Content by Michael Novinson

IBM Buys Polar Security to Find and Protect Cloud, SaaS Data

Michael Novinson  •  May 16, 2023

IBM has bought a startup founded by a longtime security leader in the Israeli Prime Minister's Office to ensure personal identifiable information isn't left unprotected. The deal will ensure sensitive data isn't exposed in public cloud data stores or SaaS apps like Slack, SharePoint or Office 365.

Huntress Raises $60M to Bring Managed Protection to Identity

Michael Novinson  •  May 16, 2023

Huntress has completed a Series C round to expand beyond the endpoint protection market and bring managed security to identity and cloud. Hackers are increasingly going after employee accounts at SMBs and using the compromised identity to move into other systems via SSO, CEO Kyle Hanslovan said.

Small Utilities, Hospitals Struggle With Newer Cyberthreats

Michael Novinson  •  May 16, 2023

Small electric utilities, wastewater facilities and hospitals struggle with defending their organizations against emerging cyberthreats given their meager resources, U.S. government officials said. Many utilities have failed to adopt cyber best practices despite the available tools and training.

Crosspoint Capital to Purchase Absolute Software for $657M

Michael Novinson  •  May 12, 2023

Crosspoint Capital Partners has joined Thoma Bravo and others in the take-private cybersecurity spree, agreeing to buy endpoint security vendor Absolute Software for $657 million. The deal will allow Absolute Software to expand from asset visibility and control to endpoint resilience and access.

Why Datadog and Rubrik Are in Talks to Buy Laminar for $200M

Michael Novinson  •  May 11, 2023

The purchase of promising early-stage startup Laminar by a large tech vendor would match many M&A deals seen in 2023. The downturn has made it tough for small startups to raise additional funding at an increased valuation, while the push for profitability has left big firms open to only tuck-in M&A.

Akamai Lays Off Nearly 300 Staff to Hit Profitability Goals

Michael Novinson  •  May 11, 2023

Akamai will shrink its workforce by 3% as its shifts resources from its shrinking content delivery business to growth areas in cloud computing and security. The company will shrink its 9,960-person staff by 299 positions as it looks to sustain its profitability levels despite economic headwinds.

Profiles in Leadership: JT Jacoby

Michael Novinson  •  May 10, 2023

The International Rescue Committee has identified new processes and ways to safeguard information in the midst of rapid digital transformation, according to CISO JT Jacoby. The IRC went from having multi-factor authentication deployed on just 1,500 devices in November to more than 10,000 today.

Profiles in Leadership: Vlad Brodsky

Michael Novinson  •  May 10, 2023

OTC Markets Group in recent years has gone from having almost sector-specific cybersecurity regulations to highly robust ones, said CISO Vlad Brodsky. Since 2016, the New York-based financial market has been subject to stringent policies and procedures to ensure OTC's cybersecurity and resiliency.

It's OpenAI Season for Bug Hunting

Michael Novinson  •  May 9, 2023

As Bugcrowd helps OpenAI keep pace with the inevitable cybersecurity risks amid the massive popularity of its applications, the bug bounty firm's CEO discusses the unique elements of finding vulnerabilities in OpenAI, its impact and the journey so far.

Getting a Tighter Grip on Supply Chain Security Risk

Michael Novinson  •  May 7, 2023

Some of the most sophisticated cyberattacks are being targeted at third-party suppliers in an effort to affect their critical clients, said Ashan Willy, CEO of Proofpoint. But often client organizations affected by these attacks do not even realize a key supplier has been hit, he said.

Protecting Yourself Against App-Based Malware Attacks

Michael Novinson  •  May 7, 2023

The fundamentals of protecting against application-based malware attacks are no different from infrastructure-based attacks, and it is all about having threat intelligence, context and the capability to really understand these applications, said Mariano Nunez, co-founder and CEO at Onapsis.

Why App Security Should Shift Everywhere, Not Just Left

Michael Novinson  •  May 7, 2023

Organizations are faced with the security challenges presented by the combination of custom and open-source code. Sandeep Johri, CEO of Checkmarx, suggests treating all open-source code as an unknown source and conducting security checks using software composition analysis to identify vulnerabilities.

How to Protect Data as Cloud Migration Accelerates

Michael Novinson  •  May 7, 2023

Organizations face three major challenges in safeguarding data, said Gee Rittenhouse, CEO of Skyhigh Security. The first is determining where data is located. The second is knowing who had access to the data and what they are doing with it. The third is determining the level of risk exposure.

Unpacking the Booming Business of Cybercrime

Michael Novinson  •  May 7, 2023

Cybercrime has evolved over the decades, and criminals are running entities that function exactly like legitimate organizations. The high-revenue industry is growing, and those running it continue to improve at doing their jobs, said Jon Clay, vice president of threat intelligence at Trend Micro.

Evolving Threats and Shifting Priorities in Healthcare

Michael Novinson  •  May 7, 2023

As the cyberthreat and regulatory landscapes are evolving, so too are the data security and privacy priorities of healthcare sector entities, said Taylor Lehmann, director, Office of the CISO, Google Cloud, who explains how organizations can respond to the challenges.