Content by Michael Novinson

School, Hospital Leaders on Front Lines of Ransomware Attack

Michael Novinson  •  September 27, 2023

A medical center president and school district IT leader talked to lawmakers Wednesday about lessons learned from their experiences responding to harrowing ransomware attacks. 'The cyberattack was much harder than the pandemic by far,' said Vermont Medical Center President Stephen Leffler.

Why Palo Alto Is Eyeing Data Defense Firm Dig at $300M-$400M

Michael Novinson  •  September 27, 2023

A data security startup led by a Microsoft and Google veteran and backed by Samsung and CrowdStrike could soon be acquired by Palo Alto Networks. The company is in advanced talks to buy data security posture management startup Dig Security for between $300 million and $400 million.

CISA Urges Americans to Apply MFA, 'Think Before They Click'

Michael Novinson  •  September 26, 2023

CISA Director Jen Easterly urged citizens to boost their defenses by choosing strong passwords, opting for multifactor authentication, reporting phishing and enabling automatic software updates. Easterly said users should choose passwords that are complex and unique to each sensitive account.

Microsoft Brings Passkeys, Bad Code Protection to Windows 11

Michael Novinson  •  September 26, 2023

Microsoft updated Windows 11 on Tuesday to simplify passwordless adoption, protect against malicious code and have the ability to refresh configuration in the event of tampering. Updates to Windows 11 allow users to replace passwords with passkeys to stop hackers from exploiting stolen passwords.

CyberArk, BeyondTrust, Delinea Dominate Gartner MQ for PAM

Michael Novinson  •  September 25, 2023

CyberArk, BeyondTrust and Delinea maintained their spots atop Gartner's privileged access management Magic Quadrant, while One Identity, Wallix and Arcon fell from the leader ranks. Over the past half-decade, PAM has gone from being required for large companies to being an insurance prerequisite.

How to Overcome Practitioner Concerns Over Cisco-Splunk Deal

Michael Novinson  •  September 25, 2023

Security practitioners are skeptical of Cisco's proposed $28 billion Splunk purchase given the networking giant's track record around funding and investing in previous acquisition targets. Forrester's Allie Mellen expects some customers to try out other SIEM tools given Cisco's heritage in hardware.

Cato Networks Raises $238M on $3B Valuation to Move Upmarket

Michael Novinson  •  September 22, 2023

A late-stage SASE startup led by a serial entrepreneur hauled in a massive equity investment to address the feature and capability needs of large enterprises. The $238 million in funding will allow Cato Networks to more tightly align CASB and DLP with SASE to safeguard cloud apps and sensitive data.

Google CISO Phil Venables on Building Strong CIO-CISO Bonds

Michael Novinson  •  September 22, 2023

Increased engagement from boards on digital transformation initiatives around cloud and AI adoption has spurred greater investment in cybersecurity, said Google Cloud CISO Phil Venables. Systems built and designed decades ago have become increasingly difficult to secure, he said.

Forecasts of SIEM Death Premature - Just Ask Cisco, Splunk

Michael Novinson  •  September 21, 2023

It turns out SIEM isn't on life support after all. Cisco is providing 28 billion reasons to believe enterprises aren't scrapping the security operations center staple anytime soon, even though rivals with other types of security technology have attempted to write SIEM's obituary for years.

Cisco to Bring XDR, SIEM Together With $28B Splunk Purchase

Michael Novinson  •  September 21, 2023

Cisco's proposed $28 billion buy of Splunk allows businesses to move from threat detection and response to threat prediction and prevention by combining XDR and SIEM. The deal brings together Cisco's newly released XDR platform with Splunk's long-standing SIEM technology.

Why Palo Alto Is Eyeing Secure Browser Firm Talon for $600M

Michael Novinson  •  September 20, 2023

Last year's winner of RSA Conference's prestigious Innovation Sandbox contest could soon be acquired by Palo Alto Networks, according to Calcalist. The platform security behemoth is in advanced negotiations to purchase enterprise browser startup Talon Cyber Security for $600 million, Calcalist said.

WatchGuard Buys CyGlass to Bring NDR to Midmarket Customers

Michael Novinson  •  September 20, 2023

WatchGuard purchased a Massachusetts company to extend network detection and response capabilities traditionally reserved for high-end enterprises to the midmarket through MSPs. The deal gives WatchGuard clients more visibility into east-west network traffic and activity taking place on the cloud.

Expert: Keep Calm, Avoid Overhyping China's AI Capabilities

Michael Novinson  •  September 19, 2023

A researcher advised lawmakers to "keep calm and avoid overhyping China's AI capabilities" since the authoritarian regime struggles to drive widespread adoption of new technology. He urged Congress to embrace an "open system of innovation" around AI even it that results in some IP leaking to China.

CrowdStrike to Buy AppSec Startup Bionic for Reported $350M

Michael Novinson  •  September 19, 2023

CrowdStrike will buy an application security firm founded by two Israel Defense Forces veterans to deliver risk visibility and protection across the cloud. The deal will provide visibility into application behavior and vulnerability prioritization for server-based and serverless infrastructure.

Sift, LexisNexis Top Digital Fraud Management Forrester Wave

Michael Novinson  •  September 18, 2023

Established provider LexisNexis Risk Solutions remains atop Forrester's digital fraud management rankings, while upstart Sift broke into the leaders category for the first time. Many providers in the space have expanded from payment transactions to account takeover fraud as well as handling scams.