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News, Tech, Technology

Revolutionise Sustainable & Flexible Projection with Panasonic VMZ7ST Series

New series of short-throw projectors increases installation flexibility and delivers bright, sharp visuals for corporate and immersive museum environments.

Bracknell, UK. November 2024 – Panasonic Connect Europe has announced the VMZ7ST Series of short-throw LCD projectors, revolutionising sustainable, flexible projection for corporate and immersive museum environments. Based on Panasonic’s VMZ82 Series of compact projectors, the PT-VMZ7ST (7,000lm) and PT-VMZ6ST (6,200lm) are Panasonic’s most powerful fixed, short-throw LCD laser projectors yet.

Short-throw lens offers unrivalled flexibility
Panasonic’s VMZ7ST Series offers increased installation flexibility, especially where space is limited. It features a short-throw lens ratio of just 0.797-1.01:1, and a 1.2x optical zoom and wide-range V/H lens shift, enabling it to project a 100-inch image from approximately 1.72 m (5.6 ft). Within immersive museum experiences, this minimises any visitor shadows – even when viewing close-up. Users in corporate environments can also be confident that any projected presentations are not disrupted.

When installed in high, difficult-to-reach areas, the VMZ7ST Series is easy to set-up, reducing valuable installation time. Panasonic’s Powered Focus allows the focus to be easily readjusted to accommodate various room sizes, which is especially useful in sports simulators, where the focus may need to be frequently adjusted to keep up with player action.

Panasonic’s Angle Monitor function enables the projection tilt angle to be visualised remotely, its geometric correction functions enable the VMZ7ST Series to be positioned anywhere it’s needed, for projecting onto various surface shapes and sizes.

Class-leading projection in bright spaces
The VMZ7ST Series features Daylight View Basic technology and colour management, allowing image quality to be adjusted based on ambient lighting, and vivid colours to be produced through the tweaking of the hue, saturation, and value. This is especially useful in bright, corporate environments.

Environmentally friendly design
Sustainability is at the core of the VMZ7ST Series’ design. It utilises Panasonic’s Auto Power On function, starting projection upon signal detection and minimising continuous projector operation. This increases power efficiency by nearly 53% (lm/W) compared to competitor models, without compromising brightness. The VMZ7ST Series’ delivers 20,000 hours of maintenance-free, continuous projection, significantly reducing costs. To minimise waste, the ECO Filter can be washed and reused twice, whilst 56% of the chassis is made from recycled resins.

“The VMZ7ST Series of projectors offers a cost-effective solution for immersive museum experiences and corporate environments, delivering class-leading brightness and installation flexibility that minimises set-up and maintenance costs where budgets are tight. The VMZ7ST Series takes sustainable projection for short-throw projectors to new levels, whilst delivering bright, sharp visuals that users have come to expect from Panasonic,” comments Hartmut Kulessa, European Marketing Manager at Panasonic Connect Europe.

The VMZ7ST Series will be available from CY2025 Q1.

For more information, please click: https://eu.connect.panasonic.com/gb/en/projectors/pt-vmz7st

Technology

Unlocking the power of behavioural nudges to improve cyber security

Written by John Scott, Lead Security Researcher at CultureAI 

In today’s digital landscape, managing security threats often hinges on how well organisations can identify and respond to risks in real time. While human errors are bound to happen, with the right technologies and processes, they don’t always have to pose a significant risk. 

Unfortunately, when people make mistakes, they often go unnoticed until they result in an incident. This is where nudges can help, filling a crucial gap by intervening in risky behaviours automatically and efficiently. A well-executed security nudge can reduce Security Operation Centre (SOC) interventions and remediation times while reinforcing security policies, security culture, and best practices.​

What exactly is a nudge?  

Nudge Theory, popularised by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein in 2008, gained prominence as a cheap and effective method to influence behaviour change. The premise of this concept is that shaping the environment, known as choice architecture, influences individuals’ decision-making and allows them to maintain freedom of choice and feel in control of their decisions whilst being guided towards the ‘best’ solution.

The term ‘nudge’ has become a buzzword in cyber security over recent years, often mistakenly equated with ‘notifications’. While nudges can be used in different ways, overreliance can lead to ‘nudge fatigue’, overwhelming employees with dismissible reminders and notifications to complete training. To make the best use of them, nudges should aim to shift behaviours rather than simply notifying an employee of their actions.

Why do we need nudges in cyber security?  

When people are busy, they tend to be reactive, and reliant on system-one thinking, which is automatic and intuitive but more prone to errors. By sending a security nudge to employees at the point of risk, they are alerted in real time and prompted to shift to more logical, lower-risk, system-two thinking.

Incorporating nudges as part of a human risk management (HRM) strategy is an effective way to mitigate risks in real time, empowering employees precisely when it matters most. Nudges encourage employees to pause and think before making potentially risky security decisions, making them aware of the threat and empowering them to choose wisely. 

Nudge, not noise  

Nudging employees comes at a cost. Interrupting their workflow can hamper productivity, so a nudge must have a strong rationale. If you interrupt, there should be a specific, actionable step the employee can take to mitigate the identified risk. If the security team can fix the risk without interruption, they should. Repetitive or intrusive nudges will lead to nudge fatigue, causing employees to ignore them.

Meet people where they are  

To ensure a nudge isn’t ignored, deliver it within the applications employees are already using, such as Slack, Teams, or their browser. Over time, nudges simplify decision-making for employees, requiring minimal cognitive effort to execute decisions without overthinking. 

Nudge people to make better decisions 

Rather than just leaving employees to navigate the safe use of SaaS and GenAI apps on their own, nudges can help establish guardrails and provide guidance in real time. For example, if the organisation has an approved GenAI solution, a good nudge can not only dissuade employees from using non-authorised sources, but it can also guide them towards a preferred solution. Nudges can help create a cultural shift towards proactive and engaged participation in cyber security practices. This approach not only streamlines security operations but also creates an environment where employees are empowered to make their own security decisions. 

Technology

VertiGIS Expands Web Apps for Utility Asset Data Management, Now Offering a Solution that Doesn’t Require a Migration to Utility Network

  • VertiGIS Networks web-based solutions for utility asset data management workflows are now supporting ArcGIS data models in addition to Esri’s Utility Network. 
  • VertiGIS Networks can now be implemented in virtually all utility organisations using Esri’s ArcGIS to streamline business processes surrounding asset data management. 
  • Organisations keen to understand more can meet VertiGIS during Esri’s global IMGIS event at Booth 333. 

VertiGIS, a leading global provider of spatial asset management solutions, has announced additional implementation capabilities within its VertiGIS Networks product line. Initially released exclusively for Esri’s Utility Network (UN), the domain-specific solutions will now be available for any ArcGIS network data model, making it easier and more affordable for utilities to see immediate value even without a complex data migration to UN. Using purpose-built VertiGIS Networks solutions, utilities can manage their network asset data and operations more efficiently.  

Esri, the global leader in geographic information system (GIS) software, launched the ArcGIS Utility Network in 2018. VertiGIS Networks is a state-of-the-art product line — built from the ground up — that allows utilities to visualise, trace, analyse, and edit their ArcGIS Utility Network data in both web browsers and native apps with online and offline workflows. For utilities on lower complexity data models, such as Esri’s geometric network, it provides similar functionality.  

VertiGIS Networks can leverage the scalability and flexibility of cloud infrastructure to provide organisations with seamless integration, efficient resource utilisation and increased resilience, even if their needs change and become more complex over time. Any implementation includes a focus on current and accurate as-built documentation of the entire network, to visualise data in ways that help utility organisations make better decisions.  

VertiGIS Networks easily integrates with Enterprise Asset Management (EAM) systems to ensure uninterrupted maintenance workflows. For organisations wanting to harness the full power of Esri’s Utility Network, they receive the most performant and modern solution available to put this data into action. VertiGIS Networks supports data exchange to external systems, such as your ERP, EAM, OMS, SCADA and CIS, allowing them to maintain current network operational state across all processes.  

“VertiGIS’ modern solutions allow us to provide companies with a comprehensive set of products for the entire lifecycle of their assets from design, construction and commissioning to maintenance, repair and renewal across all lines of business,” says Andy Berry, CEO at VertiGIS. “The utility market has been so focused on the data migrations required to modernise their network management, that many organisations have overlooked the solutions that would expose that data. By offering such a comprehensive suite of tools for the global utility market, in whatever data environment customers need, we are lowering the barrier to entry so that utilities can take advantage of the power provided by their existing GIS infrastructure without the need for a potentially large investment.” 

The VertiGIS Networks product line includes VertiGIS Network Explorer, VertiGIS Network Simulator, VertiGIS Network Editor, VertiGIS Network Locator, and VertiGIS Network Maintenance. VertiGIS applications based on the ArcGIS Utility Network can be easily configured to accommodate internal business requirements while adhering to established standards. These models ensure consistency for all lines of business and form a solid foundation for the digital twin of network infrastructure.  

About VertiGIS 

VertiGIS is a leading asset management and geographic information systems (GIS) solution provider and software developer. Their focus is on the development of software solutions and services that enable professionals in the utilities, government, telecommunications and infrastructure market segments to connect their business processes with spatial management technology. Used by more than 5,000 customers and millions of end users around the world, VertiGIS’ product portfolio is designed to enhance the capabilities of leading GIS software, especially Esri’s ArcGIS®. For more information visit vertigis.com. 

News

Navigating DORA: Key Considerations for the Financial Sector

It is no secret that the financial industry is a serious target for cyber criminals, driving the need for more stringent regulations to help protect these institutions and their employee and customer data.

Recent research undertaken by Security Scorecard indicates that in 2023, 78% of European financial institutions experienced a data breach involving a third party. Also, 84% of financial organisations have been affected by a breach involving a fourth party. Therefore, regulators and authorities are keen to strengthen financial institutions’ defence against cyber-attacks and other Information and Communication Technology (ICT) incidents.

The upcoming Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), set to come into effect in January 2025, aims to change the data security regulatory landscape by mandating financial institutions adopt a proactive, multi-layered approach to managing ICT-related risks. The regulation will introduce robust requirements for protection, detection, containment, recovery and repair in the event of cyber incidents or technological disruptions. DORA sets out a series of stringent requirements that financial companies must meet such as risk management, incident reporting, third-party risk management, digital operational resilience testing and threat intelligence sharing, to ensure robust digital resilience.

DORA seeks to drive and harmonise operational resilience improvements across the EU’s 22,000 financial entities. It applies not just to banks, but to credit institutions, payments providers, insurance companies, investment firms, fund managers, pension funds, crypto-asset services, IT third-party services, crowdfunding services, and more. The new regulation will provide the foundation for building financial systems that are agile and prepared for the digital threats of today and tomorrow.

The impact of being non-compliant

Failure to comply with the new regulations could land financial institutions in hot water, resulting in high fines similar to those associated with GDPR. These fines can increase daily until the issue is resolved, hitting organisations hard financially, and also impacting the reputation of the organisation that doesn’t comply with the regulation.

For example, when a cyber incident occurs, organisations will be required to notify authorities and affected parties within a 72-hour window. If they don’t comply, the details of the breach will be made public. As such it is critical that these companies are constantly monitoring their IT environment for possible threats and breaches and are prepared to respond appropriately. To achieve this, they must implement advanced threat detection systems, a robust incident response plan and gain a clear understanding of the vulnerabilities in the organisation’s systems. Without proper monitoring, organisations could be missing key indicators of a breach and may fail to notify the appropriate regulatory bodies on time, which could compound the consequences.

Partnering with experts to design a strong compliance framework  

In terms of preparing for these new regulations, every organisation should undergo a comprehensive resilience review and gap analysis. This will assess how prepared the organisation is to handle a cyber incident, and its ability to recover from it swiftly. This is achieved with an in-depth evaluation of key components, which include the current state of security infrastructure, incident response capabilities, and ongoing monitoring efforts.

However, getting to the heart of these requirements while dealing with the day-to-day can be challenging. This is where engaging with independent external specialists and third-party vendors to conduct these critical resilience reviews can really help. Such third parties can help businesses build out a compliance roadmap—a clear plan outlining the steps the organisation must take to achieve and maintain compliance. Such a plan will help to prioritise the projects that will have the greatest impact on improving the organisation’s security posture and minimising risk.

Part of this process involves time management of various compliance projects, as well as prioritising the aspects of cybersecurity that will have the most significant impact. With an expert-led roadmap, organisations can better allocate their resources and ensure that their efforts are directed toward mitigating the most pressing threats.

Incident response strategies and board-level accountability

An essential component of any resilience review is the organisation’s incident response process. A well-written incident response plan is crucial, but equally important is how the organisation responds and conducts thorough ICT exercises to stay prepared. It is critical to examine the existing frameworks and procedures for handling cyber incidents, ensuring that they align with regulatory requirements. This includes determining what infrastructure exists internally for cybersecurity recovery and whether it can support the organisation in the event of a major breach.

Additionally, it is important to establish board-level accountability for cybersecurity, which must be viewed as a core business concern requiring involvement from senior management and the board of directors. Ensuring that the board is fully aware of the risks and has a direct role in overseeing cybersecurity initiatives helps embed a culture of security throughout the organisation.

Ongoing monitoring and lifecycle management

Ongoing monitoring of risk factors is essential to maintaining a strong security posture, and such a programme will also work to the organisation’s advantage against their competitors.

Today cyber threats evolve rapidly, and staying one step ahead requires diligent lifecycle management of IT systems, security protocols, and risk. Organisations must continuously assess where they stand in terms of compliance and risk management, constantly revisiting and refining their processes. Companies need to actively embrace a lifecycle management approach—understand, plan, test, and repeat—to ensure they’re prepared when a cyber incident occurs, but more importantly that they can recover quickly and demonstrate the resilience that regulations such as DORA seek to instil.

Cyber Attack, Data & Analytics, Technology

The role of data recovery in cyber resilience

Data Recovery is the key to achieving an effective cyber resilience strategy in the event of a cyber-attack to resume business operational resiliency. It empowers businesses to quickly recover their critical data, minimise downtime, and prevent against potential threats. Data recovery planning is crucial for business continuity, allowing organisations to seamlessly recover data and minimise the impact of an incident.

Organisations typically prioritise prevention and protection as key components of their cybersecurity approach. While essential, these measures alone are no longer enough in an evolving threat landscape. Relying solely on prevention leaves gaps, as IT teams face growing challenges in securing diverse systems. To build a comprehensive cyber resilience strategy, it is vital for businesses to recognise the importance of integrating data recovery solutions alongside preventive efforts. The rise of cybercrime, such as ransomware or malware, can devastate a company’s digital infrastructure and leave the organisation’s data vulnerable. According to Verizon’s 2024, Data Breach Investigations Report, ransomware remains a top threat for 92% of all industries. This is where data recovery solutions and reactive risk controls can help when prevention fails.

The Path to Data Recovery Resilience

The era of simple data encryption attacks is over. Today, cyber threats have evolved to target an organisation’s data despite having backups in place.

Cybercriminals are now targeting backups with advanced ransomware tactics, including double and triple extortion. These methods not only prevent organisations from recovering their data but also coerce them into paying ransoms. Even then, there’s no certainty of data restoration. According to the Veeam Ransomware Trends Report, of the 76% of the surveyed organisations that paid ransom fees, only 52% achieved full recovery. This highlights the risks involved in succumbing to ransomware demands. Further, an alarmingly low 23% of companies claim to have a fully unified strategy for cyber preparedness.

Given the high frequency of ransomware attacks, it is essential for businesses to maintain multiple copies of their data in an immutable or unchangeable format. The impact of downtime can be substantial, especially for organisations that depend heavily on continuous operations, with recovery speed directly influencing both financial losses and operational stability. According to Ponemon, a data protection research firm, downtime costs have risen to an alarming $9,000 per minute for large organisations. Ponemon additionally discovered that reputational damage inflicted the most significant damage to businesses due to downtime costs. The second most common is revenue loss, and lastly, the loss of internal productivity of IT teams has been reported to cause further damage.

An effective data recovery strategy employs a combination of immutable air-gapped backups in coordination with pre-established off-network cleanrooms, forensic analysis and point-in-time rehydration and decryption. This can minimise the impact of a breach while making sure that an organisation’s vital data assets are secure.

Immutable Backup Strategy

An immutable backup is a powerful solution that locks down an organisation’s critical data making it impossible to modify or delete during a set period. This safeguard ensures that sensitive data stays untouchedand secure, even when a cyberattack occurs, giving an organisation peace of mind knowing the data remains intact until the immutability window ends.

To ensure the effectiveness of immutable backups, it is critical for IT teams to first pinpoint an organisation’s vital data assets. This step is essential for preventing the duplication of unnecessary data, saving time and improving cost-efficiency. These Vital Data Assets (VDA) are sensitive, regulated or revenue or mission-enabling data that can threaten business viability if exposed, compromised or made unavailable. This data is likely to be held hostage in exchange for a ransom fee.

Once the key data has been identified an immutable backup can be created.

Clean rooms and Forensic Analysis

The safest way to restore these backups is to airgap them in a completely isolated and secure networking environment, known as a cleanroom. It isolates the data from the organisation’s live production system and network, adding an extra layer of protection for your backup data, and making it virtually impossible for malicious actors to compromise it. This increases the guarantee of recovery after experiencing a breach, as the data is no longer susceptible to the same risks as other data in live production.

Cleanrooms are also essential for forensic analysis to certify the data’s integrity and usability of data and systems, before recovering them. A forensic analysis provides insight into which applications can be safely restored without causing conflicts in production systems to ensure they are free from any malware.

Cyber Recovery Life Cycle Management

It is also crucial to closely monitor any changes in production environments, stay abreast of the evolving threat landscape, and keep track of shifts in key regulations or compliance requirements.

These changes should be seamlessly updated into an organisation’s designated data recovery plan based on a comprehensive change impact analysis. The lessons learned should be documented, and remedial actions promptly implemented, maintaining an up-to-date data recovery plan and procedures 24x7x365 is essential to ensure readiness to effectively counter any potential attacks.

In today’s rapidly evolving threat landscape, organisations must carefully balance preventive and reactive risk controls including data recovery solutions to achieve a holistic cyber resilience plan.

Business Advice, Investment, News, Tech, Technology, Wellbeing

ThreatQuotient Publishes 2024 Evolution of Cybersecurity Automation Adoption Research Report

Survey results highlight that cybersecurity automation is now an important part of cybersecurity professionals’ defensive strategy – but organisations want highly targeted, customised automation and threat intelligence that enables them to collaborate.

 

LONDON, UK – 19th of November, 2024 – ThreatQuotient™, a leading threat intelligence platform innovator, today released the Evolution of Cybersecurity Automation Adoption 2024. Based on survey results from 750 senior cybersecurity professionals at companies in the U.K., U.S. and Australia from a range of industries, this in-depth research report examines the progress senior cybersecurity professionals are making towards adopting automation, its key use cases and the challenges they face. The fourth edition of this annual survey highlights how automation is maturing and how, in a world of continuous change, organisations are adopting cybersecurity automation for resilience, scale and collaboration. The report examines approaches to integration, whether respondents are taking a single-vendor platform approach or best-of-breed, the adoption of AI and the importance of cyber threat intelligence sharing.

 

Eight-in-ten respondents (80%) now say cybersecurity automation is important, up from 75% last year and 68% the previous year. Additionally, budget for cybersecurity automation has increased every year, and this year’s survey is no different with 99% of respondents increasing spend on automation. Interestingly, 39% of respondents now have net new budget specifically for automation, a significant rise on the 18.5% who said this last year. Previously, decision-makers were diverting budget from other cybersecurity tools or reallocating unused headcount funds. In 2024 respondents have a better understanding of key uses cases and the benefits automation delivers is helping them make a stronger business case for dedicated budget, which is another indication that cybersecurity automation is maturing.

 

Key research findings also include:

 

  • Key use cases: Incident response was the top use case for automation (32%), rising consistently through the course of the study. This was followed by phishing analysis (30%) and threat hunting (30%) which has also continued to rise.

 

  • Challenges are evolving: Nearly every survey participant reported problems with cybersecurity automation: the top three challenges were technological issues, lack of budget and lack of time.  As automation deployments mature, trust in the outcomes of automated processes has increased. Just 20% of respondents reported a lack of trust in outcomes, compared to 31% last year. In 2023 there was also significant concern around bad decisions, slow user adoption and lack of skills, but these concerns have abated in 2024.

 

  • Top measurement metrics: Employee satisfaction and retention remains the main metric for assessing cybersecurity automation ROI for 43% of leaders, but this has dropped from 61.5% citing it as the key metric in 2023. Resource management, in terms of staff efficiency, effectiveness and budget (42%), and how well the job is being done in terms of MTTR and MTTD (38%) have both become more prevalent as measurement tools as organisations home in on metrics more closely linked to productivity and efficiency.

 

  • Growth in threat intelligence sharing: Ninety-nine percent of cybersecurity professionals say they share cyber threat intelligence through at least one channel; 54% share cyber threat intelligence with their direct partners and suppliers and 48% share with others in their industry through official threat sharing communities.

 

  • Integration is key: Two thirds (67%) of respondents integrate best of breed solutions into their architecture to effectively deliver their cybersecurity strategy. Regardless of whether they focus solely on best of breed tools or they start with a single vendor platform and then supplement with best of breed tools, integrating tools is an important activity.

 

  • AI gathers momentum: Fifty eight percent of respondents say they are using AI in cybersecurity. Half are using it everywhere, and half in specific use cases.  A further 20% are planning deployments in the year ahead.

 

  • Expected attack vectors in the year ahead: Cyber-physical attacks are considered most likely in the year ahead, followed by phishing and ransomware. Although not a top three attack vector, 20% of respondents expect to see attacks via the supply chain and one in five see state-sponsored attacks affecting their business.

 

“It is tough for cybersecurity professionals who now face fast-changing cyber and cyber-physical threats of unprecedented sophistication, volume, velocity and variety,” said Leon Ward, Vice President, Product Management, ThreatQuotient. “Defending their business is an enormous task, and cybersecurity professionals must become more resilient.

 

“What we are seeing in this ‘new normal’ landscape is the need for more automation, scale and better threat intelligence sharing.  A collaborative approach to cybersecurity helps organisations better defend as industries scale their knowledge to respond to attacks.”

 

As organisations double down on cybersecurity automation use cases that deliver value and embrace more intelligence sharing, this will result in more effective and proactive cyber defence. This year the survey highlights the focus has shifted toward ROI metrics that are more closely linked to productivity and efficiency and – while employee retention and satisfaction remains important – it is no longer heavily outweighing performance and efficiency KPIs.

 

Ward concludes, “We believe that scaling security operations and collaboration across teams, ecosystems and industries is the most urgent challenge facing cybersecurity professionals. Successfully uniting human expertise, automation and AI and enabling seamless integration across tools and intelligence feeds will drive cyber resilience and agility at organisational, industry, and international levels.”

 

To download the full Evolution of Cybersecurity Automation Adoption in 2024 report, including more detail on the survey questions, regional and industry snapshots, and recommendations for senior security professionals to follow if they are looking to automate their security processes, click here. To access the report, click here.

 

Report Methodology

Leading threat intelligence platform innovator, ThreatQuotient, commissioned a survey undertaken by independent research organisation, Opinion Matters, in June 2024. 750 senior cybersecurity professionals in the UK., US. and Australia from companies employing 2,000+ people from a range of industries including Central Government, Defence, Critical National Infrastructure, Retail, and Financial Services sectors, with 150 respondents from each.

 

About ThreatQuotient 

ThreatQuotient improves security operations by fusing together disparate data sources, tools and teams to accelerate threat detection and response. ThreatQ is the first purpose-built, data-driven threat intelligence platform that helps teams prioritise, automate and collaborate on security incidents; enables more focused decision making; and maximises limited resources by integrating existing processes and technologies into a unified workspace. The result is reduced noise, clear priority threats, and the ability to automate processes with high fidelity data. ThreatQuotient’s industry leading integration marketplace, data management, orchestration and automation capabilities support multiple use cases including threat intelligence management and sharing, incident response, threat hunting, spear phishing, alert triage and vulnerability management. ThreatQuotient is headquartered in Northern Virginia with international operations based out of Europe, MENA and APAC. For more information, visit www.threatquotient.com.

 

Media Contact 

Paula Elliott
C8 Consulting for ThreatQuotient
+44 7894 339645
paula@c8consulting.co.uk

 

News

Xalient and SailPoint Navigate Towards Worry-Free Identity Security

Xalient announces Gold Sponsorship of SailPoint Navigate London

London – 14th of November 2024: Xalient, a global provider of expert advisory and managed services in identity, cybersecurity, and networking, today announced it is a gold sponsor of Navigate, SailPoint’s annual conference in the Hilton London Metropole, London, from 19-21 November 2024. This industry-leading event explores the possibilities of identity security across industries, providing actionable insights for businesses to elevate, evolve and enhance their identity programmes.

This follows Xalient’s recent announcement that it has been selected as one of SailPoint’s Managed Services Providers (MSP). This partnership combines Xalient’s 24/7 world-class managed services expertise, technological innovation and global reach with SailPoint’s unified identity security solutions to empower organisations to fortify their digital defences effectively.

Xalient’s SailPoint Managed Service aims to lessen the complexities of managing identities. Often identity management is viewed as a daunting challenge as in-house teams have limited expertise and resources, which often results in fragmented IAM that rarely aligns with broader identity, networking and cybersecurity strategies. By combining strategic advisory with implementation, Xalient will take charge of managing these identities holistically, leveraging an innovative identity-security framework and guiding organisations through every step of their journey with 24/7 global support.

This strategic partnership delivers a highly sophisticated, robust, scalable offering, which includes a full suite of zero trust services, incorporating identity security and secure networking, to help meet global enterprise requirements.

“We are proud to be a SailPoint Navigate Gold sponsor in addition to a valued MSP partner,” said Dave Polton, Group Portfolio Director, at Xalient. “Our combined capabilities provide customers across the globe with unparalleled value as they gain the best IAM practices to achieve their security objectives. This not only reduces security risks, but it aids in complying with regulations.”

“We are thrilled to have Xalient on board as a valued MSP partner and as a gold sponsor of SailPoint Navigate London,” says Remco Postma AVP, Channels & Alliances EMEA, SailPoint. “While SailPoint provides world-class technology solutions, our partners, like Xalient, provide the expertise our customers are looking for to help them determine which offering is best for them to keep their systems secure and then to help them implement the chosen solution.”

Xalient companies Integral Partners and Grabowsky received their 8th consecutive SailPoint Delivery Admiral Certification for Delivery Excellence in recognition of their ability to deliver highly successful SailPoint implementations. Delivery Admiral status is a prestigious award given to partners who undergo significant testing and training around SailPoint technologies. Further, they must offer certified resources while showing independently verified implementation excellence and customer satisfaction.

“Sponsorship of these types of events, combined with our position on the SailPoint Partner Advisory Board, reflects our commitment to delivering secure, efficient, and streamlined identity solutions for organisations worldwide,” concludes Polton.

 

About Xalient

Xalient helps organisations safeguard their most valuable assets: employees, applications, and data. We ensure they operate securely, efficiently, and productively, empowering them to lead in their respective industries.

We achieve this by providing expert advisory and managed services in identity, cybersecurity, and networking. Our Identity-Centric Security Framework is built on a deep understanding of the interdependencies between these critical areas, enabling us to drive optimal business outcomes for our clients.  In 2023 we enhanced our identity offering with the acquisition of two leaders in the identity space. Integral Partners LLC, a US-based digital identity consulting and advisory firm and Grabowsky, a European leading digital identity specialist.

With a rich heritage in secure networking, Xalient offers a unique perspective on user and application experiences across enterprise networks and the broader internet.

By integrating these insights into our managed services—enhanced by MARTINA, our cutting-edge AIOps platform—we provide unmatched visibility into incidents, performance, and security threats. This unique approach makes Xalient’s Managed Services the ideal choice for forward-thinking enterprises, where secure networks, identity management, and cybersecurity are fundamental to business success.

Xalient helps make the world’s largest brands more secure, resilient, adaptable, and responsive to change.

To learn more about Xalient and its services, visit www.xalient.com

 

News

Enhanced screen and 5G make the 33mk4 the most versatile 2-in-1 TOUGHBOOK yet

TOUGHBOOK 33mk4 features ‘Raptor Lake’ processing power, 5G connectivity, and unique 12-inch screen, providing increased usability for any mobile user requirements.

The Panasonic TOUGHBOOK 33mk4 2-in-1 detachable tablet pushes the boundaries in what’s possible from a mobile, rugged device. It features 5G network connectivity out-of-the-box, delivering ultra-low latency, faster response times, enhanced reliability, and download speeds for mobile workers, in any environment, using any application.

The 33mk4 is the latest TOUGHBOOK that can connect to 5G standalone (SA) networks. With the proliferation of next-generation IoT and AI applications, market demand is growing exponentially for devices that can quickly and securely transfer data when in the field.

Increased performance handles demanding applications with ease

The new TOUGHBOOK 33mk4 packs a bigger punch in processing power compared to its predecessor, utilising the Intel® Core™ i5 processor (13th generation) with Intel vPro® Technology (Raptor Lake) to run the most demanding applications on Windows 11 Pro. For those requiring a boost in computing power, the Intel® Core™ i7 processor (13th generation) with Intel vPro® Technology is an optional extra.

3:2 aspect ratio increases productivity

Panasonic has seen a shift from end-users in the 2-in-1 detachable tablet market, who are looking for bigger screens to increase productivity in the field. When combining superior Intel® processing power with the performance of Windows 11 Pro, the 33mk4 comes into its own for users needing to run demanding applications on a 12-inch screen. The functionality of these applications is becoming increasingly complicated, necessitating larger screens for increased clarity by QHD resolution and ease of use.

To address this, the 33mk4 features a Quad High Definition (QHD) screen with a 3:2 aspect ratio, with a resolution of 2160 x 1440. This delivers increased screen space when compared with 14-inch screens that utilises the 16:9 aspect ratio. This ensures that mobile workers can better visualise on-screen applications that contain plentiful data when using a 12-inch tablet, compared to larger models.

Superior user experiences across industries

The 33mk4’s screen size, connectivity, and performance deliver increased versatility for mobile workers in a number of sectors. It features Intel® Iris® Xe Graphics technology, providing superior graphics performance and on-screen detail for mobile workers in field services, automotive, utilities, defence, and logistics.

For mobile field service workers in utilities and defence, the 33mk4’s screen size, resolution, and crystal-clear clarity in challenging lighting conditions enable technical drawings, schematics and manuals, and maps to be viewed more easily.

When used in the warehouse, the 33mk4’s 12-inch screen size and 3:2 aspect ratio provides more space, enabling mobile workers to utilise an on-screen keyboard. The screen resolution and size are also ideally suited to automotive diagnostics, where the 33mk4 can be mounted to the steering wheel during testing. This enables users to quickly and efficiently use applications in real-time, improving productivity.

The 33mk4 is also certified for use on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. This provides additional flexibility and security for mobile workers that require secure Linux-based solutions, with Panasonic able to handle device certification and testing on behalf of customers.

Dirk Weigelt, Senior Product & Solutions Manager at Panasonic TOUGHBOOK, said: “Mobile workers need high-bandwidth 5G connectivity, available in the most extreme environments, to access mission-critical data quicker than ever before. They also require larger screen space, allowing them to quickly switch between applications and enter inputs without error – either as a tablet or traditional notebook. The 33mk4 directly addresses all of these needs, with its 3:2 aspect ratio a game-changer for increasing in-field productivity, without hindering mobility.”

Still leading the way on battery life and durability

Despite the addition of 5G connectivity and increased processing power, the 33mk4 offers up to 15 hours of battery life (with extended battery), giving mobile workers complete peace of mind when using power-hungry applications in the field. It enables them to continue working for longer, maximising efficiency and productivity when they need it most.

The TOUGHBOOK 33mk4 also features improved Bluetooth and optional GPS connectivity compared to its predecessor, and market-leading IP65-rated dust and water resistance, independently tested to MIL-STD 810H and IEC 60529 standards.

 

News

Xalient is Recognised for Innovation in TechRound’s Cybersecurity40

Xalient, global provider of expert advisory and managed services in identity, cybersecurity, and networking, has been recognised in the TechRound Cybersecurity40 list for 2024 which aims to celebrates the leading businesses that are innovating in cybersecurity across the UK and Europe. Having ranked 24th on the esteemed list is testimony to Xalient’s ongoing commitment to Identity-Centric Security that addresses identity management, cybersecurity and secure networking in a cohesive strategy to enable businesses to operate more securely and effectively.

At the core of Xalient’s innovation is its proprietary AIOps platform, MARTINA. This AI-driven solution elevates network performance management by proactively identifying potential issues, optimising security and enhancing operational efficiency. In addition, through its strategic acquisitions of Grabowsky and Integral Partners, Xalient has further expanded its expertise in the identity management space extending its global reach and enabling it to deliver an even more comprehensive identity and security offering, helping its customers to improve their overall security posture.

“We are thrilled to have secured a place in TechRound’s Cybersecurity40,” said Sherry Vaswani, CEO at Xalient. “Today’s complex technology environments are challenging for many IT teams and their organisations, which is why we strive to continually innovate our solutions, thereby helping organisations to protect their most valuable assets – people, applications, and data – while enabling them to operate more securely, efficiently, and productively.”

TechRound Cybersecurity40 recognises companies of all sizes that are revolutionising cybersecurity across the UK and Europe. These companies are selected from curated submissions that emphasise innovation in cybersecurity. An independent judging panel that comprises industry experts, evaluate each entry according to stringent criteria to produce the list of Cybersecurity40 companies.

For more information on TechRound and to view the complete Cybersecurity40 list, visit https://techround.co.uk/

 

About Xalient

Xalient helps organisations safeguard their most valuable assets: employees, applications, and data. We ensure they operate securely, efficiently, and productively, empowering them to lead in their respective industries.

We achieve this by providing expert advisory and managed services in identity, cybersecurity, and networking. Our Identity-Centric Security Framework is built on a deep understanding of the interdependencies between these critical areas, enabling us to drive optimal business outcomes for our clients.  In 2023 we enhanced our identity offering with the acquisition of two leaders in the identity space. Integral Partners LLC, a US-based digital identity consulting and advisory firm and Grabowsky, a European leading digital identity specialist.

With a rich heritage in secure networking, Xalient offers a unique perspective on user and application experiences across enterprise networks and the broader internet.

By integrating these insights into our managed services—enhanced by MARTINA, our cutting-edge AIOps platform—we provide unmatched visibility into incidents, performance, and security threats. This unique approach makes Xalient’s Managed Services the ideal choice for forward-thinking enterprises, where secure networks, identity management, and cybersecurity are fundamental to business success.

Xalient helps make the world’s largest brands more secure, resilient, adaptable, and responsive to change.

To learn more about Xalient and its services, visit www.xalient.com

 

News

Panasonic Connect certifies TOUGHBOOK devices with Red Hat Enterprise Linux for enhanced flexibility and security

New certification accelerates innovation at the edge for mission-critical workers.

Mobile Solutions Business Division (TOUGHBOOK) of Panasonic Connect Europe today announced a collaboration with Red Hat, the world’s leading provider of enterprise open-source software solutions, to certify TOUGHBOOK devices on Red Hat Enterprise Linux. The certification brings flexibility to customers requiring secure Linux-based solutions, making it an ideal solution for government agencies, contractors, and system integrators.

Many governmental sectors require mobile devices that safeguard sensitive data and comply with strict security standards. With the introduction of Red Hat Enterprise Linux-certified TOUGHBOOK devices, customers now have more choice when it comes to a secure device environment. This allows agencies to customise their mobile solutions to meet specific security needs while benefiting from the rugged durability and reliability of TOUGHBOOK devices.

“Collaborating with Red Hat to certify our TOUGHBOOK devices with Red Hat Enterprise Linux underscores our commitment to delivering advanced, secure, and adaptable technology solutions for our world’s most important industries,” said Steven Vindevogel, Head of TOUGHBOOK EU. “This collaboration demonstrates that our devices meet the highest standards for reliability and performance, offering our customers the agility and support they need for mission-critical applications.”

By taking on the certification process internally, Panasonic Connect minimises the need for busy IT teams to invest additional time and resources in certification and testing on their own. In an industry where speed and efficiency are critical, this approach allows agencies to quickly establish, deploy, and maintain their edge computing solutions.

“Adding TOUGHBOOK to our lineup of certified hardware enables government customers to seamlessly align their technology with both operational needs and compliance demands,” said Julio Guijarro, EMEA CTO, Red Hat. “By placing the unique demands of customers at the forefront, we’re supporting critical workers in fuelling innovation, enhancing efficiency, and supporting the success of highly important missions.”

The TOUGHBOOK 55mk3 and TOUGHBOOK 33mk4 are now Red Hat Enterprise Linux-certified with more devices to come soon. For the latest information, please visit the www.toughbook.eu site.