ZKX Solutions, a pioneer in developing the next generation of cyber defense technology, has recently completed a successful product demonstration at the U.S. Army Cyber Quest 24 event at Fort Eisenhower in Augusta, GA.
ZKX has revolutionized cybersecurity at the tactical edge and beyond with Helix, a flexible software platform that secures sensitive data in environments that have proven to be too challenging for today’s existing security solutions. Helix makes emergent security strategies like zero-trust conform to the edge, rather than the other way around. By enabling conditional access and zero-trust MFA specifically for the distributed edge, the security goals of tomorrow become today’s reality: flattened networks and dynamic security systems that can automatically respond and adapt to evolving threats and extend beyond organizational boundaries.
“Helix’s bottom-up approach to both cybersecurity and command & control carves out an absolutely critical yet unique niche in the much larger cybersecurity story that is only being satisfied today by our technology,” said Collin Sweeney, Chief Technology Officer, ZKX Solutions. “We are hearing directly from the Army that the Helix technology is valuable, applicable, and necessary in order to solve evolving information security challenges not just in the public sector, but everywhere.”
Unlike resource-heavy enterprise cybersecurity products, Helix starts at the disparate edge and is fully scalable, allowing for effective, resource-considerate technology that protects warfighters at every level of the echelon. To best support the tactical edge, Helix does not rely on cloud or enterprise services, making implementation in austere environments feasible and greatly improving sustainability in denied or disconnected environments.
The Cyber Quest Demonstration included the following:
- Dynamic Access Control: Coupled with Viasat’s zero trust solution capabilities, ZKX enables dynamic and conditional access to sensitive resources based on real-time data such as geolocation. The testing scenario simulated a geo-fence around a base that required warfighters within to authenticate with just a single credential — such as a CAC or PIN —when accessing privileged resources on the network. However, when the system recognized the same user and device outside of the geofence, Helix then requires the user to input multiple additional credentials to gain access to the same resources. This combined system can also increase MFA levels when it detects a network threat to prevent unauthorized access. Inversely, the Variable Trust Stack can lift MFA requirements when warfighters are under fire so they can access vital information quickly.
- Network Flattening: In conjunction with Viasat’s technology and network expertise, ZKX successfully flattened the network by removing overhead associated with extra hardware and software platforms. This enables warfighters from the Division level and below to efficiently control access to sensitive data. Just because a user and device could connect to the network, didn’t mean they could inherently access all of that network’s resources.
- Mission Partner Environments: ZKX’s attribute-based MFA and access policy enforcement can not only limit who sees what, but how many — and what types — of access conditions must be satisfied. For example, in a mission partner environment, warfighters that belong to different units, branches, or nations might require vastly different authentication credentials or other attribute-based identity data to access the same resources on the network. In other words, users may have to pass different access control checks depending on their unique collection of identity attributes.
About Cyber Quest
Now in its eighth year, Cyber Quest is the perfect place for Electronic Warfare and Cyber to experiment and analyze potential technologies that may make their way onto the battlefield one day. It’s where Soldiers, industry, and government partners come together for a common purpose — inform capability development in various portfolios including EW and Cyber, areas not only critical to the Army but critical to the Program Executive Office, Intelligence, Electronic Warfare & Sensors.
About ZKX Solutions, Inc.
ZKX Solutions develops the next generation of cyber defense technology designed to be more secure, dynamic, and flexible than conventional security solutions. Our patented multi-factor authentication technology significantly enhances an organization’s cybersecurity posture through a revolutionary human-centric approach to building a Zero Trust environment. Learn more at www.zkxsolutions.com