At the recent Xalient 2023 Summit: Shaping a Secure Connected Future held at the iconic Abbey Road Studios in November, there were several fascinating talks around the challenges facing senior leaders in IT as they prepare for the future.

Mergers and acquisitions (M&A) activity was muted at beginning of 2023, remaining consistent with the environment in the second half of 2022. But towards the tail end of 2023 activity started to pick up and looking ahead to 2024 deal-making is likely to accelerate. Volatility and uncertainty may have put a brake on activity in the short term, but smart investors will always see opportunities as valuations become more attractive.

Knowledge is power, but it is only as powerful as the way organisations implement what they’ve learned and the subsequent decisions they make. All too often there is a flaw in thinking, in that we tend to be quite tactical and short-term; often we don’t approach problems from a holistic perspective, or we spend too little time considering alternative strategies.

An interview with David Morimanno (DJ), Sr. Advisory Manager at Integral Partners and Steve Tucker, Commercial Director at Xalient. A couple weeks ago Xalient sponsored Europe’s premier Identity and Access Management Conference, IDM. I attended with my colleague DJ from Integral Partners to network with C-level IAM leaders and to hear from peers and subject matter experts in the Identity space.

As technology continues to advance, cloud computing has become an integral part of our digital landscape. While the benefits of cloud technologies are undeniable, concerns about data security and privacy have often overshadowed and slowed down its adoption. However, a new paradigm shift called “Zero Trust” is poised to revolutionize the way we perceive and embrace cloud technologies.

Today’s modern IT environment is complex and challenging for organisations to navigate. Not only has the threat landscape evolved, but we are seeing more compliance and regulation as well as ongoing economic pressures. This is all putting additional strain on already resource-stretched internal IT teams.

In today’s digital landscape, knowledge is power, and this is especially true when it comes to understanding your security posture and system operations. Without a deep understanding of your security systems’ performance, your organisation could be vulnerable to cyber threats. Let’s delve into a few key areas where knowledge can empower you in enhancing security posture.

As we are in the midst of Cybersecurity Awareness Month, and in the lead-up to our own Secure Connected Future Summit which we are hosting in November, I feel that a lot of the focus when it comes to cybersecurity still tends to be on prevention tactics. However, I would argue that it is not just about having the right defensive cybersecurity tools in place, but it is also about understanding how the organisation will recover from an incident – how quickly and at what cost to the business.

The Evolution of Security and Identity is Key to Successful Digital Transformation. Not a day goes by when we don’t hear about yet another data breach or sophisticated compromise. As a result, there cannot be a C-Suite executive that is unaware of the cyber threats their organisation faces, either through guidance from their security teams or the constant media reporting of ransomware or data theft as a result of successful cyber-attacks.

In an increasingly digital world where cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, organizations are embracing new strategies to protect their sensitive data and assets. One such approach that has gained prominence in recent years is Zero Trust. Zero Trust challenges the traditional perimeter-based security mindset and instead places a strong emphasis on identity as a cornerstone of a robust defense strategy.