Webex, a popular Cisco-owned platform for web conferencing and videoconferencing, is being used by various fields across the globe, from the healthcare industry to the United States government. But this time, Cisco Sytems, Inc. is ramping up things with the U.S. government as it introduces a more secure Webex, particularly to its security and defense arms. Up next is the news.
Cisco announced this week that it is adding a more secure Webex for the U.S. National Security and Defense through an air-gapped and cloud-based Webex collaboration experience. This is slated to offer these government agencies a heightened level of security without compromising user experience.
“… We are pleased to announce that Webex by Cisco is committed to delivering an air-gapped, cloud-based collaboration experience for National Security and Defense beginning 2024,” the digital communications technology conglomerate said in its official blog post. “We’ll provide National Security and Defense with the extreme level of security needed, without sacrificing the amazing user experience our civilian and commercial customers are accustomed to.”
What does air gap mean?
This new Webex system, called Air-Gapped Trusted Cloud, will offer an added security layer for teams using the Webex App for collaboration.
An air gap pertains to a security measure involving the isolation of a computer or network, thereby preventing it from establishing an external connection.
For instance, an air-gapped computer cannot connect to the Internet or any other communication network, thus providing total security with the information it holds.
Cisco further noted that this solution aligns with the U.S. government’s approach to maintaining the security of its cloud products, not to mention air-gapped cloud deployments isolated from public networks and securely managed on U.S. soil by local staff who deal with sensitive data.
Though the security features of this solution are solid and robust, it will still allow for team collaboration should they need a platform for meetings, chats, and calls via the Webex App.
Just an added benefit
This is just an added benefit from Cisco to the U.S. government, as the company said that it is already providing the Webex for Government platform to some U.S. security and defense agencies. Furthermore, this also comprises on-prem solutions for collaborating securely, from meetings to file sharing.
This new solution from Cisco is also not stepping on things, as it considers regulations that the government implements.
Cisco said, “There is not a one size fits all solution for collaboration, which is why Webex’s approach to developing fully compliant collaboration solutions for Government takes into account local regulations, compliance requirements and security controls for individual Government communities.”
While this more secure Webex is announced specifically for the U.S. National Security and Defense, the digital communications company said it would keep developing compliant and customized Webex solutions across all agencies of the U.S. government.
“The National Security and Defense’s work is critical in our rapidly changing global environment, as is safeguarding its highly sensitive information and data. We’re committed to delivering our air-gapped solution to address the new and unique needs of the National Security and Defense with the added layer of security necessary, coupled with the amazing user experience Webex is known for,” Cisco added.
