BlackRidge Technology Extends Identity-Based Network Security to Cloud Infrastructure and IBM Mainframes

SOURCE: BlackRidge Technology

Orlando, FL —Tuesday, February 16, 2016 – Today at the IBM PartnerWorld Leadership Conference BlackRidge Technology announced advances in identity-based network security protection and that it received Ready for IBM Security Intelligence for z Systems validation. BlackRidge Technology’s new product release now secures cloud infrastructure and IBM z Systems™ from advanced cyber security threats, and it integrates with Microsoft Active Directory® integration to automate the provisioning of identity and policy in the BlackRidge solution.

“Traditional perimeter and network security protection is no longer sufficient for today’s distributed enterprises and hybrid cloud environments. BlackRidge identity-based network security provides a new level of cloud and network security that cloaks or removes the visibility of servers from intruders. This stops known and even unknown attacks and breaches from occurring,” said Bob Graham, CEO, BlackRidge Technology. “By collaborating with IBM we have extended our patented technology to cloud infrastructure and IBM z Systems, providing built in, end-to-end protection in enterprise and hybrid cloud environments.”

BlackRidge provides identity-based network security that stops cyber-attacks and protects against insider threats at the earliest possible time, on the first packet before network sessions are established. This provides the equivalent of secure caller ID for the network that allows only identified and authorized users or devices access to enterprise and cloud systems.

“Today’s threats often require an additional layer of targeted security. With BlackRidge Technology as a member of the IBM Ready for Security Intelligence partner program for z Systems, clients will be able to take advantage of the company’s specific threat protection,” said Michael Desens, Vice President and Business Line Executive, IBM z Systems. “Clients running hybrid cloud workloads on the mainframe can benefit from the additional layer of identity-based security that BlackRidge provides.”

 Key features and benefits of the new BlackRidge product release include:

– Cloud deployment support – new operating mode to support deployment in cloud infrastructures and provide additional enterprise deployment flexibility.

– BlackRidge z Systems Gateway appliance – a software appliance version of BlackRidge that is easy to deploy on IBM z Systems. Provides a new layer of identity-based network protection for mainframes, independent of the operating system, to further protect existing workloads and new cloud deployments.

– BlackRidge AD Agent – integration with Microsoft Active Directory to dynamically learn active users and security policy.  Allows enterprises to implement security policy using existing identity associations, vs. using network topology and addresses that are not authenticatable and secure.

Identity-based network security provides a new and practical way to describe, monitor and enforce access policies, handle exceptions, and provide proof to auditors and regulators of security controls. Policy actions with identity attribution can be monitored by security teams for access exceptions and reported to policy and procedures teams for compliance reporting and remediation.

“With the veracity of cyber-attacks occurring globally, the new paradigm of identity-based cyber security developed by BlackRidge Technology is integral to attaining a new level of network security,” said Bill Thirsk, Vice President of Information Technology and CIO, Marist College. “The College’s joint research relationship with both BlackRidge and IBM helped extend the solution to the mainframe as a self-contained software appliance that is easy to deploy on IBM z Systems. BlackRidge’s use of the College’s multi-platform test beds in conjunction with research and development conducted by Marist faculty, students, and production staff has assisted us in implementing an additional security layer within the Academic Community Cloud hosted at Marist and provisioned to client institutions.”

About BlackRidge Technology

BlackRidge Technology provides a new level of identity-based network and cyber security that was developed for the military to cloak and protect servers and segment networks. BlackRidge Transport Access Control authenticates identity and applies policy on the First Packet of network sessions. This provides a new and additive level of real-time protection that blocks or redirects unauthorized and unidentified traffic to stop known and unknown cyber-attacks, protects against insider and third party threats, and provides identity attribution. BlackRidge Technology was founded in 2010 to commercialize its military grade and patented identity-based network security technology. For more information, visit www.blackridge.us.