Years ago, a federal systems administrator could walk down the hall with a clipboard and have a good idea of what was on their network. Fast-forward a few decades and every federal agency has a mix of private, public and hybrid networks. A truckload of clipboards could not start to assess all the cloud services a typical agency uses.

Getting a handle on system assets is key to undertaking legacy upgrades, scaling data input and enabling systems to take actions to enforce policies.

Federal News Network recently discussed these issues and more with Nathan Burke, chief marketing officer at Axonius.

The starting point is to get a handle on what is on your network. This sentiment is echoed in many federal frameworks, including NIST, CMMC, and NDAA Section 889. Ostensibly, this looks easy, but when you look at the complexity and rapid change of federal information systems, you can understand the challenge of the process.

Burke said that when it comes to legacy systems, the original documentation may be lacking. Any attempt at digital transformation to the cloud will necessitate a complete understanding of dependencies and endpoint agents.

Just because you have an accurate idea of what compromises your system does not mean it is secure. Once it is determined there is a coverage gap, one can map out a strategy to remediate that situation. From the perspective of cybersecurity, managing assets is of crucial importance.

An automobile mechanic will not spend an hour selecting a tool; a federal systems administrator should not face a similar frustration when a cybersecurity event occurs. In the commercial world, some administrators must deal with dozens and dozens of security tools.

Burke concluded that a centralized platform could integrate with a wide range of applications to enforce policies. In the case of Axonius, they integrate with over 300 tools that will allow enforcement. No need to search, Axonius allows for the enforcement of security policies.

Axonius also recently announced it raised $100 million in Series D funding. An investment of this magnitude is a strong vote of confidence from investors. They realized the innovation that Axonius brings to the commercial and federal market. Putting this in perspective, thousands of companies have formed in the past decade to combat cybercrime. Few are successful, and even fewer generate any interest from investors.

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