Page 14 - The MIL Connection: Summer 2024

Rather than waiting for the threat to appear and then dealing with the aftermath, containment
technology stops threats from causing damage in the first place. By reducing that risk window,
this technology is a powerful tool for managing vulnerabilities!
What is application isolation and how does it differ from containment technology?
Jurgens: Although application isolation and containment technology share a similar goal
of protecting the system from security threats, they differ in their approaches and scopes.
Application isolation is more about controlling the execution of certain applications, ensuring
that they only access resources and data necessary for their function. Each application runs in
its own secure “room” where it can only interact with the outside world if it’s explicitly granted
permission to do so. It implements access controls and permissions for apps. So in summary,
while containment creates a safe space for potentially harmful activities (which may include
malicious files or links), application isolation works by creating a space where applications
operate in isolation.
What is a digital certificate and how does CA keep our digital world safer?
Jurgens: A digital certificate is like an “online passport” that proves the identities of websites
and individuals online. When you visit a website with a digital certificate on a web browser, it’s
like the website is saying, “You can trust me. I am who I say I am.”
Certification Authorities (CA) are like the passport office for the Internet. They issue digital
certificates and verify the identities of those who request them. A digital certificate issued
by a CA tells your browser that the website is legit and not some imposter trying to steal
your information. A Certification Authority does three things: Verify identities, encrypt data,
and enhance trust. In a nutshell, digital certificates issued by Certification Authorities are
important in keeping the internet a safer place and protecting our digital interactions from
eavesdroppers and impersonators.
Have you conducted any work in the area of isolation and containment?
Jurgens: Over the last year, we’ve taken significant strides in enhancing our cybersecurity
posture, focusing on two critical areas: data protection and phishing defense. Using a
combination of data loss prevention and app protection policies, we try to effectively minimize
the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches. Parallel to this, we’ve ramped up our efforts
to combat phishing, an area where the sophistication of attacks has grown dramatically due to
the rise of Artificial Intelligence. Through training programs, phishing simulations, and more
recently enhanced Outlook security features, we’ve significantly reduced the vulnerability of
MIL to such attacks. I believe this multipronged approach not only strengthens our defenses
but also fosters a culture of cybersecurity awareness and resilience.

About Jurgens
For the past two years, Jurgens has been busy keeping
MIL’s cyberspace safer for all its users. As the Senior M365
Administrator, he’s responsible for ensuring the company’s
IT infrastructure and overseeing, coordinating, and tracking
all IT and security-related requests. Jurgens also led the
company’s deployment of Intune and Autopilot and has
worked with leadership to develop short and long-term
objectives for the company’s IT-related technologies in
cloud computing and cybersecurity. Before joining MIL,
Jurgens worked as a Systems Administrator at Virginia Tech
while studying for and receiving his Master of Information
Technology degree.

A woman’s touch in tech
Indian American tech trailblazer Reshma Saujani is a social justice activist and advocate,
politician, and entrepreneur who sees a distinct disconnect between women, technology, and
opportunity. Despite being a lawyer who studied political science and public policy and not
computer science, Saujani has championed the underrepresentation of women in technology
(among other social causes) and made a real difference to girls and young women with
dreams of high tech careers. As founder of Girls Who Code (GWC), an international nonprofit

14 | the MIL connection | summer 2024