VPN
Businesswire | July 18, 2023
The world’s efforts to secure digital communications from the threat posed by quantum computers took a significant leap forward today as a new standard for quantum-safe Virtual Private Networks (VPN) was ratified by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF).
The new protocol has already been used by Banque de France and Deutsche Bundesbank to secure payments messages, paving the way for full adoption by the Bank for International Settlements to secure communications between the world’s central banks.
‘Harvest Now Decrypt Later’ (HNDL) attacks currently represent the greatest quantum cybersecurity threat. These attacks see hostile actors steal encrypted data now which can be decrypted once a sufficiently mature quantum computer comes online. The new US Quantum Computing Cybersecurity Preparedness Act states that the HNDL risk presents the highest threat to humankind and stipulates that quantum migration must start now. Deploying a VPN based on new post quantum cryptography is the easiest way to protect data-in-transit from such attacks.
The new IETF standard specifies how VPNs can exchange communications securely in the quantum age. The novel approach prioritises interoperability by making it possible for multiple post-quantum and classical encryption algorithms to be incorporated into VPNs. Combining both old and new encryption is essential to ensure no disruption to the functioning of existing IT systems, and to protect data from attack by both classical and quantum computers.
This is a particularly important milestone for internet connectivity and security as we are transitioning from an era where the world relied upon just one or two algorithms (RSA and Elliptic Curve), to a situation where different nation states are deploying a wide variety of different post-quantum algorithms. This new IETF standard is the glue that allows parties using different public key encryption algorithms to talk with one another.
The new IETF standard was proposed and designed by Post-Quantum, a British cyber security company that’s built a portfolio of market-ready quantum-safe cyber security products. Post-Quantum’s own Hybrid PQ VPN uses the new IETF standard and is already in use by NATO to secure its communications from quantum attack, supporting interoperable communications between NATO members.
CJ Tjhai, CTO, Post-Quantum and original author of the new IETF standard said: “I’d like to thank all the technologists that collaborated with us on this IETF standard. Much of the focus has been on NIST’s new post quantum encryption algorithms themselves, but this is insufficient unless you have a protocol that defines how the connectivity is done. The easiest way to prevent Harvest Now Decrypt Later attacks is to deploy a PQ VPN based on the new IETF standard. NIST’s new algorithms are only useful if we have agreed standards for their use and mature products that can accommodate them.”
Andersen Cheng, Executive Chairman, Post-Quantum added: “CJ and his collaborators have completed important work that makes it possible for tech companies to build quantum-safe VPNs that communicate to one another. We are entering a period where different countries are now recommending different encryption algorithms, so engineering our communications infrastructure to be interoperable and backward compatible is absolutely crucial. That’s the value our own VPN is bringing to organisations like NATO, a diverse member organisation with a variety of post-quantum algorithms in use.
“In the commercial sector, we are pleased that Banque de France and Deutsche Bundesbank have also recently completed their project in transmitting payment messages using our protocol, which will pave the way for the Bank for International Settlements to build a complete chain of trust for central bank applications to counter any HNDL risks they already face today.”
José María Lucía Moreno, Lead Partner, EY Wavespace and a Post-Quantum partner added: “Our agreement with Post-Quantum is an important step in helping EY and its clients to become quantum-safe. We’re increasingly consulting with our clients to identify where they use traditional encryption that will need to be upgraded, and to help them prepare for the quantum era. Post-Quantum’s approach is particularly interesting because they have modular software-based products like the VPN, which can be implemented together, or as standalones within existing environments, to offer protection today.”
The IETF is the non-profit organisation with responsibility for developing the standards that define how the internet is built and used. Now that the IETF has ratified this work, VPN providers will adapt their protocols to match it, making this a defining standard for the future of cybersecurity as the world transitions from classical to new post-quantum encryption. Ratification represents the culmination of work dating back to 2017 when Post-Quantum took the lead in creating the original proposal for this standard.
About Post-Quantum
Post-Quantum is upgrading the world to next-generation encryption. Our quantum-safe platform includes modular software for Identity, Transmission and Encryption that protect organisations across their entire digital footprint. Products are interoperable, backward compatible and crypto-agile - ensuring a smooth transition to the next generation of encryption.
Post-Quantum works with organisations in defence, critical national infrastructure and financial services, including a multi-year relationship with NATO to ensure its communications are secure against quantum attack.
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Virtual Desktop Tools, Virtual Server Infrastructure
businesswire | July 24, 2023
Denodo, the leader in data management, today announced that Estes Express Lines, the largest privately held freight transportation company in North America, has successfully deployed the Denodo Platform to create a data fabric-enabled Logistics Digital Twin to meet their goals of streamlining freight shipping, boosting profits, and creating a simpler and more pleasant experience for its customers, drivers, and internal business users.
Margins in the shipping industry are small and pricing is often based on historical and fairly static pricing models. Due to the significant amounts of data duplication, Estes needed to access all of its internal and cloud-based data sources to deliver real time data consistency, establish a single source of truth, and modernize their data integration efforts to empower business users and improve operational processes. Utilizing the Denodo Platform, Estes Express Lines created a Logistics Digital Twin--a virtual duplicate of every piece of freight passing through their network. This enables the shipping giant to optimize operations and plan pickups, assign deliveries and driver assignments most efficiently, and provide greater visibility to customers.
“In support of modernizing Estes’ existing technology, we were able to create an end-to-end replica of every shipment we bring into our network and make that data available in real time. This allows us to provide our customers with best-in-class access to shipment data and to model changes in how we move freight, which has significantly increased the effectiveness of our internal stakeholders, drivers, and equipment,” said Todd Florence, CIO, Estes Express Lines. “Denodo’s Data Fabric reduces manual data entry tasks and ensures everyone is on the same sheet of music, which has saved us 10% in infrastructure and labor costs by eliminating the need to duplicate and store the data into yet another system.”
Operating a fleet of more than 8,500 tractors and 34,000 trailers, Estes generates roughly 900,000 quotes and 50,000 shipments a day. The Logistics Digital Twin allows the shipping giant to:
Create a chain of custody: a process that tracks the movement of packages by documenting each person who handled it, the date/time it was collected and/or transferred, and when it was delivered, to provide unprecedented insights.
Optimize efficiencies and improve margins: by looking at both costing and pricing models to create more efficient and effective quotes and by reducing claims.
Integrate customer care with operations and sales: to analyze customer scores and perform sentiment analysis to understand trends, adjust offerings, and create a better customer experience.
Model their facilities and routes: to understand where they can add more shipments to improve profitably, find load imbalances, contract appropriately, and plan for spikes.
Remove the need for cumbersome data entry: by tying telematics to IoT and data from third parties so information can be leveraged in real-time.
“As this recent Wall Street Journal article points out, Estes is a great example of how organizations can break down data silos by logically integrating data across multiple collection points so all parties can benefit from real time information and reduce redundancies,” said Ravi Shankar, Senior Vice President and CMO at Denodo. “Truckers don’t sign up to be data-entry clerks and people need to know where their packages are at any given point. Logical data management solutions like the Denodo Platform are quickly solving cumbersome data management and integration issues and are becoming the backbone of how organizations modernize their technology so they can use data to the fullest.”
About Denodo
Denodo is a leader in data management. The award-winning Denodo Platform is the leading data integration, management, and delivery platform using a logical approach to enable self-service BI, data science, hybrid/multi-cloud data integration, and enterprise data services. Realizing more than 400% ROI and millions of dollars in benefits, Denodo’s customers across large enterprises and mid-market companies in 30+ industries have received payback in less than 6 months.
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Server Virtualization, Security
businesswire | August 11, 2023
Syncro,an all-in-one professional services automation (PSA) and remote monitoring and management (RMM) platform for managed service providers (MSPs), today announces the addition of the newTeam plan for MSPs. Syncro is providing this new premium tier plan to equip growing MSPs with more advanced features and onboarding support that will help them better manage their team’s tasklist and business growth.
The new Team plan is designed for MSPs with multiple technicians and empowers them to organize and automate their workflows how they choose. The plan includes PowerBI reports with in-depth data aggregation and insights, more automation, stronger remote access capabilities, and ticket workflow enhancements offering more management oversight. The Team plan also provides more support convenience, giving MSPs the ability to schedule one on one troubleshooting sessions with Syncro technicians.
The addition of the Team plan allows MSPs to take advantage of features that will help them to solve the challenges that come with managing a growing business efficiently with many technicians and even more clients. This powerful plan offers the following benefits and features:
Enhanced Splashtop: Includes multi-monitor support and multiple techs per session.
Azure AD sync: Seamless integration with Azure AD to enable contact syncing and Microsoft 365 billing automation.
Real-time ticket automations & assignments: Streamlines your service desk operations.
PowerBI integration: Facilitates advanced analytics and business intelligence.
Scheduled database exports: Automatically export your Syncro data to a database of your choosing.
Personalized support and onboarding experience: Enjoy scheduled callbacks for technical issues and implementation experts to help you onboard.
The Team plan is available for $189/user/month. Syncro's current base plan (now renamed as Core) at $139/user/month is still available with all existing features, and at the same price. Both the Core and Team plans offer a no-contract monthly per user price, with unlimited endpoints and access to the entire Syncro platform including PSA/RMM and remote access functionality.
“Syncro’s first priority has been and will always be helping MSPs expand their business – from MSPs who are just starting out to MSPs who are well-established and experiencing rapid growth. The launch of the Team plan and the newest features is a direct result of listening to the needs of our growing partners and just another way we are supporting MSPs and enabling them to be more profitable,” said Emily Glass, CEO of Syncro.
About Syncro
Syncro's all-in-one PSA, RMM, and remote access software helps managed service providers (MSPs) run more efficient and profitable businesses. Pricing is refreshingly simple, with no contracts and flat per user pricing. A technology company with a human heart, Syncro is committed to diversity, inclusion, belonging and fair practices that benefit everyone—from customers and employees to the industry at large.
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Virtual Desktop Strategies, Virtual Server Management
businesswire | August 24, 2023
Private wireless pioneer Betacom today announced it has been selected by VMware as one of three inaugural wireless service provider partners to deploy and manage VMware Private Mobile Networks. Aimed at accelerating digital transformation at the edge, VMware, which today announced its latest edge initiatives at VMware Explore 2023 Las Vegas, tapped Betacom to help enterprises reduce the complexity associated with private mobile networks.
“Betacom is an ideal provider partner for VMware’s edge focused innovations and initiatives,” said Saadat Malik, Vice President, VMware Edge Computing. “With their dedication to security, performance, and simplicity, together we can help our customers advance their business and operational goals to not only embrace the Industrial Internet of Things but to do it efficiently and effectively and without additional resources.”
Betacom will seamlessly integrate VMware’s Private Mobile Network offering built on Edge Compute Stack into its existing private network managed service offering 5G as a Service (5GaaS), enabling rapid deployment and effortless management and orchestration of private wireless networks for enterprise clients. Betacom 5GaaS, the industry’s first fully-managed, end-to-end private wireless service, safeguards data by isolating traffic and keeping company data behind the enterprise firewall, by implementing Zero Trust design principles and Betacom AirGap Protection that features a combination of traffic segregation, 3GPP tunneling, encryption and granular access controls. Betacom delivers 24x7, 365 days a year network management from its cloud-based Security and Service Operations Center (SSOC).
The new VMware Edge Compute Stack can support multiple use cases at the edge including deployments in the manufacturing, retail, campus and healthcare sectors for a wide variety of applications. For manufacturing customers, the solution supports software-defined manufacturing, predictive maintenance, inventory management, safety and security. For healthcare customers, it provides support for IoT wearables, smart utilities and surgical robotics.
“We are excited to partner with VMware in support of its latest technology offering, which enables all the edge functions necessary to facilitate Industry 4.0,” said Johan Bjorklund, CEO of Betacom. “Clients are looking for high-performance, low-latency solutions that are ideal for optimizing automation, data collection and the Internet of Things, and that is exactly what VMware Private Mobile Networks is designed to deliver through our partnership.”
About Betacom
Betacom offers the first fully-managed private 5G network service, building on its long history as a wireless infrastructure provider to AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. Founded in 1991 and headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, the company has regional offices throughout the country. Having completed more than 800 large-scale design and deployment projects, Betacom inspires confidence among their customers who have worked closely with them to meet their pressing high-performance connectivity needs. Its secure private 5G wireless service is the first managed service of its kind in the United States.
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