Welcome to Iron Bow's TechSource, a blog about the issues facing the government and industry today and the technologies being adopted to help overcome them.
RMF and the Evolution of Cyber Security Frameworks
Government cyber security regulation isn’t new, but it is constantly changing. Nearly a decade after the first relatively static cyber security standards were introduced in 2006, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) set out to develop a continuous process for networks security with the Department of Defense (DoD) Information Assurance Certification and Accreditation […]
Don’t Ignore the Cryptominer in the Coalmine: What You Need to Know About the Biggest Cyber Threat Trend of 2018
While the market value of cryptocurrencies has recently experienced a downturn, there’s no denying its exponential growth, peaking at over $700 billion in early 2018. While investors have seen the value in cryptocurrency, so have bad actors and cyber criminals looking to take advantage of this emerging trend. Cryptomining attacks are relatively lucrative, simple to […]
Collaboration Is One of Cloud’s Greatest Benefits—Here’s How to Make It Work
For years, the mantra powering federal cloud migration was cutting costs. While cloud environments do generate savings, an attractive benefit to cash-strapped IT departments, there’s much more to cloud computing. One even more important benefit to government is the ability to collaborate. It used to be that data was relatively static. Data in the cloud […]
Transforming Legacy Systems: Where Cloud and Processing Power Intersect
The “Journey to the Cloud” describes a wholesale shift in the technology, operation, and administration of the modern data, in ways not seen since server architectures were fundamentally redrawn with the introduction of the microcomputer, in the 1980s. This change means that the traditional three tier data center era, of separately managed server, storage and […]
Leading Women: Shannon Leininger’s Journey to the Top
While women occupy about 57 percent of professional jobs in the United States, they represent only about 27 percent of the tech workforce, according to the National Center for Women in Information Technology. Beyond that, women hold only 17 percent of chief information officer positions at Fortune 500 companies. Recently, as part of Iron Bow’s […]
Printers: The Overlooked Entryway Into Your Network
Computers, smartphones and tablets—we know these devices are susceptible to cyber attacks and, as a result, take incredible caution to lock them down and cordon them off from cyber criminals. But have you also considered that large device that whirs and flashes as it scans, copies and prints valuable internal information? Your printer is also […]
Protecting Government Data in the Age of Ransomware
According to a February report by Dell Technologies and Secureworks, cyber security researchers saw 200 new ransomware variants in 2016—a 122 percent increase from the previous year. Ransomware sent out by a malicious actor infects a user’s device and encrypts their data. The attacker then threatens to block access to the data unless a ransom is paid. […]
Moving to the Cloud? Remember, It’s More Than a Destination
2018 is an amazing time to work in government IT. The possibilities enabled by machine learning, AI and IoT are poised to redefine what government can achieve. Digital transformation is becoming a reality because we finally have the infrastructure to make it work. This is in large part thanks to the cloud. While cloud is […]
Mission-Critical Workloads, Dispersed Locations, Unpredictable Demands: When SD-WAN is the Ideal Solution
While many look to Washington, D.C. as the hub of the federal government, the reality is that agencies have branches and staff throughout the country and around the world. Federal employees need a reliable network that spans disparate offices across the globe. Think about the gravity of this scenario. An agency spends months preparing for […]
Connectivity is Key: Three Takeaways from Cisco Live 2018
Emerging technologies are redefining what’s possible for government. Not just the technologies themselves, but also their interconnected capabilities and the analytics they can provide. Collaboration and connectedness emerged as the central themes during this year’s annual Cisco Live in Orlando. Attendees got a look into how connected tech can enable organizations, including federal agencies, to […]
Tangled: Figuring Out Where Wireless Fits
Wireless networks that stretch through hundreds or even thousands of square feet of agency office space can be complicated at best and downright baffling at worst. When federal workers require access to information quickly or need a solid connection to video conference with a colleague, a properly set up and managed wireless network can mean […]
Agencies Benefit from Flexible IT Environments
An unquestionably difficult task: keeping the government online and functional while simultaneously modernizing legacy applications and infrastructure. And the complexity of this task is exacerbated by the urgency of mandates such as the Data Center Optimization Initiative (DCOI) that the OMB issued pursuant to FITARA. With all deliberate speed, and much like their industry counterparts, […]
Industry Can Bridge the IT Gap Between Intelligence and Defense Communities
As cyber missions become a routine part of our military strategy, the intelligence community (IC) and warfighters need to find common ground in order to produce the strongest cyber force in the world. The federal government doesn’t have to take on this task alone. The private sector can play a big role in bridging that […]
