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Security Month
Presented by Vertali
Modernizing Mainframe Security: RACF and MFA Misconceptions
Passwords Aren’t Enough to Modernize Mainframe Security Security is the backbone of any organization’s control environment. In today’s hyper-connected economy, protecting against IT threats is not just a technical requirement—it’s a business imperative. A single...
TRIVIA – Penetration Testing
Mainframes have long been known for their unmatched reliability and security—but even the most trusted systems can hide surprises beneath the surface. As technology evolves, so do the tactics of those trying to exploit it. Penetration testing (pen testing), or...
Ransomware isn’t really a problem, is it?
Even the news channels don’t make a big deal about cyberattacks these days. It’s happening all the time. It’s incredible how many people don’t recognize that there is a war going on right now between hackers and organizations with any kind of IT hardware. And when I...
The Mainframe is Not Secure
October is cybersecurity awareness month, and Planet Mainframe is kicking it off with interview insights from Mark Wilson, Technical Director at mainframe services company Vertali and Conference Manager for GSE UK. "Is the mainframe secure? No. But it is...
Get ready for DORA
In my last article about ransomware, I mentioned how important it was for chief financial officers (CFOs) to ensure that the IT in their organizations was as secure as possible—particularly now that attacks can come from artificial intelligence (AI) bots that could be...
Understanding Downtime – Quantifying the Impact of Mainframe Outages and the Value of Observability
No matter what your business is, chances are good that at least part of it is completed online. Whether that is records management, payroll, or customer purchases, the online portion of your business is most likely a very critical component of overall success. That is...
What You Said – (ClownStrike) CloudStrike
According to The Guardian, the Crowdstrike outage crashed an estimated 1% of all Windows PCs worldwide—or about 8.5 million—and is estimated to have cost the US Fortune 500 USD $5 billion. We asked you, Planet Mainframe readers, to share your thoughts on the...
Share Your Thoughts — What Does a Global Blackout Mean for Mainframe Companies?
Calling Crowdstrike’s global technology outage “inconvenient” is the understatement of the year. From airlines to banking, 9-1-1 emergency services to grocery stores, and hospitals to telecommunications, millions are maddeningly stuck. The technology blackout began...
Security Month
Presented by Vertali
Who’s in charge? Controlling network traffic to enhance cyber security and compliance
With cyber security and cyber resiliency top priorities for organizations, is enough focus given to the wider network, asks Tony Amies of Vertali How can you confirm that your network access control settings are correct and are working as intended? How can you...
A CISO Profile
For those who have grown up with the internet, it’s probably hard to imagine a time when cyberattacks did not loom as an existential threat to organizations. But the role of Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) is a fairly recent invention, coming into...
Mainframe Cybersecurity: What Every Leader Needs to Know
In this short video, Ravi Patil, Director, Product Management & Strategy, explains Mainframe cybersecurity in simple terms and recommends an effective approach for protecting your company. Learn More Here
Enhancing Data Security and Recovery with IBM Z Cyber Vault
In August, Tracy Dean, Product Manager, IMS Tools and z/VM Tools, presented an insightful session on "What does IBM z Cyber Vault mean for an IMS environment?" In her presentation, she explored the significance of IBM Z Cyber Vault in safeguarding data integrity and...
The CISO’s Dilemma: Challenges in the Cyber Regulatory Environment
The digital age has ushered in an era of unparalleled technological advancements, facilitating the rapid growth of global commerce, communication, and data sharing. While the ubiquity of digital interconnections has brought immense benefits, it also presents new...
Make the Switch Now: Why Broadcom’s MFA is a Mainframe Must-Have
Written by: Jose Arias, CISSP, ITILMainframe Security Specialist Imagine the surprise when, as an occasional gym visitor, you return to your fitness center one day, eager to resume your workouts, only to find that the familiar wristband is no longer the key to access....
Mainframe security—Early Warning needed to beat back hackers
The stages in a mainframe breach are familiar to most mainframers these days. Firstly, the bad actors need to gain access to the mainframe. That is as simple as going to the web and buying a user id and password combo for as little as $120. But even worse if the...
The Evolution of Cybersecurity. From Cascade to Quantum
Cybersecurity is a journey. The last three decades show that hackers and security teams have continually competed with each other, adapting to a changing environment. Both have learned from each other, but cybersecurity has—perhaps inevitably—always had to catch up to...
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Upcoming Events
Events
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Virtual Db2 User Group | My All-Time Db2 Top Ten Lists
Virtual MeetingDate: November 17, 2026 - 11:30am ET Presenter: Craig Mullins What do Db2 performance, application development, database administration, and David Letterman have in common? Top Ten lists, of course! Join […]
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Virtual Db2 User Group | November 17, 2026
Zoom - Virtual Meeting -
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Virtual CICS User Group | Latest Update on Security in CICS TS 6.3: The Journey to Zero Trust
Zoom - Virtual MeetingCICS has been advocating zero trust principles and introducing security-focused enhancements since CICS TS 6.1. This session will explore the latest security capabilities available in CICS TS 6.3 and how […]
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Virtual IMS User Group | December 15, 2026
Zoom - Virtual Meeting
❓Mainframes at the Movies
With summer blockbuster season upon us, it’s time to turn our attention away from the workaday world of the datacenter to its fictional representation. Mainframes have made memorable appearances on both the big and small screen for decades—sometimes portrayed as...
Izzi Software Launches Z/XDC on Visual Studio Code to Speed Adoption and Boost Mainframe Debugging for the Future
New expansion to top debugging now available, integrating seamlessly into existing workflows and supporting young programmers by improving accessibility MINNEAPOLIS, August 3, 2026 — Izzi Software, owner of ColeSoft, the leading provider of debugging solutions for IBM...
What to Expect at SHARE Pittsburgh
With SHARE Pittsburgh approaching, SHARE President Art Gutowski joined Planet Mainframe to talk about what attendees can expect—and why the conference remains valuable for both newcomers and longtime mainframe professionals. Gutowski is nearing the end of his...
Real-Time Mainframe Software Visibility, SHARE Pittsburgh 2026, and more
BMC Brings Governed AI Agents to Enterprise Workflows and Mainframe Operations Precisely Delivers Real-Time Mainframe Software Visibility to the ServiceNow AI Platform IBM Reports Infrastructure Revenue Down 7 Percent SHARE Pittsburgh 2026BMC Brings Governed AI Agents...
What the New IBM z17 Rack-Mount Systems Bring to the Table
The z17 goes small, and I think that’s rather clever. On July 7, 2026, IBM announced new configurations of the z17, and for the first time ever, you can now get a rack-mount option right across the Z and LinuxONE portfolio. Not a new processor, not a new architecture,...
❓ROI, Business Case, and Tuning for Value: Round Two
This month at Planet Mainframe Trivia, we've been exploring how organizations maximize the value of their mainframe investments. Creating value doesn't end once a project is approved. Organizations continually look for ways to improve performance, optimize resources,...