Earlier this year, on the evening of June 7, an announcement flickered into the consciousness of the federal IT contracting community. The brief electronic message heralded a development with the potential to change the acquisition sector’s status quo.
Sponsored By CenturyLink
A large utility company in New York State wanted a tool that would automate time-consuming data monitoring tasks required by regulators. The utility’s IT team chose Automation Anywhere to fully automate complex, time-consuming manual processes, resulting in efficiencies and savings that paid for the solution.
Sponsored By Automation Anywhere
Almost 75 percent of global CEOs reported that they had “insufficient information to predict and drive their business,” according to results of a 2010 survey. The data deficit exists despite the rapid growth of traditional business intelligence tools, a market projected to reach $26 billion by 2021. Automation Anywhere’s robotic process automation (RPA) solutions take a different approach, using bots to access and analyze organizations’ siloed data, develop critical insights and inform business decision.
Brazil’s Minister of Finance contracted with Automation Anywhere to automate production of daily economic reports. The solution was to seamlessly combine data from multiple disparate sources, reducing the time and labor required to produce critical reports that the government uses to formulate and implement Brazil’s economic policy.
Cognitive automation is emerging as an effective business tool for automating complex tasks involving data bases that aren’t well structured. A type of artificial intelligence, cognitive automation will grow 57 percent annually between 2016 and 2022, analysts predict.
Automation Anywhere uses multiple protocols to ensure the security of robotic process automation (RPA) tools, a form of artificial intelligence that enables complex business processes involving unstructured data. Security measures include mandatory authentication requirements (for humans and bots) before allowing system access or action; multi-layered credentials and personas; and comprehensive role-based access control.
Leaders of organizations are turning to robotic process automation and other advanced technologies – artificial intelligence, cloud technology and big data – to transform their businesses. As the number of bots performing automated tasks increases, an emerging “bot economy” of interchangeable applications could drive economies of scale and further reduce costs.
San Diego’s Health and Human Services Agency chose Automation Anywhere to streamline its process for qualifying applicants to government assistance programs. Without rewriting code, Automation Anywhere integrated legacy applications and automated the qualification process. Integrating the legacy system lowered verification times, costs, risks and errors.
High-performing companies that acquired advanced technology and obtained “superior business outcomes” also adopted robotic process automation solutions, according to an analysis by Everest Group Research. Relative to their peer organizations, the more successful organizations had better business metrics and strategic outcomes. Those companies also tended to develop new business capabilities across the organization.
Most federal agencies,by now, have some cloud presence. Still, questions persist. When should an organization shift to cloud? What’s the best way to make the transition? How do you minimize missteps?
Sponsored By Iron Bow Technologies
What cognitive automation is, why you need it, and how to do it right. Adding cognitive capabilities to robotic process automation (RPA) is the biggest trend in business process automation since, well, RPA. In this eBook, you’ll learn how to succeed with cognitive automation by following six basic steps.
The benefits of moving IT networks and systems to the cloud are well established, yet seven years after the federal government’s Cloud First policy came out, government agencies continue to struggle with cloud migration – and not for lack of trying. Cloud Smart, a follow-up strategy that is in the works, seeks to give agencies the tools they need to “adopt cloud solutions that streamline transformation and embrace modern capabilities.”
Sponsored By Oracle and Affigent
Government agencies and partners often struggle with integrating and digesting data. Yet, analyzing and sharing data is the key to ensuring that you have the most comprehensive and current information. Rapidly evolve your agency's operational processes with Azure Government and explore how cloud computing is already driving IT modernization in your industry.
Sponsored By Microsoft Azure
You can’t hack what you can’t see. It makes sense, then, to cloak the addresses of network nodes that make systems vulnerable to hackers. From their perspective, cloaked network nodes no longer exist. The Cyberspace Operations Infrastructure (CSOI), developed by IMPRES Technology Solutions, is a fabric-based architecture that integrates with security, topology and protocols on multiple levels. CSOI leaves hackers in the dark.
Sponsored By IMPRES Technology, Dell EMC
State and local governments concerned about network security can emulate the best practices of federal intelligence and military agencies, such as the CIA, NSA, FBI and the Defense Department. Those critical organizations physically isolate their networks and assets from the public internet and anyone who isn't authorized to have access. State and local governments can emulate the strategy by adding an air-gap network isolation solution to their arsenal of security tools.
Sponsored By Belkin
As with most rapidly advancing technologies, desktop security solutions can be confusing. This FAQ document provides detailed information on a range of topics, including risks associated with using unsecure keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switches, hardware components and supply-chain issues, anti-tampering features, protection against user errors, supported operating systems and keyboards, use with biometric readers and other issues.
Networks security often focuses on assets (data centers) to the neglect of potential attack vectors (workstations). Hackers with access to everyday cubicle hardware can turn microphones into listening devices, reprogram keyboards to transmit data, and hijack USB speakers to transfer malicious code. Belkin's cybersecurity solutions - secure display ports, desktop controllers and readers - protect organizations and their information.
The Belkin Universal Secure KVM's ease of use belies its robust engineering and a host of advanced features, among them an innovative display technology that can simultaneously accommodate legacy DVI-D and high-resolution HDMI and DisplayPort input/outputs; a flexible, plug-and-play platform; optical diodes on all USB connections, assuring uni-directional data flow of HID filtered information with no signal leakage between channels; and integrated anti-tamper switches.
Extending network security to the desktop has become necessary at a time of exponential increases in cyberattacks. The risk to data, IP and critical infrastructure is unrelenting. Belkin's products provide a much-needed layer of protection by maintaining desktops' air-gap isolation and improving operators' efficiency and effectiveness. Belkin's tamper-proof solutions have earned NIAP Protection Profile 3.0 certification.
Most secure keyboard-video-mouse (KVM) switches support a particular video standard. At agencies deploying air-gap network isolation strategies into environments supporting multiple computing platforms and video interfaces, the lack of KVM universality can quickly lead to cluttered desktops and spiraling costs. The Belkin Universal Secure KVMs solves the problem of incompatible video standards by simplifying the desktop experience for administrators and users.
This report addresses data requirements of a hybrid data ecosystem, focusing on data virtualization.
Sponsored By Denodo
On October 16, 2017 the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced that it would require federal agencies to implement email authentication (including DMARC) on their email-sending domains by January 15, 2018. The DHS directive, BOD 18-01, also required agencies to set their DMARC records to a policy of enforcement, which provides protection against email fraud, by October 16, 2018.
Migrating business operations to cloud is a silo-busting, efficiency-enhancing proposition that affect many organizational functions. Cloud facilitates IT modernization by bolstering security, improving services and leveraging emerging innovative technologies. Given the scope, a holistic approach to cloud transitions is advisable. Envisioning the big picture will help agencies to align disparate federal IT, cybersecurity and legacy systems during the transition. Transitioning to a hybrid cloud environment may also requires creation of a more comprehensive governance structure. Failure to plan comprehensively can lead to less-than-optimal results, such as multi-cloud environments vexed by interconnectivity or interoperability problems.
Sponsored By IBM, Google Cloud, AWS, Acquia
Organizations and public agencies are increasingly aware of the need for digital transformation, whose success fundamentally rests upon the ability to control, manage, and protect the collections of information that reside across the extended information enterprise. There are, however, some inherent challenges that may complicate the ability to manage information in an increasingly complex environment. Download to Learn More
Sponsored By Veritas
If you like the online ease of shopping at Amazon, you’ll want to check out SEWP V, the latest iteration of NASA’s Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP). The agency’s new procurement solution brings point-and-click convenience to federal acquisitions. A pair of catalogs offered by SEWP V make it possible for buyers to order from a set list of products, eliminating the need for agencies to issue requests for quotation (RFQ) every time they make a purchase. These innovations are expected to enhance SEWP’s popularity and reputation for ease of use and fast turnaround times.
Sponsored By CDW-G
In its very first Cybersecurity Executive Order, the Trump administration mandated broader support for strengthening both the cybersecurity of federal networks and of our nation’s critical infrastructure. While it’s tempting to see these as two parallel but fundamentally separate objectives, it becomes harder to separate the two when federal agencies are discovering entirely new categories of vulnerable physical and logical assets right in their own backyards.
Sponsored By Tripwire
With the DOD’s compliance deadline in the rearview mirror, here are a few things that civilian contractors can learn from their DOD counterparts and proactive steps they should be taking in advance of GSA publishing its final requirements.
The majority of security practitioners agree that establishing foundational security controls will give agencies the biggest security bang for their buck. So where should those agencies focus their efforts in order to ensure a strong foundation of security?
Most security practitioners and experts alike agree that establishing foundational security controls will give agencies the biggest security bang for their buck. So where should IT managers focus their efforts in order to ensure a strong foundation of security? As we have examined in parts one and two of this series, there are four key fundamentals at the heart of every effective security foundation: log management, file integrity monitoring, policy compliance and vulnerability management. Here, in part three of this series, we address policy compliance.
The U.S. Government’s Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation (CDM) program “support(s) … government-wide and agency-specific efforts to provide adequate, risk-based, and cost-effective cybersecurity.” The CDM program is designed to roll out in three phases. This white paper describes how the Palo Alto Networks Next-Generation Security Platform, in combination with select technology and delivery partners, supports all three CDM phases and enables agencies to achieve the security objectives of the program.
Sponsored By Palo Alto Networks
SSL-encrypted traffic is growing in government networks, resulting in multiple blind spots for security monitoring tools and creating an opportunity for attackers to hide malware. Many governments are considering or mandating the decryption of encrypted communications moving in and out of their networks. While traditional approaches favor dedicated SSL decryption appliances, these add latency, costs and increase time to resolution for security incidents.
As federal and national governments modernize their IT infrastructure, their cybersecurity must keep pace. Read this brief for a concise summary of how Palo Alto Networks® meets the cybersecurity needs of its government customers by automatically preventing successful cyberattacks, enabling granular control of sensitive data and dramatically improving security visibility. Security sensors automatically coordinate threat prevention across endpoints, network, data center and cloud environments, as well as across IT and OT networks.
Government endpoints are a critical path to sensitive government data and are central to government operations. Malicious, unauthorized changes and access to these systems can have a significant impact on an agency’s operations and, potentially, that of the country. They can be protected against today’s swiftly changing threat environment in a manner that is minimally disruptive to government operations and meets the productivity needs of the end user – whether military soldier, airman, sailor or government civilian.
Businesses embrace digital technologies that modernize their operations and enable innovation. Yet these same technologies introduce new security vulnerabilities and new data that must be secured. The result is a costly cybersecurity arms race, in which businesses introduce new security products to counter new attack vectors. Individually-managed or standalone security products add complexity, reduce visibility, and strain under-resourced security teams.
Government agencies can plan to generate energy needed for continuity of operations in the event that military bases or other federal facilities lose primary sources of energy. A new white paper, “7 Strategic Steps for Building Energy Security and Ensuring Mission Readiness in Federal Facilities,” provides guidelines and case studies for developing and implementing energy security programs.
Sponsored By Schneider Electric
For the Defense Department and other federal agencies, the ability to prepare for and recover from energy disruptions is imperative. In a new white paper, “Beyond Appropriated Funding: An Innovative Financial Equation for Building Energy Resilience,” the paper’s authors explore strategies for implementing resiliency plans without placing new burdens on appropriated funding sources.
In this report, Gartner outlines a four-step approach for an effective IT operations monitoring (ITOM) strategy. Learn how to reduce monitoring blind spots, how to address ITOM requirements across IT and non-IT, distinct layers and identify functionality gaps with domain-specific products.
Does your agency have the processes in place to investigate and effectively respond to these incidents? This IDC InfoBrief shares insights and statistics on the consolidated time security teams spend on incident response, how organizations are coping with an average of 40 actionable security incidents per week and where organizations should focus their security efforts.
This ebook provides insight into the current government threat landscape, and how best to address them. See how an analytics-driven approach to security is being used at Fairfax County and City of Los Angeles in this guide.
This IDC analyst report dives into what to look for in an IT infrastructure monitoring solution, its benefits, key characteristics of modern infrastructure solutions and how best to implement a new or improved infrastructure monitoring approach.
As government agencies work to meet growing demands in cybersecurity, the federal shared service aimed at doing just that – the Continuous Diagnostics and Mitigation program – is entering its third phase. The Department of Homeland Security and the General Services Administration, which administer the CDM program, are rolling out Phase 3 with its focus on providing greater and timelier insight into what’s happening on the networks. Along with that is a new acquisition strategy known as DEFEND to provide for better tools for rapid response and recovery. Find out more about CDM’s Phase 3.
Sponsored By Fortinet, Akamai, Forcepoint, Tanium
Officially known as Chief Information Officer – Commodities and Solutions, CIO-CS charges the lowest fees of any Government-Wide Acquisition Contract (GWAC) vehicle. Learn why CIO-CS and its companion contracts have emerged as some of the easiest to use, most economical and most far-reaching in the federal space
Water is essential to life, yet you can drown in it. Such is the paradox of big data. The relentless deluge of digital information surging into federal agencies threatens to overwhelm them. That data could also be agencies’ salvation. Contained within the vast and ever-enlarging seas of data are opportunities to streamline operations and dramatically advance agencies’ missions. In “Modernizing Federal IT,” learn about using technology to improve collaboration; IT and managed services; going mobile to full advantage; and the next-generation data center.
Sponsored By Iron Bow Technologies, Cisco, Dell, Intel
With the advent of cloud, IoT, and other next-gen technologies, the Federal government's digital footprint is growing at an exponential rate. But as the amount of data explodes, so does the number of cyber adversaries and vulnerabilities in our government’s networks.
Sponsored By IBM
Digital transformation requires a holistic strategy of modernizing legacy systems and IT services, streamlining business processes, and creating a culture and workforce that can adapt to change. For agencies working through this process, it also means incorporating new approaches to developing software, managing technology, and delivering services to employees and the citizens they serve.
Sponsored By CGI
Automated customer service, route planning and navigation, and language translation are just some the artificial intelligence (AI) applications that have become mainstream over the past few years. They are in fact so common, many people don’t even perceive them as AI.
Sponsored By KPMG, Hitachi Vantara Federal, Blueprism
Today’s enterprise security professionals are looking for a security platform that goes beyond traditional security event and incident management systems. Read more to learn about an innovation that provides the opportunity to tap into a virtual command and control structure to help you address previous gaps in intelligence, speed, and accuracy.
E-signature technology can lower the cost of operations and facilitate agency-wide digitization, among other benefits. As with any enterprise-wide technology, though, integration has its challenges. Learn from the experiences of six organizations that use OneSpan Sign e-signature technology.
Sponsored By OneSpan
Unshackling operations from legacy systems and freeing data from silos isn’t easy. Yet migrating information and business processes to a cloud environment often improves the security of operations and the service delivered to customers. The challenge for federal IT leaders has been getting there with minimal disruption. Increasingly, they’re finding a way, blazing paths across the federal sector that converge in the cloud.
Sponsored By General Dynamics Information Technology, Acquia, Rubrik, Amazon Web Services, Jive, FSLogix, Microsoft Azure Government
The fast-evolving nature of cyber threats complicates efforts to protect against those vulnerabilities. Some federal agencies are responding by finding ways to use existing cyber-security tools more effectively.
Sponsored By KPMG