Publisher’s Spotlight: Cigent: Make Your Data Invisible

Cigent Technologies is a data security company that is renowned for their data protection  capabilities. They’ve had a long-standing relationship with the U.S. government and have been a trusted resource for data protection solutions.  Cigent’s mission is to address advanced cyber threats by moving from a reactionary “detect and respond” approach to actively protecting the data with  zero trust, hardware-enforced, data security controls  that makes data inaccessible  to the most sophisticated adversaries even if they have physical or remote device access.

Cigent offers a new approach to data security for organizations of all sizes to stop ransomware, data theft, as well as achieve compliance. Cigent protects your most valuable asset—your data—against the most sophisticated adversaries. They protect data throughout its lifecycle via prevention-based defenses embedded into storage and individual files. From decades of data recovery, cybersecurity, and device sanitization experience, the experts at Cigent have developed prevention methods beyond many that exists today.

“Cigent is challenging the security status quo by acknowledging that advanced threats always find a way past traditional defenses. The focus must be on ensuring these threats cannot wreak havoc once they get in. By putting automated attack prevention as close to the data as possible, within the storage itself and individual files, we can mitigate even the most sophisticated attacks,” said Tom Ricoy, CRO, Cigent.

2023 has been a significant year of advancements for Cigent. In April, the team debuted the Secure SSD+ – a secure drive that provides Anti-Ransomware capabilities within the storage hardware itself, now available for enterprise customers and the public.

Carahsoft Technology Corp., The Trusted Government IT Solutions Provider^® announced that Seagate Government Solutions’ Barracuda 515 M.2 solid state drive (SSD) – embedded with Cigent^® Technology’s built in cybersecurity enhancements is now available to Government agencies through Carahsoft’s resellers and its Federal, State and Local Government contract vehicles.  As the distributor for Seagate Government Solutions, Carahsoft works with its extensive ecosystem of reseller partners and systems integrators to make Seagate’s new SSD widely available to the Public Sector through several contracts including Carahsoft’s GSA Schedule, NASA Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Procurement (SEWP) V, E&I Cooperative Services Contract, The Quilt, and more.

“Protecting data at the edge is a key component of an effective Zero Trust strategy,” said Maryam Emdadi, Vice President of Sales who leads the Seagate Team at Carahsoft. “Our new partnership with Seagate Government Solutions and Cigent will enhance our portfolio of secure storage solutions and enable our customers to better defend their sensitive information through the support of our reseller partners.”

Seagate Government Solutions combines its strengths with Cigent’s patented cybersecurity firmware enhancements to create the Seagate BarraCuda 515 SSD, a storage drive, designed with integrated advanced security features that deliver high performance, advanced reliability, data protection and security.

Key advantages of the BarraCuda 515 SSD include:

• Federal Information Processing Standards (FIPS) 140-2 Level 2 certified and complies with corporate and Federal data security mandates.
• Common Criteria full disk encryption (FDE) solution that meets the requirements of Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Data at Rest (DAR) Capabilities Package 5.0.
• Cigent Pre Boot Authentication and Windows Software that protects data from all known physical and remote access attacks as well as zero-day ransomware.
• Tamper-evident coating which seals SSD’s circuitry and components to provide physical security.
• Full drive block-level and crypto secure erase, verified by patented erasure verification, that enables safe, fast, and cost-effective SSD retirement or redeployment.
• Trade Agreements Act (TAA) compliant which satisfies fair and open international trade agreements.

“We’re thrilled to be working with Cigent and Carahsoft to provide our Public Sector clients with a top-tier storage solution that boasts Government-accredited security certifications,” said Mike Moritzkat, Managing Director of Seagate Government Solutions. “This partnership along with our new offering is another steppingstone in Seagate’s continued support of our Public Sector clients.”

Seagate’s BarraCuda™ 515 SSD is now available through Carahsoft’s GSA Schedule No. 47QSWA18D008F, SEWP V contracts NNG15SC03B and NNG15SC27B, E&I Contract #EI00063~2021MA, and The Quilt Master Service Agreement Number MSA05012019-F. For more information, contact the Seagate team at (703) 889-9860 and SeagateGovernment@carahsoft.com.

The Secure SSD+ incorporates a dedicated AI microprocessor with machine learning that constantly monitors drive activity with advanced algorithms to stop ransomware in the act, setting a new standard of data protection in today’s threat landscape. Earlier this month, Cigent and Lenovo announced a partnership, which sees Cigent powering Lenovo’s ThinkShield Data Defense. In September, Cigent’s prevention-based defenses will be available for purchase with Lenovo PCs.

The Cigent software also notifies the Cigent Data Defense console when a ransomware attack is initiated, triggering the console to alert security personnel, SIEMs, and SOARs to engage “Shields Up” on the rest of the Cigent protected PCs in the organization, even if they don’t have a Secure SSD+.

“The embedded anti-ransomware preventions in the Cigent Secure SSD+ couldn’t come at a better time” said William Downer, Vice President, National Programs at Seagate Government Solutions. “Federal, state, and local agencies alike are daily being ransomed without the full measures to effectively stop attackers. Storage devices that automatically prevent ransomware attacks are exactly what government organizations need to finally put an end to being held hostage by ransomware cyber-criminals.”

The Cigent Secure SSD+ also includes complete erasure verification and the ability to capture detailed data access logs in the drive itself, making it nearly impossible for insiders or bad actors to cover their tracks when stealing data. The drive has safeguards to prevent disabling security controls, including an embedded storage firmware heartbeat that detects if the Cigent software is disabled. If it is disabled, the Cigent Secure SSD+ drive responds by hiding the protected data, making it instantly inaccessible to attacks. Future updates will include the ability to prevent the drive from being cloned, wiped, or accessed if the system is booted from an alternate OS.

In summary, Cigent offers a new approach to data security for organizations of all sizes to stop ransomware and data theft, as well as achieve compliance. Cigent protects your most valuable asset – your data – against the most sophisticated adversaries. They protect data throughout its lifecycle via prevention-based defenses embedded into storage and individual files. From decades of data recovery, cybersecurity, and device sanitization experience, the experts at Cigent have developed prevention methods beyond anything that exists today.

About the Author

Gary Miliefsky is an internationally recognized cybersecurity expert, bestselling author and keynote speaker. He is a Founding Member of the US Department of Homeland Security, served on the National Information Security Group and served on the OVAL advisory board of MITRE responsible for the CVE Program.   He founded and is the Publisher of Cyber Defense Magazine since 2012. Visit Gary online at:  https://www.cyberdefensemagazine.com/