Authentic8 Blog Author: Sean Heritage

Sean is Head of Platform Adoption (Federal). As a career naval officer, he led defensive cyber operations, guided the development of the cyber workforce, and helped create the Defense Innovation Unit.

Operation “Shields Up”: Web Isolation in the U.S. Military

Posted by: Sean Heritage
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How can government organizations, private enterprises, and academic institutions minimize the cybersecurity and privacy risks associated with accessing the internet from desktop or mobile devices?

Valuable pointers come from the defense sector. A new case study, titled Shields Up: How a Military Unit Simultaneously Increased Network Access and Decreased Cyber Risk [PDF], showcases how Authentic8's remote browser isolation technology enabled a U.S. military unit to implement internet policies for personal web access, without increasing the risk of introducing any malware or malicious code into the unclassified network.

The growing need to access publicly available information (PAI) on the web and to leverage the internet for both official and personal business (check out my post on "morale browsing") is making secure access to the broader network a necessity for more military personnel.

"Shields Up" shows how remote browser isolation with Silo Cloud Browser is supporting this change process. Silo enables and secures responsible web use in organizations for which the security risks

Morale: Recruitment, Retention, and Browsing

Posted by: Sean Heritage
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During my tenure as the Commanding Officer of the Navy’s defensive cyberspace operations team, I distinctly remember an exit interview with a civilian teammate. He sat across from me and proudly stated that though he loved our team, he was ready to leave and willing to take a pay cut for the opportunity ahead of him (note: he wasn’t taking a pay cut, but he was willing to).

He enjoyed his teammates, he told me, appreciated his leadership, was motivated by our mission, and felt appropriately compensated. Given that dissatisfaction - and not satisfaction - with any one of those job aspects usually serves as reason people decide to look elsewhere for employment, I was perplexed.

My departing teammate went on to explain: “I am a geek. I love technology. I want to be on a team that uses the latest and greatest hardware and software. I want to be able to connect with the outside world from my desktop.

The Gift of Access

Posted by: Sean Heritage
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I have spent the bulk of my Navy career working to inspire transformational change both at the unit and enterprise levels. Though my navy career is over, I remain committed to helping others do the same. I recently read Greg Satell’s Cascades: How to Create a Movement that Drives Transformational Change, and was once again reminded that driving change within an organization is both art and science.

Many people think Authentic8’s Silo platform is a browser for the zero trust web. It most certainly is that and so much more.

After serving within the core of the Department of Defense for years, the new collaboration tools I had at my disposal as a member of the Defense Innovation Unit blew my mind. I say ‘new’ not because they were new, as they were the very tools that the private sector has been using for years - webmail, video conferencing, file sharing, and work management platforms. They were ‘new’ to me

Authentic8 Supports the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum

Posted by: Sean Heritage
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Topics: News, Federal

There is no organization more focused on creating permeability between the public and private sectors than the Defense Entrepreneurs Forum (DEF).

Authentic8 and DEF have many things in common, and none more than a shared commitment to supporting national defense through creative problem solving, productivity enhancement, and deliberate partnership. For that reason, we will be sponsoring the upcoming DEF 2019 Annual National Conference.

DEF & Authentic8

While Silo Cloud Browser by Authentic8 is designed to create a perfect isolation layer between users and the web, we as a company, like DEF, are dedicated to bringing diverse groups together and breaking down barriers. In essence, we both see that the path toward responsible collaboration is through connecting silos (pun intended).

We look forward to an enduring relationship with DEF as we commit to a more visible role in supporting its mission.

TRON and Transition

Posted by: Sean Heritage
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As those of us who have served in the military for a significant period of time can attest, we begin to take certain things for granted. The sense of belonging, the pride of being part of something much bigger than ourselves, and the ability to impact the lives of many were among my greatest gratifications as a military officer.

As I navigated my transition after 27 years of service, the potential of feeling a void in any of those areas was not acceptable. Fortunately, I was able to find a team that allows me to experience a similar sense of fulfillment and gratification. Two short years ago, I was serving as Commanding Officer of a team that remains customers of the team of which I am now a part. The path from customer to Authentic8er was not foreseen but it makes perfect sense now that I am here.

We stumbled across Authentic8’s Silo platform in 2016 when we decided we wanted