APPLICATION INFRASTRUCTURE
Ermetic | August 05, 2022
Ermetic, the cloud infrastructure security company, today released the findings of a research study conducted by Osterman Research on the cloud security maturity level of organizations in North America. The survey found that 84% of respondents were at an entry level (one or two) in terms of their cloud security capabilities and only 16% ranked at the top two levels. Meanwhile, 80% of companies reported they lack a dedicated security team responsible for protecting cloud resources from threats. The survey also revealed the top five priorities that all highly mature companies have in common when it comes to cloud security.
Osterman Research surveyed 326 organizations in North America with 500 or more employees and who spend a minimum of $1 million or more each year on cloud infrastructure to establish an industry baseline against the Ermetic Cloud Security Model. The model was designed to provide organizations with a lightweight framework for determining their maturity level (1 - Ad Hoc, 2- Opportunistic, 3- Repeatable, 4- Automated & Integrated) across multiple domains, while allowing them to develop a specific, actionable roadmap for advancing their capabilities.
“One of the most unexpected findings that emerged from this study was the lack of cloud security maturity among the largest enterprises surveyed,” said Michael Sampson, senior analyst for Osterman Research and author of the report. “Less than 10% of companies with more than 10,000 employees reported being at the top two maturity levels, while nearly 20% of smaller enterprises have achieved repeatable or automated & integrated cloud security capabilities.”
Other Report Highlights
Demonstrable ROI: 42% of companies investing more than 50 hours per week on cloud security are achieving the highest levels of maturity (Levels 3 and 4)
Bigger not better: Only 7% of companies with more than 10,000 employees were at level three or four in terms of maturity, compared with 18% for companies with between 2,500 and 9,999 employees, and 24% for companies with 500 to 2,499 employees
Overall, maturity is low: 84% of companies were at level one or two (41.5% Ad Hoc and 42.5% Opportunistic) and only 16% at level three or four (11.1% Repeatable and 4.9% Automated & Integrated)
More clouds doesn’t equal more maturity: the percentage of companies that ranked at the highest levels of maturity (3 & 4) decreased with multicloud usage. For example, the number of organizations achieving Repeatable or Automated & Integrated security capabilities dropped nearly 50% when going from one (10%) to three (6%) cloud platforms
Shared blindspot: 81% of organizations lack full visibility into all resources that are directly accessible from the Internet
“This survey makes two things very clear. Without the right tools, spending lots of time and resources on cloud security will not necessarily make you more secure,” said Shai Morag, CEO of Ermetic. “And, by focusing on the right priorities you can achieve a very high level of security maturity regardless of your organization’s size.”
Five Habits of Highly Mature Companies
Organizations that reported focusing on the five following security priorities achieved the highest levels (3 or 4) of maturity:
Detecting general cloud misconfigurations (e.g., unencrypted resources, MFA)
Achieving the ability to track and investigate activities performed by human users and applications/service accounts across the cloud infrastructure
Establishing Just-in-Time (JIT) access for developers / DevOps / Cloud operations teams to cloud infrastructure environments
Evaluating and reporting on alignment with security best practices (e.g., AWS well-architected, CIS) and compliance standards (e.g., NIST, ISO, SOC2, PCI-DSS)
Achieving least-privilege for identities in the cloud (both human identities and service accounts)
About Ermetic
Ermetic helps prevent breaches by reducing the attack surface of cloud infrastructure and enforcing least privilege at scale in the most complex environments. The Ermetic SaaS platform provides comprehensive cloud security for AWS, Azure and GCP that spans both cloud infrastructure entitlements management (CIEM) and cloud security posture management (CSPM). The company is led by proven technology entrepreneurs whose previous companies have been acquired by Microsoft, Palo Alto Networks and others. Ermetic has received funding from Accel, Forgepoint, Glilot Capital Partners, Norwest Venture Partners, Qumra and Target Global.
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IT SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
Stream Data Centers | August 02, 2022
Stream Data Centers, the industry leader in delivering exceptional data center experiences to global enterprise companies, is proud to announce that it has been selected as a trusted data center partner by T-Systems. T-Systems, a leading provider of Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) solutions to major corporations and public-sector organizations across the globe, chose Stream Data Centers' Houston campus in the Woodlands to host customers and help deliver innovative cloud operation services both locally and globally.
As part of Deutsche Telekom Group (DT), T-Systems is a leading digital and cloud services provider, offering world-class service while supporting local and global customers by extending its global portfolio, expertise, and operational capabilities. Led by its dedication to providing transformative ICT solutions, the company today has nearly 100 managed data centers, 56,800 open system servers, and more than three million managed SAP users. While expanding its newest hybrid cloud platform, T-Systems found that it needed a strategically-located data center that could cater to its architecture's high-density demands as well as the company's own ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) goals.
"Our mission is to provide the best solutions to our customers, with the right partners, using state-of-the-art technology," states Mauro Guzelotto, Head of Cloud Services for T-Systems. "It was in the spirit of that mission that we decided to partner with Stream, and we are very excited about the value and possibilities that Stream brings to the table. Another key element of our decision was sustainability, and I am confident that our decision to partner with Stream will contribute to our sustainability strategy by helping us be more energy efficient."
After a rigorous RFP process, Stream and its Houston campus were selected for a host of reasons, including the location's advantageous geographical setting, Stream's ability to meet sustainability goals with its energy procurement and operational expertise, and additional strategic service offerings including high-density capabilities.
The Houston I facility in the Woodlands is located outside of the 500-year floodplain and has 185 mph wind ratings with an uplift-rated building and equipment yard. These aspects have enabled this facility to offer 100% power and cooling uptime for the last 8 consecutive years — even standing strong against 1,000-year storms like Hurricane Harvey and Winter Storm Uri. It is also connected to a separate power grid from T-Systems' core facility, which allows for added redundancy. As a secondary site, Stream's campus offered superior benefits and assurance against downtime.
Stream also enabled T-Systems to benefit from a partnership with Megaport, enriching its public cloud connections and further enabling the delivery of a robust hybrid cloud platform. T-Systems' tailored cooling and power-per-rack demands could also be easily met with Stream's large rooms, 3-foot raised floors and tall ceilings, which help the ambient temperature remain easily controlled even for high-density deployments. Furthermore, T-Systems' multi-stage goals for sustainability across its operations (with an ultimate goal of fully eliminating its carbon footprint) are empowered by this facility's LEED certification and the Stream team's insights into strategic energy procurement and efficient usage.
"With this symbiotic partnership in place, Houston-area customers can enjoy T-Systems' leading suite of IT service offerings and leverage their innovative platforms to further their own digital transformation initiatives. "Being selected by a global leader like T-Systems is a great testament to Stream's Woodlands facility and team members."
Chad Rodriguez, Vice President of Network and Cloud at Stream Data Centers
"The partnership between T-Systems North America and Stream Data Centers allows our joint existing and future customers to travel their cloud journeys with the certainty that availability, reliability, sustainability, and security are managed by two of the most relevant IT and DC experts in the market," comments Cesar Martinez, Managing Director for T-Systems in North America.
About Stream Data Centers
Stream Data Centers has provided premium data center services since 1999, with 90% of its inventory leased to Fortune 100 customers. To date, the company has acquired, developed and managed 24 data center campuses nationally, while leadership has remained consistent for all 23 years.
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IT SYSTEMS MANAGEMENT
Accenture | August 02, 2022
Accenture has agreed to acquire Sentia’s businesses in the Netherlands, Belgium and Bulgaria. With headquarters in the Netherlands, the Sentia group is a leading cloud consulting company that manages private and public cloud migrations and provides digital-experience monitoring services.
With more than 500 certifications, Sentia’s team of approximately 310 cloud specialists in the Netherlands, Belgium and Bulgaria will join Accenture Cloud First. Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed.
The acquisition expands Accenture’s Cloud First capabilities to provide end-to-end cloud infrastructure services across the cloud continuum of public, private and sovereign clouds. Today’s news arrives as the plethora of cloud options create more complexity for organizations as they navigate different architectures, burgeoning innovations and changing regulations.
"Total enterprise reinvention starts with a solid digital core. To activate this digital core, organizations need to build a scalable, fit-for-purpose cloud foundation that provides the strategic agility they need to ensure their resilience and future competitiveness. “Adding Sentia’s specialists will enhance Accenture Cloud First’s migration and modernization services aimed at getting clients’ workloads to their optimal location on the cloud continuum — from public to edge and everything in between.”
Karthik Narain, global lead for Accenture Cloud First
“With Sentia, we are expanding our strategic infrastructure engineering and emerging technologies capabilities across Europe, especially in the Netherlands and Belgium,” said Roy Ikink, lead for Accenture Cloud First Netherlands. “The Sentia team brings valuable experience with sovereign cloud strategies designed to help clients address local regulations and requirements around data privacy, access and control.”
Sentia currently provides cloud advisory and delivery services spanning hybrid and multi cloud strategy; cloud transformation; and migration, among others. The company’s main cloud control and optimization services include cloud managed services, cloud security services, and cloud infrastructure migration. Sentia also offers unique digital experience monitoring services that analyze, track and predict enterprise applications and cloud services from an end user’s perspective.
Ian Zein, Sentia’s CEO said, “We’ve built Sentia into a leading managed cloud infrastructure transformation provider known for our ‘extreme ownership,’ customer intimacy and operational excellence in complex (often regulated) environments. Now we can take our deep experience in both public and private cloud transformation to help Accenture clients operate with greater speed and achieve stronger business outcomes at scale.”
Note: Sentia’s Danish business is not part of the acquisition and will continue as an independent business under the Sentia brand, supported by Waterland Private Equity as main shareholder. Completion of the acquisition is subject to customary closing conditions, including receipt of applicable regulatory approvals.
About Accenture
Accenture is a global professional services company with leading capabilities in digital, cloud and security. Combining unmatched experience and specialized skills across more than 40 industries, we offer Strategy and Consulting, Technology and Operations services and Accenture Song — all powered by the world’s largest network of Advanced Technology and Intelligent Operations centers. Our 710,000 people deliver on the promise of technology and human ingenuity every day, serving clients in more than 120 countries. We embrace the power of change to create value and shared success for our clients, people, shareholders, partners and communities.
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