Security Month
Presented by Vertali
Extending the Security Stack: Red Teaming, Scenarios, Risks, and Reality
Mainframes hold the heart of the most critical business processes in finance, healthcare, and government. Yet many security programmes still draw a neat line around them, treating z/OS as out of scope for red teaming, scenarios, and cyber risk quantification. This...
The Open Mainframe Project Has a Trust Problem — And the Mainframe Can’t Afford It
Open Mainframe Project Security Concerns I was chatting with a mainframer buddy the other day, and he expressed some concerns about the overall code security of the Open Mainframe Project (OMP), particularly around member vetting. So, I spent a bit of time digging...
The Top Four Infrastructure Capabilities for Enterprise Security and Compliance
Rising Stakes of Data Protection As our modern world becomes increasingly digital, data’s value has never been higher—and the challenge of protecting it has never been so great. While the global average cost of a data breach dipped 9% in the past year due to advances...
Australia Gains First Real-Time Mainframe Ransomware Defense with Vertali APAC and MainTegrity CSF
Australian organizations running IBM z/OS systems can now access a new defense for mainframes in the Asia-Pacific(APAC) region. In news welcomed by all enterprises battling cybersecurity threats – which is all of them – MainTegrity Inc. appointed Vertali APAC as its...
A Breakthrough in Mainframe Storage Efficiency
Broadcom has delivered a first in mainframe storage with the Virtual Storage Adapter (VSA) enhancement to CA 1™ Flexible Storage™. This new feature lets you have your cake and eat it too – achieve high-performance virtual tape storage without the traditionally higher...
Mainframe Security Isn’t What It Used to Be – How CICS and LE Are Fighting Back
This article updates a 2022 piece in Cheryl Watson’s Tuning Letter, “LE Non-Executable HEAPS and CICS User Experiences” by Mario Bezzi. Current Tuning Letter subscribers can read the original article online. Think your mainframe is immune to modern cyber threats?...
The Crippling Pain of Data Loss
Mainframe Reporting and Saving Data: Why Backups Are Non-Negotiable I’ve spoken with countless output management customers, and I’m alarmed by a recurring theme: many lack not only a robust backup strategy but also fail to practice their restores. This gap leaves them...
Part 2: My experience with IBM MFA on z/OS
After publishing “Strengthening Enterprise Security with IBM Multi-Factor Authentication,” I’m excited to share part two: my hands-on experience implementing and using multi-factor authentication (MFA) on z/OS. Before discussing the practical aspects, it’s important...
Security Month
Presented by Vertali
Strengthening Enterprise Security with IBM Multi-Factor Authentication
Why MFA is Crucial in Today’s Security Landscape Traditionally, user authentication has relied heavily on passwords or passphrases. However, passwords alone have become a weak point in cybersecurity. They are often easy to guess, reused across systems, or written...
Smarter Tech Decisions: Why “and” Wins Over “or”
In technology, we often present choices as binary decisions: replace or keep, mainframe or cloud. But what if this either/or mindset is limiting our potential? This realization struck me through an unexpected source: my home security system. A Lesson in Integration...
Mainframe Security in 2025: Countering New Threats, Using AI, and Getting the Basics Right
Introduction As we moved into 2025, two trends were front of mind for many of our clients: their continued efforts to achieve a Zero Trust security stance in the face of an evolving threat landscape, and the unstoppable rise of artificial intelligence – countering the...
The “Experience Required” Paradox: Companies Can’t Fill Roles, Workers Shut Out
This article originally appeared in Forbes on February 5, 2025. Reposted with permission. Breaking into a cybersecurity career has never been easy and today it’s more competitive than ever. At the same time, there is a well-documented cybersecurity talent shortage,...
The good, the bad and the ugly: generative AI and cybersecurity
Putting the AI into mAInframe security Artificial intelligence can be as much a help as a threat: a powerful tool in the hands of either the good, the bad or the ugly. Today’s threat landscape and cybersecurity requirements are more complex and challenging than ever....
Mainframes: Silent Giants of the Digital Era
In the whirlwind of technological advancements, it's easy to overlook the foundational pillars that support our digital world. Mainframes, often perceived as relics of a bygone era, continue to play a pivotal role in orchestrating the symphony of modern data. These...
Thoughts from a Mainframe on Halloween
It was a dark and stormy night in the data center. 🌩️ The fans hummed softly, and the LEDs blinked like little ghosts in the darkness. I had experienced many Halloween nights as a mainframe, but this one was different. There was an eerie presence in the air — and it...
Defense against the dark arts — mainframe security
Mainframers who thought the mainframe was too difficult a platform to hack are few and far between these days. However, mainframes can be hacked, and they are being hacked.In terms of security, what spells, incantations, and practices should organizations employ to...
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Upcoming Events
Events
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North American Mainframe Technical Exchange – Plano, Texas – October 20 – 22, 2026
Virtual MeetingSave the Date! Learn more about the North American and Virtual Mainframe Technical Exchanges here.
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Virtual CICS User Group | CICS Security Discovery
Zoom - Virtual MeetingMany CICS environments continue to rely heavily on transaction-level security, often resulting in users retaining access privileges that are no longer appropriate for their current roles. This session will provide […]
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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
❓Think You Know Mainframe AI
Mainframes have powered intelligent decisions for decades. Today, artificial intelligence (AI) takes that role further – spotting fraud as transactions happen, anticipating workload demands, helping developers understand legacy code, and strengthening system...
Next-Generation Dual-Architecture Processor, Advances in AI Enablement for Application Modernization, and more
IBM Unveils Next-Generation Dual-Architecture Processor for IBM Z and LinuxONE BMC Survey Finds 94% Confidence in the Mainframe as Enterprises Scale AI With Human Oversight Rocket Software Advances AI Enablement for Application Modernization Across Mission-Critical...
Partnership to Accelerate Secure AI Deployment, Introduction of New Agentic Modernization, and more
IBM Partners with OpenAI to Accelerate Secure AI Deployment for Enterprises Across Core Operations Kyndryl Introduces New Agentic Modernization Services-As-Software Scaled Through Kyndryl Bridge BMC Achieves the AWS AI Competency Kyndryl Named 2026 CIO 100 Award...
Mainframe Jargon Challenge
Every technical field develops its own language, and the mainframe world is no exception. Whether we’re talking about the alphabet soup of multi-letter acronyms or terms that have been part of the platform for decades, mainframe jargon serves as a kind of shorthand...
AI Ranked as Top Priority, Lightwell at No Cost to Universities, and more
Rocket Software Study Reveals 94% of Financial Services Leaders Rank AI as a Top IT Priority IBM Study: One in Four Malicious Breaches are AI-Enabled, Costing Companies $6 Million on Average IBM and Red Hat Offer Lightwell at No Cost to Universities, NGOs and Think...
❓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...