly hired a private intelligence firm to dig up dirt on Chinese nationals — including their bank records, porn habits and any illegitimate children — then sued, saying the firm failed to deliver. In turn, the intelligence firm has claimed Guo’s side gave it a thumb drive loaded with sophisticated malware and that he sought information on people whose records were deemed sensitive by the U.S. government.

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

Inclusion of Springbrook Software in GovTech 100 List for Third Straight Year

Springbrook Software | February 01, 2023

On January 31, 2023, Springbrook Software, the creator of Cirrus, was listed in “GovTech Top 100 Companies to Watch in the Government Technology Space” for three consecutive years because of the growth in demand for the platform, strong cybersecurity, and escalated operational intricacies. The GovTech 100 is a list of 100 companies that are making a difference in the finance and administration of state and local government agencies in the United States. It mentioned Springbrook Software as a powerful and secure cloud-integrated ERP solution for managing the remote workforce and catering to the citizen expectations of local government agencies. Springbrook Software’s Cirrus platform is the premier cloud-based enterprise resource planning (ERP) platform for local government agencies, offering secure cloud-based solutions that include online payments, payrolls, finance, utility billing, and human resources for government agencies. The important advantages of this platform are unparalleled data security, a modern cloud solution, unlimited scalability, efficiency, managing citizen expectations, training, and support. Every module of this platform is fully integrated and specially designed to manage the finances of the agency, from utility billing to payroll. It provides additional server storage and licenses, adding new users instantly. It offers control over master documents, updated information, and limited redundancies. CEO of Springbrook Software, Robert Bonavito, said, “We developed our new, integrated Cirrus platform from the ground up as a full-featured, native cloud-based solution. We provide our customers with the highest level of cybersecurity, a modern interface for citizens, and the ability to securely manage dynamic workplaces.” (Source – Cision PR Newswire) About Springbrook Springbrook Software has provided the digital platform for finance and administration solutions for small to medium-sized local government agencies for more than 30 years. It manages the finances, utility bills, payroll, citizen payments, tax collection, and assets of around 2800 cities, towns, and districts. With the acquisition of PUBLIQ Software, MAGIQ Software, Bias Software, SoftRight, and KVS Cloud, it is dedicated to innovation.

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY, GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Skyhigh Secure Web Gateway Is Now Authorized by FedRAMP

Skyhigh Security | February 15, 2023

On February 14, 2023, Skyhigh, a Security Service Edge Leader, announced that its Skyhigh Secure Web Gateway achieves Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) Moderate Authorization. Federal government agencies and government contractors are increasingly adopting cloud technologies to enhance efficiency, promote agility, and reduce costs. The FedRAMP Authorization enables these organizations to implement Skyhigh SWG, a component of the Skyhigh Security Service Edge (SSE) portfolio, to provide continuous, secure access for users anywhere, shield vital government data, and protect against today's advanced threats. The U.S. government program, FedRAMP, evaluates cloud security vendors based on a standardized security framework for cloud products and services, focuses on protecting sensitive federal data in the cloud. Its process demonstrates the Skyhigh SWG solution has been assessed and approved by the C-level security officers from the Department of Defense (DoD), the General Services Administration and the Department of Homeland Security. Skyhigh SWG enables authorized government users to connect securely to the cloud and web from anywhere and on any device. It prevents threats from entering an environment and sensitive data from leaving by monitoring inline traffic and acting as a gateway between users, websites, applications, and data. Multiple integrated technologies, such as Remote Browser Isolation (RBI), Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB), and Data Loss Prevention, are used by Skyhigh SWG to protect federal agencies from potentially malicious or unauthorized websites and cloud applications (DLP). The Skyhigh SSE portfolio safeguards data and prevents threats in the cloud through all Software-as-a-Service applications, Shadow IT, and Infrastructure-as-a-Service environments from a single, cloud-native enforcement point. It gives organizations to control and visibility of their data in the cloud, irrespective of where it resides. It offers a DLP engine with single user-friendly centralized management and reporting dashboard, a single policy framework through all data exfiltration vectors and multi-layered security technologies to protect all possible use cases in the federal government environment. About Skyhigh Security Skyhigh Security, headquartered in San Jose, California, is committed to assisting clients in securing the world's data. It protects organizations with data-aware and user-friendly cloud-native security solutions. Its industry-leading Security Service Edge (SSE) Portfolio goes beyond data access and focuses on data use, enabling organizations to collaborate securely from any device and location. It allows organizations to gain complete visibility and control and to monitor and mitigate security risks seamlessly, thereby reducing associated costs, enhancing efficiencies, and keeping up with the pace of innovation.

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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY, GOVERNMENT BUSINESS

Verint and Carahsoft Partner to Deliver Digital-First Citizen Engagement Solutions to Federal, State and Local Governments across the U.S.

Carahsoft | March 17, 2023

Verint® (NASDAQ: VRNT), The Customer Engagement Company®, today announced its partnership with Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®. Under the agreement Carahsoft will serve as Verint’s Public Sector Distributor, making the company’s citizen engagement solutions available to the public sector through Carahsoft’s reseller partners, NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V and Information Technology Enterprise Solutions – Software 2 (ITES-SW2) contracts. “Government agencies are immersed in a worldwide trend to improve their digital IQ and citizen engagement as reliance on government websites and content continues to expand. Consequently, leading global brands are meeting consumers where they want, when they want, and citizens expect this same level of service from government agencies,” says Verint’s John Bourne, senior vice president, global channels and alliances. “Verint’s partnership with Carahsoft will help the public sector meet these challenges by extending the reach of our customer engagement solutions through Carahsoft’s extensive reseller network.” There are a number of government initiatives in place today that are driving the need for improved digital services and making citizen engagement a top priority. These include President Biden’s Executive Order #14058 (Transforming Customer Experience & Service Delivery to Rebuild Trust in Government) which focuses on transforming federal customer experience and service delivery to rebuild trust in government; and the Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program (FedRAMP) that simplifies security for the digital age by providing a standardized approach to security for the cloud. Verint solutions are FedRAMP Moderate/IL4 authorized, which comes on the heels of more than 20 years helping hundreds of agencies and departments around the world measure and improve citizen satisfaction. “Forward-thinking government and public sector agencies are continually improving their customer engagement tools to provide a seamless digital experience for citizens,” said Michael Shrader, vice president of Intelligence and Innovative Solutions at Carahsoft. “With the addition of Verint to our Customer Experience and Engagement portfolio, agencies will be able to address various challenges, increase efficiency and promote rapid change across every citizen experience. We look forward to working with Verint and our reseller partners to help our joint customers deploy all the capabilities of the Verint Customer Engagement Platform.” The Verint Customer Engagement Platform helps organizations adapt and improve their operations in days, not months or years. It works across the organization, breaking down the barriers that exist between departments and operations. Verint technology enables people and bots to work together seamlessly from anywhere. The Verint Platform open architecture allows organizations to leverage existing investments in new ways. Verint solutions provide agencies with the data needed to surface and act on insights in real time to enhance customer experiences and efficiency, which ultimately drive continuous improvement. With Verint, organizations can create highly differentiated experiences, drive enduring relationships with their constituents and effectively navigate the disruption and constant change government agencies are experiencing. 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 Customer Experience, Cybersecurity, MultiCloud, DevSecOps, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, Open Source, 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. About Verint Verint® (Nasdaq: VRNT) helps the world’s most iconic brands build enduring customer relationships by connecting work, data, and experiences across the enterprise. More than 10,000 organizations in 180 countries – including over 85 of the Fortune 100 companies – are using the Verint Customer Engagement Platform to draw on the latest advancements in AI, analytics, and an open cloud architecture to elevate customer experience.

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