Category Archives: Technology

Introducing Netplus Cove: Your Digital Locker for Secure and Convenient Storage

13th October 2023, India: Netplus Broadband, the internet branch of Fastway Transmissions and one of India’s premier high-speed broadband providers, is thrilled to announce the launch of Netplus Cove, a new digital locker solution intended to ease and safeguard your data storage needs in partnership with Cove Identity Tech Private Limited, aimed at bolstering their service portfolio.

The integration of ‘Cove Drive’ into ‘Netplus Cove’ serves as a prime illustration of Cove Identity Tech’s dedication to providing robust and secure cloud storage solutions. Netplus Cove employs advanced encryption protocols, ensuring all stored documents remain confidential and protected from unauthorized access. Users can access their documents from any device with an internet connection, providing unparalleled convenience and flexibility. Netplus Cove allows seamless document sharing and collaboration, facilitating efficient teamwork and information exchange. The platform utilizes intuitive categorization and tagging features, enabling users to effortlessly locate specific documents within seconds.

Speaking on the occasion Mr Arshdeep Singh Mundi Executive Director Netplus said,”Netplus Cove represents a significant leap forward in our mission to empower individuals and businesses with state-of-the-art digital solutions.We recognize the importance of secure document storage and easy access, and Netplus Cove delivers on both fronts. It’s not just a digilocker service; it’s a testament to our commitment to innovation and customer-centric solutions.”

Adding to which, Kunal Nandwani, CEO, Cove Identity Tech Private Limited said, “ At Cove Identity, our guiding vision is ‘Privacy and Security First.’ In today’s digital age, forging strategic partnerships becomes pivotal to catalyzing innovation and maximizing value. Our synergy with Netplus Broadband speaks to this ethos. Drawing from my journey in the tech landscape and the nuanced perspectives of an author, I foresee a transformative horizon for our collaborative venture. Together, we embody the spirit of innovation underpinned by a shared vision.”

This collaboration positions Netplus as a prestigious distributor for Cove, effectively merging their broadband proficiency with Cove’s cutting-edge storage offerings. Netplus Cove is now available to individual users and businesses, with flexible subscription plans tailored to meet varying needs and preferences.

Check Point Launches Game-Changing SASE Solution: Delivering 2x Faster Internet Security

New Delhi, October 12, 2023 — Check Point® Software Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: CHKP) today announced the immediate availability of Quantum SASE, integrating technologies from newly acquired Perimeter 81. This integrated offering addresses organizations’ needs for a unified user experience, simplified Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) management, and a fast, secure browsing experience. It enhances the company’s Infinity architecture with a unified SASE solution offering (1) 2x faster internet security, (2) full mesh Zero Trust Access, and (3) Secured SD-WAN with industry-leading threat prevention. This underscores Check Point’s leadership in advanced cloud security.

The rise of hybrid work sees enterprises embracing multiple cloud services, with 90% now operating in such settings. Organizations are moving from on-premises internet security to internet security delivered in the cloud. However, in both cases all traffic is redirected into one location for inspection, frustrating users with latency. The Quantum SASE solution solves the internet security latency problem with a hybrid approach that combines on-device protection of direct internet access, with the ability to use cloud inspection when needed. The result is 2x faster internet security when compared with other solutions on the market.

“As the lines between digital and physical realms become increasingly blurred, businesses need a comprehensive, consolidated, and collaborative security strategy,” said Amit Bareket, VP, Security Service Edge at Check Point Software Technologies. “With Quantum SASE, Check Point stands as the pioneer security partner, offering a Hybrid SASE solution comprised of three pivotal components: on-device network protection, cloud network protection, and a unified security gateway with built-in SD-WAN and IoT security. As organizations navigate the intricacies of hybrid work and cloud integration, Quantum SASE is the very future of secured networking.”

Quantum SASE’s key features include:

Enhanced Internet Access: 2X faster internet security performance vs competitors, and secure access for both remote users and branch offices, bolstered by cloud and on-device network protections. This ensures a native, localized browsing experience with tighter security and privacy.
Zero Trust Access: Efficient and reliable system assuring least privilege access for all, regardless of location or device, facilitated by full mesh connectivity between users, branches, and applications.
Ease of Deployment: Recognized as the easiest-to-implement SASE solution, Quantum SASE boasts a one-hour rollout and user-friendly administration.
Optimized SD-WAN Performance: Features include industry-leading AI Threat Prevention combined with smooth internet and network connectivity, with autonomous steering for over 10,000 applications. The solution ensures uninterrupted web conferencing through seamless link failover and a dedicated steering policy.
Unified Management: Single-vendor SASE with a consolidated console for the entire on-premises and cloud firewall portfolio.

Check Point is deeply committed to delivering the next generation of SASE and prevention-first security. Quantum SASE serves to enhance the value of Check Point’s Infinity architecture, which was recently recognized as a Leader in The Forrester Wave™️: Zero Trust Platform Providers 2023 report. With the fastest and most secure next-generation firewall and SASE, Check Point enables organizations to defend against cyberthreats in hybrid and cloud environments.

Protecting Our Global Community: 4 Essential Actions for Cyber Security Awareness Month

October marks Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a collaborative effort between the public and private sectors to raise awareness about the importance of cybersecurity. India has experienced a significant increase in cyberattacks, making it one of the most targeted nations in the cyber world. According to Check Point’s Threat Intelligence Report, in the last six months, an organization in India has been attacked on average 2146 times per week in the last 6 months, compared to 1239 attacks per organization globally. In fact, the country has seen a surge of 18 percent in weekly cyber-attacks as compared to the previous years.

As per Check Point’s Threat Intelligence Report, Healthcare (4839) followed by Education & Research (3532), Government/Military (3017), and Insurance/Legal (2523) became the most attacked industries in India. In 2022, India is ranked 10 among the nations that witnessed the most cyber-attacks which should sound off alarms across the country. As per a report by the Indian Future Foundation, no sector was spared as these cyberattacks impacted companies of varying sizes across all sectors.

This year, we celebrate the 20th anniversary of this campaign – a testament to the enduring importance of security. As a Champion of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we are proud to join the global effort to promote cybersecurity awareness and individual cyber hygiene.

The 2023 theme, Secure Our World, urges everyone to take four key actions year-round:

1. Use strong passwords and a password manager

Did you know that compromised passwords are responsible for 81% of hacking-related breaches? It’s a reminder that using strong passwords is one of the easiest ways to protect your accounts and keep your information safe.

Here are some essential password security best practices:

Create a strong password: If you’re still using a weak password like “password,” consider it breached. Hackers can crack this easy-to-guess password in less than one second. Instead, create passwords that are at least 16 characters long and uniquely complex. Avoid using sequential strings (ABCD, 1234, qwerty) and easily identifiable information like names and birthdays as part of your passwords. Your password should be a riddle even Sherlock Holmes would find puzzling!

Avoid password reuse: Think of your passwords as fingerprints; each one should be unique. Reusing passwords makes you vulnerable to cyberattacks like brute-force attacks and credential stuffing. Creating a unique password for each account limits the fallout in the event of a breach.

Use a password manager: Password managers free you from the hassle of sticky notes or the guessing game of passwords. The only thing you need is one password to sign into your password manager. They can create, store, and fill passwords automatically and help generate complex combinations.

2. Enable multi-factor authentication (MFA)

According to Microsoft, enabling MFA can make you 99% less likely to get hacked. Why? Because MFA requires a combination of two or more authenticators to verify your identity before you’re granted access to your account. Even if a hacker cracks your password, they need to meet the second authentication requirement in order to gain access to your account.

MFA asks for:

Something you know – a PIN number or a password
Something you have – an authentication application or a confirmation text on your phone
Something you are – a fingerprint scan or facial recognition
Note that not all MFA methods offer the same level of protection. Phishing-resistant MFA is the standard industry leaders should strive for, but any MFA is better than no MFA.

3. Update your software

Before you instinctively hit the ‘remind me later’ button, it’s important to understand the importance of software updates. Technology providers issue software updates to patch urgent security flaws, and failing to keep your software up-to-date could leave you unprotected.

Here’s what you need to keep up-to-date:

Operating System (OS)
Web browser and extensions
Third-party apps
Antivirus

To make these updates more convenient, set up automatic updates so that they are downloaded and installed as soon as they are available. Remember to only download software and apps from verified sources and official app stores. The device, software, or app developer itself should be sending you updates, not anyone else.

4. Recognize and report phishing

Phishing involves malicious actors sending messages pretending to be a trusted person or entity, and is the most common form of cybercrime. If something seems suspicious, trust your instinct.

Telltale signs of phishing include:

Urgent or emotionally appealing language
A sense of urgency to click right away
Requests to send personal or financial information
Unexpected attachments
Untrusted shortened URLs
Email addresses that do not match the supposed sender

When encountering a suspicious message, use the “report spam” feature. In cases where the message impersonates an organization you trust, notify the organization using the contact information found on their official website.

Lastly, delete suspicious messages. Don’t reply or click on any attachment or link, including the “unsubscribe” link, which could carry a link used for phishing.

Next Steps

As we kick off Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we implore you to not just consider – but actively implement – the suggestions shared. At Check Point Software, we believe that it’s not only possible, but prudent, to prevent cyberattacks before they can do any damage. We will continue to share tips and best practices throughout the month so that together, we prevent bad actors from getting anywhere near your data.

Zebra Technologies in collaboration Qualcomm Demonstrates Generative AI on its Devices

Delhi, India – Oct 10, 2023 – Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), a leading digital solution provider enabling businesses to intelligently connect data, assets, and people has successfully demonstrated a Generative Artificial Intelligence (GenAI) large language model (LLM) running on Zebra handheld mobile computers and tablets without needing connectivity to the cloud.

This breakthrough empowers Zebra partners and customers to unlock exciting productivity gains that will shape the future of work across industries from retail to warehouse and logistics to hospitality and healthcare. On-device execution of GenAI LLMs has the potential to empower front-line workers with new capabilities so they can deliver new outcomes for their end customers.

On-device AI can offer additional personalization as well as enhanced privacy and security as data remains on the device. It also drives faster performance and lower costs as GenAI searches on the cloud can be expensive. A whitepaper published by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. suggests that GenAI-based search cost per query is estimated to increase by ten times compared to traditional search methods. By removing the need to utilise the cloud, costs can be reduced.

“Zebra’s devices are powerful platforms with cutting-edge software and AI models which we’re driving forward with our partner ecosystem to solve customer challenges and add value,” said Tom Bianculli, Chief Technology Officer, Zebra Technologies. “We’re taking GenAI to the mobile edge on-device and applying it to areas such as voice AI, computer vision, and machine vision software powered by deep learning as well as task and workflow software using orchestrated AI.”

Potential use cases for LLMs include improving associate effectiveness by enhancing their product and customer service knowledge, acting as an efficient internal communications tool by answering employee queries on things like store policies, collecting and analysing feedback from associates to identify areas of improvement, enhancing productivity and increasing job satisfaction levels.

LLMs also have the potential to elevate the customer experience by powering personalized shopping assistants that could provide product recommendations, integrating shopping experiences across in-store, online, and mobile platforms as well as potentially enabling fully voice-activated shopping.

Zebra’s TC53/TC58 and TC73/TC78 mobile computers and ET6x Series tablets powered by Qualcomm Technologies – together with Zebra’s asset visibility and intelligent automation solutions – deliver elevated data insight, analysis and recommendations, problem solving, planning and creativity. Front-line workers can utilize a smaller on-device model, even in rural, built-up and underground working environments where connection to the cloud may not be possible. Alternatively, users may switch to a cloud-based app or web browser GenAI tool via Zebra’s Wi-Fi 6/6E and 5G enabled devices.

“On-device generative AI is unlocking new and enhanced experiences across industries,” said Megha Daga, Senior Director, Product Management, Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. “Qualcomm Technologies’ goal is to drive the transformation of industries, and we are doing that beginning with mobile devices. Zebra’s demonstration is showcasing the type of transformation we aim to achieve.”

This innovative solution from Zebra using a platform from Qualcomm Technologies reduces memory requirements and is built upon a wide array of open source and third-party models which are a significant part of Zebra’s strategy to deliver effective on-edge AI solutions across multiple industries.

“Zebra recognizes the importance of ethical and responsible AI,” said Andrea Mirabile, Director of AI Research, Zebra Technologies. “We are committed to ensuring our AI initiatives are aligned with federal guidance on accountability, ethical purpose and transparency and help set the standard related to delivering solutions to end-users. We also support the Business Roundtable AI Road Map and policy recommendations for responsible, appropriate, and ethical AI development and deployment.”

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Zebra’s AI research team has successfully implemented a GenAI open-source model on its mobile computers and tablets powered by Qualcomm® processors.
GenAI on-device provides a range of new capabilities across industries to better engage associates and elevate the customer experience, as well as provide enhanced privacy and security, faster performance and lower cost.
This breakthrough empowers Zebra, its partners and customers to unlock new frontiers of productivity gains for front-line workers with new use cases that will shape the future of work.

HCLTech delivers robust ESG performance in FY23, wins global accolades

NOIDA, India, Oct 6, 2023—HCLTech, a leading global technology company, announced the release of its Sustainability Report FY23 in keeping with its commitment of ‘Supercharging Progress’ sustainably and responsibly.

During FY23, HCLTech delivered robust environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) performance driven by its guiding principles of Act. Pact. Impact. The report outlines the sustainable, long-lasting impact HCLTech made through its actions and pacts with all stakeholders. The company is also making progress against its stated ESG goals:

Environmental

HCLTech has committed to reduce scope 1 and 2 emissions by 50% by 2030 and become net zero by 2040. Since the baseline year of FY20, the company has reduced scope 1 and 2 emissions by 22%, well ahead of the 15% reduction target over the three-year period. It also reported a 20% reduction in scope 3 emission in FY23, well ahead of the 12.6% reduction target for the same three-year period.
The company replenished 26 times more water than it consumed in India in FY23. It also became the first India-headquartered company to join the Water Resilience Coalition and endorse the CEO Water Mandate.
98% of our owned buildings are ‘Platinum’ rated by the Green Building Councils. Over 13 million sq ft of HCLTech’s building space globally is certified as green buildings by leading authorities including US Green Building Council (USGBC) and Indian Green Building Council (IGBC).

Social

HCLTech launched its Sustainability School in November 2022 to make its 223,000+ employees sustainability ambassadors by educating them on the impact of climate change and other sustainability aspects. The company’s employees clocked more than 10,500 hours of training as of March 31, 2023.
Through HCLFoundation, the company positively impacted over 5.5 million lives in India and helped over 12,000 people with disabilities.
HCLTech been certified as a ‘Global Top Employer’ by the Top Employers Institute.
Gender diversity at the company improved to 29.2% during FY23. HCLTech has been part of Bloomberg Gender-Equality Index for the third consecutive year.

Governance

In recognition of its ESG performance, MSCI rated HCLTech as an ESG ‘Leader’ with an AA rating in the software and services industry.
The S&P Global Sustainability Yearbook 2023 recognized HCLTech as an ‘Industry Mover’.
HCLTech was included in Sustainalytics’ 2023 Top-Rated ESG Companies list in the software and services industry segment and in the Asia Pacific region. The company was placed in the ‘low risk’ category by Sustainalytics in an assessment of 15,000+ companies globally.
For the past three years, HCLTech has maintained certification from the British Standards Institution on ISO 37001:2016, Anti-Bribery Management Systems.

“We are proud to share the progress we have made towards our ESG goals while acknowledging that the road ahead is still very long. We are focused on institutionalizing ESG throughout our business, which allows us to embrace its principles in our daily work activities across the organization,” said Santhosh Jayaram, Global Head of sustainability, HCLTech.

Zero-day in Exim mail servers: Comment by Satnam Narang, Sr. Staff Research Engineer at Tenable

“Exim is a popular message transfer agent (MTA) that is preinstalled on some Unix distributions. It has been historically targeted by attackers in the past, most notably, by a Russian advanced persistent threat (APT) group known as Sandworm Team. Sandworm exploited a critical flaw in Exim in 2020. The discovery of these flaws is important and it is equally important that patches are rolling out. Unpatched vulnerabilities in external facing assets are one of the key vectors for initial access by APT groups and other cybercriminals including ransomware affiliates. Organisations that rely on Exim should apply the available patches as soon as possible.” — Satnam Narang, Sr. Staff Research Engineer at Tenable

ManageEngine Launches Its Cloud-native Identity Platform to Address Workforce IAM Challenges

India — Oct. 4, 2023 — ManageEngine, the enterprise IT management division of Zoho Corporation, today announced the launch of Identity360, its cloud-native identity management platform that addresses identity and access management (IAM) complexities arising within enterprise workforces. The new platform is being showcased at the ongoing ManageEngine’s User Conference in Dallas, Texas.

ManageEngine also announced the addition of access certification and identity risk assessment functionalities to ADManager Plus, its on-premises identity governance and administration (IGA) solution. These two functionalities enhance the compliance posture of enterprises and help them in mitigating security risks.

The workforce, which constitutes an integral part of an enterprise, is continuing to evolve digitally, adopting different technologies to make jobs easier and faster. As a result, there has never been a greater spotlight on identities than is being seen currently. With enterprises eager to enable the mobility of the workforce without compromising on security, it has now become crucial to handle identity complexity effectively and ensure regulatory compliance, all while prioritizing a seamless user experience.

It is this demand that ManageEngine aims to cater to with the launch of Identity360. A centralized platform that integrates directories and applications to streamline user identity management, Identity360 can enforce access controls across these integrated entities. It also offers end-to-end identity life cycle management with workflow orchestration and empowers organizations to optimize their business processes.

“Organizations, regardless of their infrastructure and size, commonly encounter identity security and management challenges. Identity360 can help them securely transition to the cloud and effectively manage identities and their access to application`s, all while enforcing strong security controls,” said Manikandan Thangaraj, vice president of ManageEngine.

Adhere to Compliance Requirements and Fortify Security

With the security landscape perennially changing and organizations required to exhibit their compliance with major IT mandates, ManageEngine has integrated access certification and identity risk assessment capabilities in ADManager Plus. These features empower organizations to align their security and business needs.

ADManager Plus’ identity risk assessment feature enhances cybersecurity readiness by foreseeing risks and providing on-the-fly mitigation measures to address them. Access certification campaigns ensure users have only the rights they need to perform their job, help organizations implement segregation of duties and the principle of least privilege and demonstrate compliance with IT mandates.

“When it comes to Active Directory, cyberattacks are primarily caused by issues related to security misconfigurations and privilege abuse. Implementing strong measures such as risk assessments and access certification campaigns can enhance the security of Active Directory, streamline audit processes and ensure compliance,” Thangaraj said.

Highlights of ManageEngine’s IAM Solutions

• Centralized Universal Directory that offers directory services and comprehensive reports on identities
• Consolidated management of user identities across integrated systems with advanced capabilities like orchestration, smart templates and SCIM-based provisioning
• Reduced password fatigue and risk of unauthorized access with MFA-secured SSO
• Visibility into the security gaps in Active Directory environments along with remediation measures to mitigate them proactively
• Enhanced security by limiting access to network resources through periodic review and validation of access permissions

The two-day User Conference in Dallas will be ManageEngine’s second such event in the United States this year, following the one held in Chicago this May. The User Conferences are ManageEngine’s largest annual events, bringing together regional customers, partners and senior company executives for IT leadership sessions, technical workshops and networking.