Every single networked machine relies on an identity -- in the form of cryptographic keys or digital certificates -- so that it can identify itself and communicate with other machines securely.

In the wrong hands though machine identities can enable cybercriminals to appear trustworthy, slip past security defences undetected, gain access to networks, and exfiltrate data. Yet organizations still overlook the importance of protecting them.

In recent years many of the most high-profile cyberattacks have come through the supply chain, involving third-party suppliers and partners.

It's historically been difficult for businesses to assess third-party risks, often involving time consuming manual processes in order to do so.

Ransomware is a particularly heartless -- though undeniably lucrative -- endeavor. Criminals target schools, vital infrastructure, and even patient records in attempts to cash in. As a result, many security professionals put defensive ransomware strategies at the top of their to-do list.

Understandably, most of these strategies start with measures that minimize the footholds attackers can find. Checking inbound emails for ransomware payloads, giving users training on safe internet usage, and monitoring the network for suspicious activity are essential elements of an effective anti-ransomware strategy.

We've been told for a long time that passwords are on the way out. Indeed no less a figure than Bill Gates predicted the death of the password at 2004's RSA conference, yet we still rely on them for managing much of our day-to-day access.

But things are starting to change. Patrick McBride, CMO at Beyond Identity, believes that the technology to eliminate passwords and replace them with something more secure is starting to take off. We talked to him to discover more.

The use of SaaS-based applications and systems has taken off in recent years, but that surge has highlighted a problem in the form of a lack of standardization for software descriptions across all types of systems.

This makes it much harder for IT teams to assess vulnerability levels across all the packages in an enterprise. But what risks does this pose and how can businesses tackle the problem? We spoke with Peter Lund, VP at operational technology cybersecurity company Industrial Defender, to discover more.

With high profile cyber attacks and data breaches continuing to make the news, security is at the top of the priority list for businesses.

But how do you know that the resources you put into cybersecurity are providing a good return on the investment? We spoke with Oliver Rochford, security evangelist at Securonix to find out.

We recently reported on a study showing that IT leaders are willing to pay more for systems and providers that have a commitment to sustainability. And with the COP26 climate conference in full swing there's increased focus on reducing our impact on the planet.

But how can enterprises properly vet their supply chain to ensure the businesses they’re dealing with are adhering to the appropriate standards? We spoke with Martin Thompson, founder of the ITAM Forum -- a body that promotes the IT asset management industry -- to find out.

Information is now a critical asset for businesses, but it's only of real value if you can manage and access it efficiently.

More and more data now is in an unstructured form too, so has the way we manage information changed, and what do businesses need to do to make the most of it to inform their day-to-day decisions? We spoke to Antti Nivala, founder and CEO of M-Files to find out.

Microsoft's Active Directory is used by many businesses as a way of managing identity services and controlling access.

But if it's not configured correctly it can lead to security risks. But how dangerous is this and what can enterprises do to keep themselves safe? We spoke to Andy Robbins, technical product architect at SpecterOps to find out.

Across all industries developers are under pressure to deal with rapidly shifting requirements and faster turn around times.

But in highly regulated sectors like healthcare there are extra demands to ensure safety and compliance. We spoke to Roger Mazzella, senior product manager, medical at productivity platform The Qt Company to find out how developers can address these challenges while still meeting delivery times.

Managing burnout isn't easy at the best of times, and with the extra stress created by the pandemic, it’s more difficult than ever. With the ubiquitous shift to remote working, people are more isolated and struggling to separate their home lives from work.

Grappling with this 'new normal' has been challenging across the board. For software engineers -- professionals who are historically prone to burnout -- it's been especially hard.

The importance of data has increased exponentially in recent years, for businesses of all sizes. But there are increasing challenges too, posed by privacy regulation, alternative data and more.

We spoke to Or Lenchner, CEO of Bright Data to find out more about the key role of data in the enterprise and how businesses can use it effectively.

These days when you contact a company online it can be hard to know if you're dealing with an actual person or with an AI bot.

Clearly AI has a role to play in automating repetitive tasks and answering straightforward queries. But can it really have a wider role to play in improving customer experience? We spoke to Derek Roberti, VP of technology at Cognigy, a global conversational AI platform provider, to find out.

Taking proactive measures like updating and patching systems promptly and undertaking penetration testing improves the ability to withstand a targeted attack.

But when security teams are flooded with non-critical alerts 'vulnerability fatigue' can set in. We spoke to Amitai Ratzon, CEO of penetration testing specialist Pentera, to find out how enterprises can avoid this and improve their ransomware readiness.

Security Information and Events Management (SIEM) has become the keystone of many organizations' security strategies in recent years.

But is it effective? And in the era of greater cloud and SaaS use, is the time right for the concept of SIEM to undergo a radical rethink? Andrew Maloney, COO and co-founder at security investigation specialist Query.AI thinks it is. We spoke to him to learn more.