Available to enterprises now, latest platform release features significant UX enhancements, improved Microsoft Azure support, and new third-party integrations

NORTH BETHESDA, Md., May 28, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) CloudBolt Software, the enterprise cloud management platform leader, today announced the general availability of CloudBolt 9.3. Recently namedBest Cloud Management Solutionby the 2020 SIIA CODiE Awards, this platform release builds on the companys promise of delivering unparalleled time-to-value for enterprise IT and developers. New features in this release include improved user navigation, expanded support for Microsoft Azure, and deep integrations with Veeam, SolarWinds, and Cisco UCS.

We continue to listen to our customers and enhance the cloud management platform of their choice with updates to address their pain points, said Rick Kilcoyne, chief product officer of CloudBolt. The significant increase in 9.3s self-service capabilities, accelerated networking and provisioning, new integrations with multiple in-demand platforms, and elimination of many manual processes empower CloudBolt users to better allocate resources to drive more business value. 9.3 continues CloudBolts tradition of always innovating and adapting with the needs of our users top of mind.

The CloudBolt platform already supports management of 20+ private and public cloud environments through a single pane of glass, accelerates workload delivery with self-service provisioning, and enables consistent, standardized governance through centralized automation and orchestration. The new features and capabilities in the 9.3 release build on this solid foundation to address a wide range of cloud management challenges. These new capabilities include:

Try CloudBolt 9.3 Now

CloudBolt 9.3 is now generally available.Download CloudBoltfor free, learn more aboutCloudBolt 9, or contact your customer success manager to upgrade to CloudBolt 9.3.

About CloudBolt

CloudBolt is the leading cloud management platform for the enterprise. Deployed in minutes, CloudBolt helps IT unify orchestration and automate provisioning of their hybrid cloud resourcesquickly, cost-effectively, and securelywhile providing developers with anywhere, anytime access to those resources through a self-service catalog. Today, CloudBolt is deployed in the worlds largest enterprises, across all industries including financial services, government, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, technology services, and more. For more information, visitwww.cloudbolt.io.

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CloudBolt Releases Version 9.3 of Its Award-Winning Cloud Management Platform - Container Journal

Organizations have become increasingly reliant on mobile security vendors to protect devices, and there are several types of mobile security approaches that can help them optimize their mobile defense.

The first line of defense in keeping malware off mobile devices is to use approved app stores for iOS and Android. However, even mobile apps in legitimate app stores can harbor malware. Apple Store and Google Play are battling to keep these malicious apps out of their stores, but administrators can minimize their risk by limiting unknown mobile downloads from users.

Organizations should also deploy a managed environment from an enterprise mobility management or unified endpoint management platform that helps administrators address the basic security profiles of mobile devices.

These profiles enable IT to install a mobile security agent on a device. IT can also activate embedded enhanced security tools that may be available on the device itself, such as Samsung Knox in the Android Enterprise program.

Deploying an add-on mobile-specific security tool from a variety of vendors -- such as Lookout, BlackBerry Cylance, Zimperium and Symantec -- can provide additional defense against malware. No mobile security tool is 100% effective, but they are an important step given how much sensitive corporate data is available on mobile devices these days.

There are four different types of mobile security models used by vendors.

The traditional signature file antivirus model creates a signature file on the device that all apps and documents are compared to. This doesn't work very well for mobile devices, however. Today, many organizations employ the hybrid-AI approach noted below.

This type of mobile security tool studies the files users download and install on their devices. It's a similar model to search engines where the community contributes samples that improve the overall experience.

No mobile security tool is 100% effective, but they are an important step given how much sensitive corporate data is available on mobile devices these days.

Analyzing these files and applications in the cloud helps security tools identify the warning signs of malicious intent. Once AI identifies any malicious files, it prevents users from downloading and opening them. The tools enforce these policies through a local app that updates with the latest information about the safety of files.

This cloud-based analysis approach works very well for mobile devices because it doesn't require large amounts of local processing. With relatively fast connections, the lag in checking a file type against the files on a cloud server is minimal.

However, this type of mobile security approach isn't great at finding zero-day attacks due to the time lag inherent with gathering data, testing and returning intelligence to the on-device agent. The next type of security model also uses the cloud and essentially acts as an intermediary service.

Under this model, any files a user receives or downloads to the device are automatically uploaded to the cloud service for testing and comparison to determine if they're malware or security threats. The files are loaded to the device only if these files are approved.

This intermediary approach also works well for mobile devices, but it can sometimes cause a lag in performance if the mobile devices are on a slow network. Fortunately, the general availability of fast 4G, 5G and LTE makes this less of an issue.

For mobile security vendors, this approach means they can run very fast and extensive processes on high-powered cloud servers, eliminating the restrictions of on-device resources. The following type of mobile security monitors the behavior of the apps or files on the device.

With this approach, an AI-based preloaded app prevents malicious activity by flagging suspicious behavior. There is still a cloud-based component to this approach; the agent occasionally downloads new suspicious behaviors to flag on the device, but most of the work is done locally.

Mobile behavioral analysis is the best way to find zero-day exploits. This approach uses crowd sourcing to obtain and test files, but it is more behavior-based than the simple penetration testing associated with a traditional signature file antivirus approach.

Many tools are hybrids of these types of mobile security models, and they aren't purely signature-, AI- behavior- or cloud intermediary-based. In fact, many argue that combining models can provide superior security compared to the use of a single model.

Unfortunately, threat actors are becoming more sophisticated even as mobile security applications gain capabilities. Security add-ons should still be a standard practice for users -- especially enterprise users with sensitive corporate data.

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4 types of mobile security models and how they work - TechTarget

The business environment has changed due to the global coronavirus pandemic. To combat the spread of this virus, many businesses transitioned their employees from working in office locations to working from home. As businesses have now settled into a new remote-working cadence, internet security remains a high priority, causing IT teams to reconsider their on premises network security deployments and look toward cloud-based solutions.

Traditionally, businesses build their network security infrastructure on premises, allowing them to have more hands-on access to physical hardware or manage internal security policies. With an on premises firewall, the sole responsibility of maintenance and updates fall on internal IT teams or, in some cases, a managed service provider. On premises firewalls are key when employees have a centralized place to meet, work, and collaborate, securing every device connected to the network at a headquarter or branch office. However, now that many businesses have shifted to extending their remote working policies, cloud-based firewalls have increased in popularity. A cloud-based firewall enables organizations to maintain secure and productive Internet connections for their employees while providing remote access to their digital assets.

The benefit of cloud computing is it provides a centralized core for negotiating dozens of endpoints as they interact with the network, improving business agility and scalability. Transitioning to cloud based applications has allowed businesses to have greater flexibility on how information and data is accessed for all employees. With so many employees working remotely, authorized access to corporate applications, company data, and other business tools can be based on VPN connectivity and authorized access, without the limits of being physically tethered to the office.

Just as many employees have transitioned to working from home, deploying IT infrastructure in the cloud allows the IT administrator to also work from anywhere, without having to be on site in the office server room.

Many businesses transitioning to cloud services will need to explore the options of security within the cloud. Deploying a cloud-based next generation firewall in popular cloud service providers, such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, or Google Cloud, gives businesses the ability to provide consistent, secure connectivity to employees across the company.

There are a few steps network administrators can take to ensure their cloud-based firewall provides robust connectivity and a secure environment for employees:

Working within the cloud, many vendors offer Firewall-as-a-Service (FWaaS) models for cloud environments. FWaaS provides a simple and flexible architecture to provide connectivity to all employees, no matter where they are working. Employees can leverage centralized policy management, content filtering, malware and threat protection, and other unified threat management capabilities.

It is crucial that network administrators choose a VPN technology that is fast, secure, and can be fully managed. The means, network administrators have more control over VPN profiles, including mobile device management, and can seamlessly connect remote workers without installing software on every end user device.

Adding multi-factor authentication for access to business applications is another layer of security that IT teams can leverage with remote employees. As each employee has to log into their VPN or cloud-based applications, it should be standard policy that a secondary form of identification, usually an SMS text or bio-identifier like a fingerprint, is also used to log in. This secondary form of authentication protects against unauthorized access to the network or the use of stolen credentials.

As the business environment has changed to adapt to the needs of employees during the coronavirus pandemic, it will change further in ways we might not yet be able to predict. Many businesses who may not have considered having employees work outside the office may continue to work this way in the future. Businesses may find that their employees are just as productive, or more so working in this manner. Many businesses may open up their hiring policies to hire more people in different geographical locations in the future. Whether a business decides to continue to function with employees working remotely in the future, or whether all employees ultimately return to the office, a Firewall / Unified Threat Management solution deployed in the cloud will be a robust future proof solution.

Recent Articles By Author

*** This is a Security Bloggers Network syndicated blog from Untangle authored by jjakobsson@yahoo.se. Read the original post at: https://www.untangle.com/inside-untangle/cloud-based-firewalls-are-key-to-protecting-employees-while-working-remotely/

Originally posted here:
Cloud-Based Firewalls Are Key to Protecting Employees While Working Remotely - Security Boulevard

Why is cloud ERP going to be the preferred solution in low business times?

Cloud ERP software is going to be the preferred solution in low business times because it brings a predictable cost model for operating ERP software. With the cloud, IT expenses to move from capital expenses to operational expenses. The cost of maintaining servers, other hardware, disaster recovery, back-ups, even keeping the air-conditioning running in the server room go away. Once that predictable cost model is in place, distributors benefit from greater efficiency as their IT resources can spend more time prioritizing the business and driving real strategic value, rather than getting stuck in administrative tasks. IT teams dont have to spend time worrying about an expensive server replacement looming ahead.

Without Intelligent Automation, 60% of the Automation Dreams Will Turn into Nightmares

By standardizing technology investments in the cloud with a few or single trusted service providers, distributors simplify their application and infrastructure strategy to one that is able to scale as required by business needs.

Some of our distributors have had to deal with several vendors for their hardware and their applications to manage their ERP operations. With the cloud, they can replace them with a single enterprise solution- giving them one hand to shake.

Letting an expert service provider manage the administrative aspects of running IT, keeping systems updated, and keeping the business current with the latest technologies, means their IT team can refocus on the highest value business projects. Distributors that choose cloud deployed ERP solutions will be the ones that can stay focused through industry change, and maintain an advantage against competitors who would otherwise get distracted.

AI and Automation Enabling Remote Working During the COVID-19 Crisis

Furthermore, Epicor recently interviewed over 2,000 professionals in our ecosystem as part of the Epicor 2019 Global Growth Index survey and found 84% saw the cloud as playing an essential role in their growth strategy, 90% run cloud applications today (with 31% saying they use cloud significantly), and 92% are planning to invest in cloud applications this year. When looking at industry trends like this, its clear that the cloud is here, and distributors see it as the type of investment that can generate quantifiable returns.

Will the upgrade of Prophet 21 provide added security functionalities since that seems to be the biggest enterprise challenge today?

We had customers come to us saying, Our servers are at end-of-life, so we need to replace them. Id rather avoid the cost. Im also worried about securing them. By upgrading to a cloud environment, companies are reducing the cost and risk of data loss, compliance, and overall cybersecurity with capabilities like antimalware, 247 system monitoring, powerful threat intelligence, best-practice backup, disaster recovery practices, and high-quality solutions. This is to ensure business continuity, and in the event of a component failure, they can recover their data quickly and minimize disruption. Today this is a must-have.

In the current mass remote working scenario, how does a cloud ERP solution help in higher efficiencies?

Given the need today for remote work or wherever a distributors team is, they need reliable and secure communication tools to drive business continuity and rapidly respond, especially to customers or suppliers that are critical or essential to the business. Having a cloud-based ERP that runs in a browser from any device, from anywhere, without the hassle of a VPN, is important to a businesss future-proof strategy.

Cloud-based ERP solutions provide real-time availability of data, but how do they assure the security of that data? How does azure help?

Some of our on-premises customers have shared that they have been hit by ransomware, or they know that their competitors and suppliers have been. They come to us telling us they need help to protect their systems better.

IoT How to Utilize it for Successful Business Operations?

Just recently, weve seen that in times of economic and business uncertainty, cybercriminals are taking full advantage of the situation. If you dont have adequate security measures in place, you are vulnerable. In fact, one of the most popular ways that cybercriminals will infiltrate an organization is through email. Phishing is widely cited as the most popular cyber-attack, and if your company runs its email on the same servers or network as your business applications, that is the perfect highway for a hacker to get in and bring down your business. VPNs are even proven to be vulnerable. You need a smart isolation strategy that separates your business applications like ERP software, from your email.

The rest is here:
Cloud Transition During the COVID-19 Exposing the Enterprise Vulnerabilities - EnterpriseTalk

Cloud-native technologies have become ubiquitous. The latest survey from the Cloud Native Computing Foundation shows that more than half of graduated projects have achieved more than 50% use in production, with Kubernetes leading the way at 84% in 2020.

But todays developers are confronted with a growing number of tools to navigate an increasingly complex cloud-native infrastructure. There are plenty of items on the shelves, and the challenge becomes how to know which tool to use for each problem that needs to be solved.

Its like walking through an aisle at Home Depot, said Kelsey Hightower(pictured, left), staff developer advocate of the Google Cloud Platform at Google. You can pick the tools that you need, you can safely ignore the ones you dont need, and maybe something looks interesting and you study it. For most people, if you dont have that problem that a tool solves, you should be happy. No one needs every project.

Hightower spoke with Shaun Connelly, executive strategist at AccelG2M, as part of SiliconANGLEs and theCUBEs coverage of DockerCon Live. He was joined by Michelle Noorali(pictured, center), senior software engineer at Microsoft Corp., and Chris Aniszczyk(pictured, right), chief technology officer and chief operating officer of the Cloud Native Computing Foundation, vice president of developer relations at The Linux Foundation, and executive director of the Open Container Initiative.

They discussed new developer tooling to improve workflow application visibility and coding, progress in workloads for serverless, resources available to participants in the cloud-native space and infrastructure challenges still to be addressed. (* Disclosure below.)

Recent tool deployments appear focused on helping make the lives of developers and operations staff easier. These include dashboards, included in tools, like recently graduated CNCF project Helm or Kiali, which provide monitoring and metrics.

Anything with a dashboard I love these days, Noorali said. One of the goals of the Helm project was to make it easier to deploy an application on Kubernetes so you could see what the finished product looks like. Ive been passionate about this kind of stuff for a while now, and I love seeing projects which come into this space that have the same goal and just iterate and make things easier.

Another example of tools to make development and deployment less complex is Codespaces, a cloud-based code editor unveiled earlier this month by GitHub Inc. Developers can preload tools they need and save multiple steps oftenrequired to configure an environment.

I was blown away, said Aniszczyk, who received a Codespaces demo from GitHub. You go to a project, open it up, and behind the scenes they have a container that is set up for the environment you need to build. As we continue to move up the stack, youre going to see an incredible amount of improvement around developer tooling and developer experience powered by a lot of this cloud-native technology behind the scenes.

In moving up the stack, one area of focus within the cloud-native community has been serverless computing. The goal is to let developers focus on what theyre doing and not necessarily how to do it underneath, according to Hightower.

Serverless is not quite there yet for every type of workload, Hightower said. Serverless apps? Check. Event-driven workflows? Check. But its not necessarily for machine learning and more traditional workloads that enterprises want to run.

When it comes to extending tool features that simplify the development and deployment process, CNCF has chosen to leave the heavy lifting up to the market. The foundation did step in last year to merge two competing projects that focused on metrics and telemetry in a cloud-native world,Aniszczyknoted, but it otherwise has preferred a community-driven approach.

We dont force things, Aniszczyksaid. We want our community of end users and vendors to decide which technology is best in the long term, and we support that.

This community-based approach has propelled the cloud-native world for a number of years. CNCF provides resources for practitioners interested in finding new solutions to what may well be old problems.These include special interest groups where users can select a vertical market of interest and case studies on the CNCF website.

It will give you a broad overview of the challenges people are trying to solve with the technology in this space, Noorali said.

For Hightower, one of those key challenges remains getting to a place where, like todays internet, people are focused on how to use it as opposed to building it out.

Were just not there yet with infrastructure stuff; were so in the weeds, said Hightower, who noted that the mobile space offered an instructive example. You put a software development kit in one place, and 100 million people can download it at the same time with no DevOps team. When can we do that for server-side applications? Thats going to be something Ill find really innovative.

Heres the complete video interview, part of SiliconANGLEs and theCUBEs coverage of DockerCon Live. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for DockerCon Live. Neither Docker, the sponsor for theCUBEs event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

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Shelves are well-stocked with cloud-native tools, but simplicity remains a moving target - SiliconANGLE