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.
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 […]
The Theory of Everything: IT Environments in a Connected World
Every spring, Iron Bow gathers for its Annual Engineering Summit, where all technical and engineering staff are brought together along with leading OEMs to present, discuss and share best practices on newest products, programs and cutting-edge solutions. Although our core capabilities are are tackled and managed in what we all our Practice Teams. After three […]
NETCENTS-2: The Continuing Vehicle for Air Force IT Modernization
The ever widening threat landscape our country faces requires a simple, secure and efficient IT modernization contracting process. There is no question that the old adage of obtaining “yesterday’s technology tomorrow” needs to be buried forever. We are obligated to meet our warfighters needs with the best solution at the best value. Because of that, […]
Security is Critical, but Compliance is Required: How Agencies Can Address Both
Last year, the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) released an updated set of digital identity guidelines called Special Publication (SP) 800-63-3. The updates provide recommendations to agencies for preventing fraud, unauthorized network access and, most importantly, cyber risk. By June 2018, agencies are expected to increase and enhance their use of multi-factor authentication among […]
VDI: Bringing the Workspace to Workplace
At Iron Bow’s recent Engineering Summit, I extolled the virtues of virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI). From faster IT deployment to lower maintenance costs, VDI is driving workplace transformation in the private and public sectors. To the uninitiated, VDI can seem daunting. It’s easy to get lost in the tech terminology and difficult to understand a […]
Micro-segmentation: The Path to More Efficient and Effective Network Security
With the cyber security threat landscape getting bigger by the second, every security professional wants to limit their network’s attack surface. Current physical networks and traditional firewalls may prove that task difficult as bad actors find more and more ways to exploit the legacy technology. Fortunately, if you’re deploying a software-defined network or working with […]
