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Optalysys, a company enabling the future of secure AI, backed by the Lingotto Investment Management LLP, imec.xpand, & Northern Gritstone, has appointed Dipesh Patel as Chair of its Board. Dipesh will guide the Optalysys Management Team in their mission to drive the adoption of its silicon photonics technology to enable Fully Homomorphic Encryption (FHE). Prior roles of Dipesh With 25 years in the drive, Dipesh brings vast experience in scaling transformative technologies With over 25 years in the semiconductor industry and the majority of his career at Arm, Dipesh brings extensive experience in scaling transformative technologies. He served as a member of Arm’s Executive Committee from 2013 until 2022, with his most recent role as the Chief Technology Officer, pioneering the Research and Digital IT functions. Prior to this, he was President of the IoT Services Group, where he spearheaded the creation of a new software and services business to capitalise on the growing IoT market.   Dr Nick New, CEO of Optalysys, said, "It is a great privilege to welcome Dipesh Patel as Chair of the Board. Dipesh has many years of experience at Arm that will be invaluable to Optalysys as we progress to the next level of our development towards enabling a world of secure AI." Future of secure AI Dipesh Patel, Chair of Optalysys Board, said, “It’s an exciting time to be joining Optalysys. Nick and the team's groundbreaking work in accelerating FHE computation using silicon photonics will be key in building the future of secure AI. I look forward to working with the team to scale its solutions to enable organisations to leverage their data securely and effectively.”  This latest appointment comes at a time of continued growth for Optalysys, having secured partnerships this year with Google HEIR, Duality Technologies and Zama. The company was also named Tech Company of the Year at the Prolific North Awards.

The International Security Conference and Expo East (ISC East), the Northeast’s major security and public safety event built by RX Global, hosted in collaboration with premier sponsor - Security Industry Association (SIA) and in partnership with ASIS NYC, kicks off November 19, 2024, at the Javits Center, in New York City, USA. The conference will feature speakers, educational programming, and professional development opportunities from major names like OpenAI, Google, JPMorganChase, and more. WHAT: ISC East is the most comprehensive security trade show on the East Coast, featuring 200+ exhibitors and numerous educational and professional sessions with top industry experts covering cutting-edge trends and solutions in safety and security. WHO: Brian Murphy, COO of Navy Pier in Chicago Anjené Abston, Executive Director, Security Division Director, JPMorganChase Mike Fein, Senior Director of Global Security Programs, Google Patrick Geonetta, Vice President of Corporate Security, OpenAI Plus, executives from the region’s pioneering technology manufacturers, dynamic speakers, and exhibitors on the Show Floor will be available for interviews. WHEN: Tuesday, November 19 – Thursday, November 21 Exhibit Hall Hours: Wednesday, November 20 | 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM Thursday, November 21 | 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM The press can access the Show Floor early on Thursday at 9:00 am WHERE: Javits Centre, 429 11th Ave, New York, NY 10001 RSVP: Media interested in covering ISC East can RSVP to ISC@TeamLSG.com.

Bugcrowd, the pioneer in crowdsourced security, announced the addition of Trey Ford as Chief Information Security Officer for the Americas, to the leadership team. Trey is a seasoned strategic advisor and security thought pioneer with over 25 years of experience in offensive and defensive security disciplines. Trey has held key leadership roles at Deepwatch, Vista Equity Partners, Salesforce, Black Hat, and more. He has also been a valued member of Bugcrowd's advisory board for over a decade. Future of cybersecurity Trey is eager to work with firm pioneers, corporate directors, and investors to help teams Trey is passionate about working with enterprise pioneers, corporate directors, and investors to help teams strengthen their technology and execution strategy. “I’m really looking forward to joining this amazing Bugcrowd team and this fast-growing, dynamic organisation that continues to execute on its compelling vision for the future of cybersecurity, based on the ingenuity of the crowd,” Ford said. “I’ve always believed in taking a hands-on approach to building, breaking, and deconstructing security problems to first principles-I intend to continue applying that same mindset here at Bugcrowd.”  Team’s capabilities to new heights “Trey’s addition to our team marks a pivotal moment for enhancing our operational capabilities in the Americas region,” said Nick McKenzie, Chief Information and Security Officer of Bugcrowd. “His leadership and offensive security expertise, coupled with his ability to help us connect with and support customers, will elevate the team’s capabilities to new heights—a timely appointment with our current business momentum.” Bugcrowd’s AI-powered platform Bugcrowd told an other growth capital facility of USD 50 million from Silicon Valley Bank in October Bugcrowd also announced the availability of Bugcrowd Continuous Attack Surface Pentesting as a Service Subscription, a new way to consume pen testing. By using this subscription model, customers can enjoy the flexibility and predictability of pre-paid capacity on the Bugcrowd Platform to be drawn-down on demand. In addition, Bugcrowd announced an additional growth capital facility of USD 50 million from Silicon Valley Bank in October. The new financing will further scale Bugcrowd’s AI-powered platform globally, fund continued innovation into the Bugcrowd Platform, and leverage opportunities for strategic M&A, providing added value to clients, partners, and the hacker community. Powerful insights  “We are extremely excited by the rapid growth and market momentum that Bugcrowd has achieved so far this year,” said Dave Gerry, Chief Executive Officer of Bugcrowd. “We believe we are putting together the world’s strongest combination of people and technologies to deliver on the powerful insights provided by elite hackers operating on our global Platform.” The Bugcrowd Platform connects organisations with trusted security researchers and hackers to help proactively defend themselves against sophisticated threats. Bugcrowd’s crowdsourced solutions For over a decade, Bugcrowd’s unique "skills-as-a-service" approach has uncovered more high-impact vulnerabilities than traditional methods, along with clearer ROI, for more than 1,200 customers – including OpenAI, Google, T-Mobile, Carvana, the US Department of Defence’s Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Office (CDAO), ExpressVPN, Rapyd, New Relic, and OpenSea.  With unmatched flexibility and access to a decade of vulnerability intelligence, the Bugcrowd Platform has evolved to address a changing attack surface influenced by the adoption of mobile infrastructure, hybrid work, APIs, crypto, cloud workloads, and AI. Bugcrowd’s crowdsourced solutions include penetration-testing-as-a-service, managed bug bounties, vulnerability disclosure programs (VDPs), and AI Safety and Security products.

In the competitive world of physical access control, Big Tech companies are seeking to play a larger role. Physical access competition Apple Wallet continues to stake its claim on mobile credentialing. Amazon One Enterprise is pushing a palm-based identity service. Google/Nest offers smart locks for home access control, with identity and access management provided in the Google Cloud. The entry of these big companies in the historically fragmented physical access control market is causing disruption and foreboding new levels of competition.  Apple Wallet impacting credentialing trends  The popularity of mobile wallets and contactless technologies in general has grown, creating more demand At Apple’s Worldwide Developer Conference in June 2021, the company announced support for home, office and hotel keys, including corporate badges and student ID cards, in Apple Wallet. Later, the company announced Hyatt as the first hotel partner to support the technology. Since then, the popularity of mobile wallets and contactless technologies in general has grown, creating more demand for a seamless solution such as Apple Wallet. Easy access  In 2023, HID Global announced the availability of their employee badge in Apple Wallet, allowing staff and guests to easily access corporate spaces with their iPhone or Apple Watch, including doors, elevators, turnstiles, etc. Employees just need to hold their iPhone or Apple Watch near the reader to unlock.  Factors affecting the rate of adoption However, implementing and maintaining an Apple Wallet-based access control system can incur costs for hardware updates, software licencing, and ongoing maintenance. Factors affecting the rate of adoption include the need to upgrade existing infrastructures to accommodate the technology, and the necessity for access control manufacturers to develop and implement integrations with Apple Wallet.  Benefits of adoption Keys in Apple Wallet take full advantage of the privacy and security built into the iPhone and Apple Watch With larger companies leading the way, some smaller ones might take longer to catch up. There is also a need to educate building owners and administrators to see the value and benefits of switching to Apple Wallet-based access control. Convenience and greater security can accelerate adoption. Keys in Apple Wallet take full advantage of the privacy and security built into iPhone and Apple Watch. Sensitive data protection A compatible app, specific to the building’s access control system, is needed. Once added, credentials are securely stored in the iPhone's Secure Enclave, a dedicated hardware chip designed for sensitive data protection.  Holding an iPhone near an NFC-enabled reader enables transmission of encrypted credentials. In addition to Near Field Communication (NFC), some systems also utilise Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) for added security, longer read range, and hands-free unlocking. Phones need sufficient battery charge to function.  Amazon One Enterprise Enables Palm-Based Biometrics  In November 2023, Amazon Web Services Inc. (AWS) announced an identity service providing comprehensive and easy-to-use authentication for physical and digital access control. The system enables users to employ their palm as an access control credential, allowing organisations to provide a fast and contactless experience for employees and others to gain access to physical locations as well as digital assets.  Physical and digital locations Physical locations include data centres, office and residential buildings, airports, hotels, resorts Physical locations include data centres, office and residential buildings, airports, hotels, resorts, and educational institutions. IT and security administrators can easily install Amazon One devices and manage users, devices, and software updates using AWS’s Management Console.  Elimination of physical credentials An advantage of the Amazon approach is the elimination of physical credentials such as fobs and badges, and digital elements such as personal identification numbers (PINs) and passwords. AWS says security is built into every stage of the service, from multi-layered security controls in the Amazon One device, which is the same technology used in the Amazon Go retail stores, where shoppers can pay for purchases by scanning the palm of their hands. The devices combine palm and vein imagery for biometric matching and deliver an accuracy rate of 99.9999%, which exceeds the accuracy of other biometric alternatives, says the company. AI and ML The palm-recognition technology uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to create a “palm signature” that is associated with identification credentials such as a badge, employee ID or PIN. Boon Edam, a revolving door and turnstile manufacturer, offers Amazon’s palm biometric technology on its equipment, and IHG Hotels & Resorts uses the technology to provide employees a convenient way to identify themselves and gain access to software systems. Google and Nest Devices in Access Control  When the Nest × Yale Lock is connected to the Nest app, a resident can unlock a door from their phone Google’s Nest devices include smart locks for home access control. The Google Nest × Yale Lock allows access control via both physical keys and passcodes accessible through the Google Home app. When the Nest × Yale Lock is connected to the Nest app, a resident can unlock a door from their phone. Passcodes can be created for family, guests, and other trusted persons. Alerts can be provided whenever someone unlocks and locks the door. When Nest “knows” a resident is away, the door can lock automatically. Voice control, Google Home app Voice control, using Google Assistant integrated with various Nest devices, enables use of voice commands to lock and unlock doors, thus adding another level of convenience. Smart home devices from various manufacturers can be controlled through the Google Home app. SMART Monitoring ADT’s Self Setup smart home security systems integrate Google Nest smart home products with ADT security and life safety technology, including SMART Monitoring technology. Microsoft Azure is another company that could impact access control. The Microsoft Azure Active Directory is an identity and access management platform that could be extended to physical access control, leveraging existing user credentials. Long-Range Impact on the Security Marketplace  Big Tech companies are creating platforms for managing access control data, integrating with other security systems Increasingly, Big Tech companies are creating platforms for managing access control data, integrating with other security systems, and offering analytics for optimising security and building operations. Big Tech is also actively researching and developing new technologies for access control, such as facial recognition, voice authentication, and AI-powered anomaly detection.  Access control communication and integration As their involvement in physical access control grows, Big Tech companies could potentially gain more influence in setting industry standards for access control communication and integration, similar to how they have become dominant in other areas such as mobile platforms. Given their expertise in user interface design and data analysis, Big Tech companies could help to direct how future access control systems are managed and how users interact with them, including more intuitive and user-friendly operations. Future of physical access control Existing concerns about privacy, security, and potential dominance by a few Big Tech companies could spill over into physical access control. However, traditional security companies, startups, and industry consortiums are also actively developing innovative solutions. Ultimately, the future of physical access control will likely be shaped by a combination of many different players and technologies – large and small.