Security Month
Presented by Vertali
PowerTerm End-of-Life: Why Organizations Must Act Now – And Why the December 10 Webinar Is Critical
In March 2025, Ericom PowerTerm, a terminal emulator still used by thousands of organizations to access mainframes, IBM i systems, Unix hosts, VMS machines, and other mission-critical environments, officially entered End-of-Life (EOL). For decades, PowerTerm provided...
Mainframe AI Agents: The Interns Who Never Sleep
A conversation with BMC Anthony Doroand Leah Sokalov.A Knowledge Problem That Can’t Wait Amanda Hendly, Managing Editor of Planet Mainframe, met with Distinguished Engineer Anthony Doro and Senior Product Manager Leah Sokalov, both from BMC. The conversation focused...
From Poolside Code to Mainframe Maven – Influential Mainframer Felix Scott
Felix Scott, a trainee in the New to Z (NTZ) program at Vertali in the UK, doesn’t fit the usual mental picture of a mainframer. At 27, he’s a younger voice in a field dominated by veterans. But Felix isn’t afraid to admit what he doesn’t know. "Being publicly wrong...
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....
Security Month
Presented by Vertali
All Things Cyber Security
October may be the month of falling leaves and pumpkin spice, but it is also the time when we turn our attention to all things cybersecurity. And, in the context of mainframe cybersecurity, observability is an essential piece of the puzzle. By maintaining...
Zero trust: Is server level or perimeter protection best?
If you’re running a big server like a mainframe, a zero trust strategy means you shouldn’t trust anything outside that box. If it’s your responsibility to protect the mainframe, you must ensure the right mechanisms are in place on the box itself. If you're in charge...
Fight ‘Shiny Object Syndrome’ with Mainframe Security 101
With continuous innovation and new functionality developed for mainframe security, many organizations can lose sight of the basics, which means they may never achieve a Zero-Trust security stance. The mainframe continues to evolve as a critical piece of the...
How Important is your Db2 Data—(Mainframe Modernization from a Data Security viewpoint)
When talking about Mainframe Modernization, we usually discuss DevOps, Zowe, APIs, Java, Python, etc. But how often does anyone discuss how your security posture needs to be modernized? Do terms like ‘least privilege’ and ‘zero trust’ mean anything to your...
Cyber Security Awareness Trivia
October is Cyber Security Awareness month at Planet Mainframe, so over here at Trivia Challenge we’ll be focusing our trivia topics on the ever-evolving topic of mainframes and cybersecurity. Mainframes have long been the backbone of critical industries, particularly...
Fortify Your Legacy Systems
A Digitalised State We live in a hyperconnected cyberworld driven by AI and machine learning. The age of digitalisation influences how we behave. In this world, it is all too easy for states, corporations, or criminals to overreach and access information they should...
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...
Sign up to receive the latest mainframe information
Upcoming Events
Events
-
-
Workload Automation (CA 7 & ESP) User Group Workshops & Event
Register now for the Workload Automation (CA 7 & ESP) User Group Workshops & Event Night October 19, 2026 | Plano, Texas We are excited to announce WLA (CA 7 […]
-
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.
Free -
Virtual Db2 User Group | Safeguarding Your Data: A Comprehensive Guide to Db2 for z/OS Security Exit Routines
Zoom - Virtual MeetingThis session explores Db2 for z/OS Security Exit Routines and their role in strengthening enterprise data protection and access control strategies. Attendees will gain insight into how security exit routines […]
-
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 […]
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...
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...