Michael Novinson

Managing Editor, Business, ISMG

Novinson is responsible for covering the vendor and technology landscape. Prior to joining ISMG, he spent four and a half years covering all the major cybersecurity vendors at CRN, with a focus on their programs and offerings for IT service providers. He was recognized for his breaking news coverage of the August 2019 coordinated ransomware attack against local governments in Texas as well as for his continued reporting around the SolarWinds hack in late 2020 and early 2021.

Armis Secures $200M to Drive M&A and Federal Market Growth

Michael Novinson • October 28, 2024

Armis has closed a $200 million Series D funding round on a $4.2 billion valuation to drive growth in cyber exposure management with a focus on acquisitions and federal expansion. CEO Yevgeny Dibrov says the funds will accelerate Armis' work in operational technology and medical device security.

Socket Accelerates Open-Source Security With $40M Series B

Michael Novinson • October 22, 2024

A $40 million Series B investment will support Socket in rapidly scaling its team and product development. Following a 400% revenue increase, the company plans to build on its success by expanding its application security offerings and enterprise support for more programming languages.

Dragos Boosts OT Defense with Network Perception Acquisition

Michael Novinson • October 1, 2024

Dragos' acquisition of Network Perception will enrich its real-time network monitoring with robust visualization and configuration analysis tools. This transaction aims to bolster the security of operational technology networks and support customers in building more defensible architectures.

Corelight's Brian Dye on NDR's Role in Defeating Ransomware

Michael Novinson • August 30, 2024

Network detection and response delivers ground truth in cybersecurity, giving organizations crucial visibility into attacker behavior before, during and after ransomware attacks. Corelight CEO Brian Dye explains how NDR helps security teams verify threats and contain incidents effectively.

The Auto Industry's Achilles Heel: Cybersecurity

Michael Novinson • August 26, 2024

Centralized architecture in the automotive industry streamlines cybersecurity and supply chain operations by reducing hardware components and enabling quicker fixes. But that centralization also poses major cybersecurity challenges, said Thomas Sermpinis, technical director at Auxilium Pentest Labs.

Addressing the OT SOC Challenges in Industrial Environments

Michael Novinson • August 20, 2024

Piotr Ciepiela, EMEIA cybersecurity leader at EY, discusses the challenges of securing OT systems and contrasts them with IT SOC environments. He emphasizes the need for specialized tools, dedicated personnel and strong collaboration with engineering teams to manage OT SOC operations.

Is China's Threat to US Critical Infrastructure Overblown?

Michael Novinson • August 14, 2024

As concerns grow about China's cyberthreat to U.S. critical infrastructure, Scythe founder and CEO Bryson Bort suggests the actual risk may not be as severe as feared. He explains the factors that might limit China's cyber activities and the real strategic vulnerabilities that could be targeted.

Proactive Network Security: Lessons From CrowdStrike Outage

Michael Novinson • July 23, 2024

The recent CrowdStrike outage highlights the need to shift from reactive risk management to proactive measures in cyber-physical security. Claroty CEO Yaniv Vardi emphasizes the importance of compensating controls, network segmentation and secure remote access in preventing similar incidents.

CyberEdBoard Profiles in Leadership: Kenneth Townsend

Michael Novinson • July 18, 2024

Kenneth Townsend, CISO of Ingredion Inc., shares strategies for managing cybersecurity in the manufacturing sector. He discusses the balance between flexibility and security and the need to understand business operations and leverage managed services for comprehensive protection.

Palo Alto Networks, Cisco Dominate OT Defense Forrester Wave

Michael Novinson • June 27, 2024

Cisco remained atop Forrester's OT security rankings, Palo Alto Networks climbed into the leader space, and Claroty and Tenable fell to strong performer. The transition from a network-centric to an asset- and data-centric security model has introduced challenges, especially with legacy equipment.

Fortifying Cyber Resilience in Manufacturing

Michael Novinson • May 21, 2024

Chuck Markarian, CISO, PACCAR, and Jerry Cochran, deputy CIO, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, discuss practical approaches to bolstering cyber resilience in manufacturing, including mitigating risks, enhancing preparedness and fostering collaboration across technical and nontechnical teams.

Critical Infrastructure Under Cyber Siege: How to Respond

Michael Novinson • May 7, 2024

Censys CEO Brad Brooks discussed the alarming reality of heightened cyberthreats and how organizations are reassessing their cybersecurity needs when shopping for cyber insurance, seeking solutions that align with their evolving security strategies.

Forescout CEO on Navigating OT, IoT Threats in Cybersecurity

Michael Novinson • April 29, 2024

Forescout CEO Barry Mainz highlights the growing risks associated with OT and IoT devices and how cybersecurity strategies must evolve to address these challenges. He emphasizes the need for visibility, classification and robust risk assessment to manage these vulnerabilities effectively.

Zscaler Buys Airgap Networks to Fuel Segmentation in IoT, OT

Michael Novinson • April 11, 2024

Zscaler purchased an agentless segmentation startup founded by longtime Juniper Networks executives to dynamically control access to critical infrastructure based on identity and context. Acquiring Airgap Networks will prevent sophisticated threats from moving laterally within IoT or OT devices.

Why Claroty Is Considering Going Public at a $3.5B Valuation

Michael Novinson • April 9, 2024

Following Rubrik's announcement that it plans to list on the New York Stock Exchange, another company is considering trying its luck in the public market. Claroty is meeting with underwriters ahead of a possible 2025 IPO that could value the cyber-physical systems security titan at $3.5 billion.