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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY,CYBERSECURITY
Carahsoft | August 24, 2022
Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider®, and 1Kosmos, the company that unifies identity proofing and passwordless authentication, today announced a partnership. Under the agreement, Carahsoft will serve as 1Kosmos’ Master Government Aggregator® making its BlockID authentication platform available to the Public Sector through Carahsoft’s reseller partner network and NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V and Information Technology Enterprise Solutions – Software 2 (ITES-SW2) contracts.
The recent Executive Order on Improving the Nation's Cybersecurity (EO 14028) requires Federal civilian agencies to establish plans to drive adoption of Zero Trust Architecture. Carahsoft and 1Kosmos’ partnership provides access to the BlockID cloud-based service to help Local, State and Federal Governments adopt a Zero Trust approach to security by replacing passwords with identity-based multi-factor authentication (MFA). This service integrates with existing identity systems and combines indisputable digital identity proofing with advanced biometrics and passwordless authentication.
“The addition of 1Kosmos to Carahsoft’s Zero Trust Solutions group provides Government agencies with a user-friendly method of verifying the identity of individuals accessing citizen services and resources that eliminate passwords, Together with 1Kosmos and our reseller partners we have the strength and expertise to help Government agencies efficiently modernize enrollment, on-boarding and authentication for digital services, without replacing their existing systems.”
-Troy Meraw, Sales Manager at Carahsoft.
Carahsoft is a trusted source for resellers and systems integrators who help Government agencies solve complex security and identity management challenges, said Greg Cranley, VP Federal and Public Sector for 1Kosmos. This partnership makes passwordless, identity-based MFA readily accessible to State, Local and Federal Governments that want to adopt Zero Trust access principles for employees, contractors and citizens. Through our BlockID service, we are ensuring the cybersecurity of our nation’s information.
1Kosmos BlockID is a distributed identity cloud service that integrates identity proofing, verification and live biometrics authentication, enabling Government agencies to:
Provide workers and third-party contractors with a user-friendly enrollment, identity verification and on-boarding experience, as well as passwordless login.
Protect against identity impersonation, account takeovers and transaction fraud.
Modernize identity and access management (IAM) with identity-based authentication, advanced multi-factor authentication (MFA) and provide citizens a verified digital identity they control and use to access Government services.
To strengthen the Public Sector’s cybersecurity defense, agencies need to implement Zero Trust principles that safeguard networks at every entry point. Carahsoft supports solutions that help Government organizations understand Zero Trust frameworks, develop a Zero Trust strategy, and implement a Zero Trust architecture.
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.
About 1Kosmos:
1Kosmos enables passwordless access for workers, customers and citizens to securely transact with digital services. By unifying identity proofing and strong authentication, the BlockID platform creates a distributed digital identity that prevents identity impersonation, account takeover and fraud while delivering frictionless user experiences. BlockID is the only NIST, FIDO2, and iBeta biometrics certified platform that performs millions of authentications daily for some of the largest banks, telecommunications and healthcare organizations in the world. The company is funded by Forgepoint Capital and Gula Tech Adventures with headquarters in Somerset, New Jersey.
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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY,CYBERSECURITY
Lunavi | September 08, 2022
Lunavi, a top provider of business technology consulting and managed IT services, has gained Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliance accreditation for customers in the State of Colorado across its hosted services including colocation data centers and private cloud platforms.
This independently certified compliance measure assures strict data security for law enforcement and similarly regulated government organizations whose technology services are hosted by Lunavi. After attaining accreditation in Colorado, additional certifications for clients in other states will be a simple process.
CJIS is a stringent and comprehensive cybersecurity standard. The Criminal Justice Information Services Division is the largest division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and provides a centralized source of criminal justice data to various government agencies and authorized third parties. Any entity engaging with sensitive information from the US Justice Department is required to adhere to CJIS policies for networking, data encryption, and remote access, among other criteria.
"Achieving CJIS compliance is another example of the lengths Lunavi will go to satisfy client requirements as they change over time, In this case we had a SLED [State, Local, Education Industry] customer who was adding police and emergency response systems to a Lunavi private cloud. While we already offer strong security and compliance measures like HIPAA and SOC, we were happy to implement new audits, logging, and training to our existing access controls and incident response programs in order to meet CJIS standards."
-Bob Heskett, Director of Security and Compliance at Lunavi.
CJIS compliance is centered on the principal of least privilege or a "need-to-know, right-to-know" standard. These access controls, combined with logs, data management tools, encryption, and systems monitoring, allow Lunavi to help clients achieve CJIS compliance within their hosted information systems and prepare for a federal audit.
"Information Security continues to grow in importance as phishing, malware, ransomware, and other attacks proliferate, Government agencies are a prime target for attackers due to large quantities of personal data stored within IT systems. Lunavi is always seeking to improve our security standards, monitoring, and response methods. This CJIS compliance further cements our cybersecurity leadership and abilities."
-Cortney Thompson, CIO at Lunavi.
About Lunavi:
Lunavi, based in Cheyenne, WY, helps companies digitally transform their businesses and illuminate the path forward in IT modernization through the power of human ingenuity. Lunavi helps organizations in technology, energy, financial services, healthcare, education, government and others to develop business applications, solve traditional IT challenges, and extract ROI with comprehensive services in cloud migration, modern application development, and managed services. With locations throughout North America in Denver; Cheyenne, WY; Omaha, NE; Atlanta; Seattle, and Toronto, and its status as a Microsoft Azure Expert MSP, Lunavi delivers a remarkable customer experience to help navigate what's possible, what's next.
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EMERGING TECHNOLOGY,GOVERNMENT BUSINESS
Baker Tilly US | August 29, 2022
The fast pace of change in local government – from towns to cities to counties – is not slowing down. To continue serving and improving communities, local leaders need trusted consultants to help navigate change. Leading advisory CPA firm Baker Tilly US, LLP (Baker Tilly) answers by acquiring Management Partners, effective Oct. 1.
This acquisition adds a unique and significant layer of experience to Baker Tilly’s robust public sector practice. Management Partners’ professionals are former local government leaders and managers stemming from all operational facets. They have nearly three decades of field-tested techniques and proven methodologies.
“Management Partners has something other consultants in local government don’t. They’ve been there and understand the challenges on a personal level, Coupling that level of client trust with Baker Tilly’s solutions and scale, we will help local governments keep up with change – and even stay ahead.”
-Vicki Hellenbrand, Baker Tilly managing partner and public sector practice leader.
Management Partners specializes in strategic planning, process improvement, organization analysis, financial analysis, executive recruitment, interim management, coaching, facilitation and training for local governments. Baker Tilly has been advising public sector organizations for 90 years, providing more than 3,100 governmental entities with financial, operational, risk, human capital, executive recruitment and compliance services.
“Helping make communities better is our passion, always has been, always will be, We needed to join with someone with that same passion. Baker Tilly has it, as well as the expanded capabilities and incredible talent to do more for our clients.”
-Jerry Newfarmer, President and CEO Management Partners.
About Baker Tilly US, LLP:
Baker Tilly US, LLP (Baker Tilly) is a leading advisory CPA firm, providing clients with a genuine coast-to-coast and global advantage in major regions of the U.S. and in many of the world’s leading financial centers – New York, London, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago. Baker Tilly is an independent member of Baker Tilly International, a worldwide network of independent accounting and business advisory firms in 148 territories, with 38,000 professionals and a combined worldwide revenue of $4.3 billion.
About Management Partners:
Management Partners is a local government consulting firm helping city, county and special district leaders improve their organizations and operations. We offer strategic planning, process improvement, organization analysis, financial analysis, executive recruitment, interim management, coaching, training and other services.
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