Archive for February 9, 2026

Marquis Who’s Who Honors Andrea L. Gwynn for Excellence in Information Technology Leadership and Military Service

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 9, 2026 by itnerd

Andrea Gwynn has been selected for inclusion in Marquis Who’s Who. As in all Marquis Who’s Who biographical volumes, individuals profiled are selected on the basis of current reference value. Factors such as position, noteworthy accomplishments, visibility, and prominence in a field are all taken into account during the selection process.

Ms. Gwynn’s distinguished career in information technology (IT) and federal service spans three decades, marked by progressive leadership roles and a commitment to innovation. In October 2025, she assumed the position of chief information officer at Forward Edge-AI Inc., where she manages end-user services for all employees and ensures that information technology requirements are met by providing access to essential systems, applications and collaboration tools supporting engineering, manufacturing and product production.

Delivering robust artificial intelligence solutions to its clients, Forward Edge-AI Inc. specializes in post-quantum cryptography, data modernization, integration, and engineering to strengthen secure data workflows and enable advanced insights. Ms. Gwynn’s expertise in information technology strategy and innovation has been instrumental in advancing the organization’s secure, scalable technological capabilities.

Before her role as the chief information officer of Forward Edge-AI Inc., Ms. Gwynn had spent 25 years in federal service. In 2025, she dedicated her efforts as a veteran, writer and advocate for veteran empowerment and transition in Killeen, Texas. Her advocacy work focused on supporting veterans as they navigated the complexities of post-military life.

Ms. Gwynn’s federal service is underscored by a series of significant appointments within the U.S. Army. From 2023 to 2025, she served as a deputy chief information officer at the U.S. Army Futures Command in Austin, Texas, where she played a pivotal role in shaping the command’s digital transformation initiatives. Between 2020 and 2023, Ms. Gwynn was the director of information technology services (G6) at the same command, overseeing critical infrastructure projects and ensuring operational readiness.

Among her earlier assignments, Ms. Gwynn served as an IT integrator with the 106th Signal Brigade in Austin from 2019 to 2020 and as the business operations branch chief at the Joint Base San Antonio Network Enterprise Center between 2018 and 2019. Among other roles, she began her civilian federal career as an IT specialist at Fort Hood Network Enterprise Center from 2010 to 2011.

Ms. Gwynn’s military service is particularly notable for her tenure as a chief warrant officer two (251A) in the U.S. Army from 2001 to 2009. As a combat veteran with two deployments to Iraq, she played a key role during her first deployment, establishing IT communications for the First Armored Division Command. Ms. Gwynn was integral to building out servers, networks and services that supported combat operations in Iraq, a contribution that remains a source of immense pride.

Ms. Gwynn’s academic foundation includes a Bachelor of Science in marketing with a concentration in marketing management from Northwood University in 1996. She further enhanced her professional credentials by completing coursework in information technology project management through a certification program at Villanova University.

Beyond her professional achievements, Ms. Gwynn is actively involved with civic organizations, including Disabled American Veterans, where she volunteers and supports fellow veterans.

Ms. Gwynn’s exemplary service has been recognized through numerous awards, including the Women of Color Rising Star in Technology Award in 2024. Honoring her service, she was decorated with a Superior Civilian Service Award, Civilian Service Achievement Medal from the U.S. Army, six Army Achievement Medals, three Army Commendation Medals, the Army Good Conduct Medal, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal and, among others, a Global War on Terrorism Expeditionary Medal. Ms. Gwynn credits her success to hard work, dedication, and a passion for her field, along with the enduring guidance and encouragement of her parents.

Constantly inspired by her family, Ms. Gwynn’s husband is a retired disabled veteran who served for over 20 years in the U.S. Army. Their daughter currently serves in the U.S. Army in Germany alongside their grandson, and their son serves in the U.S. Air Force in Washington. Eager for the future, she plans to continue her education toward a higher degree and seeks opportunities for public speaking and mentorship, particularly for women in technology, veterans and active service members, reflecting her enduring commitment to empowering others within her community and profession. Ms. Gwynn has also begun writing a memoir following her retirement and is actively pursuing publication.

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Agentic AI and the Coming “Blast Radius” Problem

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 9, 2026 by itnerd

Everyone knows about the risks of GenAI, but the wave is already here, and it’s far riskier: agentic AI. These are AI systems that don’t just generate text or insights — they take actions, execute workflows, change system states, and make decisions autonomously.

Think of it as AI with the ability to “press buttons,” not just give advice.

A new analysis from Keepit, the world’s only vendor‑independent, immutable SaaS data‑protection platform, argues that agentic AI represents a fundamental shift in enterprise risk — one that most organizations are not prepared for.

Why this matters now

Agentic AI is already being embedded into SaaS platforms, IT operations, and enterprise workflows. As these systems gain autonomy, the risk profile changes dramatically:

  • AI can now act — not just advise. It can archive, delete, grant access, move data, schedule jobs, and initiate restores.
  • Mistakes scale instantly. A single hallucinated parameter or mis‑scoped command can impact an entire tenant, not just a file.
  • Rollback becomes the new cybersecurity perimeter. Without immutable, independent backup and point‑in‑time recovery, agentic AI errors become permanent.
  • New attack vectors are emerging. Including memory injection (MINJA), prompt‑based escalation, and automation loops between agents.
  • The winners won’t be those with the smartest AI — but those with the strongest control model.

This is a fresh angle in a saturated AI news cycle: speed vs. safety, and how enterprises can adopt agentic AI without surrendering control.

Please find a full blog post, published today, on Keepit’s blog here. 

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0APT – Scam Ransomware Group – No Evidence Victims Impacted By Threat Actors

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 9, 2026 by itnerd

GuidePoint Security today released new research which assesses with high confidence that the victims claimed by “0APT” are a blend of wholly fabricated generic company names and recognizable organizations that threat actors have not breached. 

At a high level, the report focuses on a new “scam” ransomware group, 0APT, which emerged as a Data Leak Site in late January 2026 and quickly claimed 200+ victims within a week – but GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team (GRIT) finds these claims are largely fabricated. 

GRIT has observed no evidence that these victims were impacted by a threat actor associated with “0APT”, including through first-hand reporting.

0APT is likely operating in this deceptive manner to extort uninformed victims, re-extort historical victims from other groups, defraud potential affiliates, or garner interest in a nascent RaaS group. GRIT cannot rule out the possibility that 0APT or associated actors may conduct real attacks in the future.

After security reporting emerged highlighting the number of victim organizations and implausible or fabricated organization names, the Data Leak Site went offline on Feb 8, before returning on Feb 9, with a much narrower slate of 15+ very large multinational organizations.

Alleged victims of 0APT should consider activating internal investigative procedures, but are advised that in the absence of a ransom note, encrypted files, or any form of communication from the group, their post on 0APT is almost certainly entirely fabricated rather than representative of an undetected intrusion.

You can read the new research here: https://www.guidepointsecurity.com/blog/gritrep-0apt-and-the-victims-who-werent/

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GenAI boosts productivity by nearly 4 hours a week but gains are highly uneven: Nexthink

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 9, 2026 by itnerd

New research from Nexthink, the global leader in Digital Employee Experience (DEX) management, reveals that users[1] of Generative AI (GenAI) tools save a net average of 3 hours and 47 minutes per week.[2] However, the analysis finds that there are huge discrepancies between the four market-leading tools, with ChatGPT boosting productivity by more than double that of Copilot.

Tool[3]Average engagement time per user per weekEstimated net time saved per user per week
ChatGPT2hr 47mins5hr 46mins
Claude2hr 30mins3hr 23mins
Copilot2hr 40mins2hr 45mins
Gemini2hr 13mins4hr 46mins

The analysis, based on 4.9m sessions per day across 3.4m employees, also finds users tend to engage with GenAI 10 times per day, for a total of three hours and fourteen minutes per week on average.[4] However, there are significant numbers of users who are yet to engage with any of the Big Four tools.

While businesses have been quick to embrace GenAI, a lack of visibility around which tools are being used, by whom, and for what purposes, has been a significant problem in understanding the value they are getting from these investments. Nexthink AI Drive solves this problem by consolidating visibility, usage, guidance, and measurement data into a single vantage point. Combining this robust DEX data with user sentiment analysis, it uncovers employee pain points and adoption barriers, enabling organizations to provide better adoption support and employees to gain confidence faster.

To find out more about GenAI adoption or to discover how such tools are being used in your organization, please visit Nexthink’s AI Activation Playbook.

[1] Employees who log in at least once a week to any GenAI tool

2 Based on self-reporting from 5,000 end users between 30th October – January 29th of estimated time saved when using GenAI tools.

3 Overall averages reflect usage across all GenAI tools observed and are weighted by real-world usage levels (the four tools shown are the most used, but not used equally)

4 Data collected between 30th October 2025 – 29th January 2026 from Nexthink products AI Drive and AppEx. Data has been collected as a benchmark of tools across organizations. As such, in-house tools use has not been included in the analysis. All other product names, logos, brands, and other trademarks included in this release are the property of their respective trademark holders, and use of them does not imply any affiliation with or endorsement by them.

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Forcepoint X-Labs Uncovers Low-Noise Phorpiex Campaign Delivering Offline ‘Global Group’ Ransomware

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 9, 2026 by itnerd

Today, the researchers at Forcepoint X-Labs released findings on a high-volume phishing campaign leveraging the Phorpiex botnet to deliver Global Group ransomware, demonstrating how familiar file types and low-friction attack chains continue to enable high-impact compromises.

Authored by Lydia McElligott, Senior Security Researcher, Forcepoint X-Labs researchers observed the following:

  • Weaponized Windows shortcut (.lnk) attachments: Attackers disguise the file as a normal document using double extensions, allowing a single click to trigger code execution. 
  • Stealthy multi-stage execution: The shortcut launches command-line tools that download and execute the payload with no visible installer. 
  • Offline “mute” ransomware: Global Group operates locally without contacting command-and-control infrastructure and generates encryption keys on the host, enabling execution even in air-gapped environments. 
  • No data exfiltration required: The ransomware conducts all activity locally, increasing the likelihood of evading detection strategies that rely on suspicious network traffic. 
  • Aggressive anti-forensics: Artifact removal and self-deletion techniques make detection and recovery particularly challenging. 

Bigger Picture

This campaign highlights how long-standing malware families remain effective when paired with reliable phishing techniques, reinforcing the need for organizations to prioritize endpoint behavior monitoring rather than relying solely on network signals. 

Here’s a link to the full findings: https://www.forcepoint.com/blog/x-labs/phorpiex-global-group-ransomware-lnk-phishing. 

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My Wife Discovered A 407 ETR Email Scam Last Night

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 9, 2026 by itnerd

Now many readers would assume that because my wife hears about yours truly having to deal with clients who almost get scammed or do get scammed, that my wife would be well equipped to avoid scams. And to be fair, she’s likely better equipped than most. The fact that she was led to the discovery of a new 407 ETR scam that is clearly active.

Last night my wife asked me if I had taken the 407 ETR recently. Now for those who don’t live in Ontario. The 407 ETR is a toll road that runs across the greater Toronto area from Burlington in the west to Clarington in the east. I sometimes take it if I want to avoid traffic on Highway 401 and if it is convenient to do so. But it isn’t an everyday occurrence. Now when I do take it, I try to dump some money into our 407 account to make sure that she doesn’t have to pay for anything. But I will admit that I am not consistent about doing that. Which is likely why she asked about this.

Now when she told me the dollar amount that was owing, that was a red flag for me. It was $9.95. There’s only two or three clients that I would contemplate using the 407 ETR to get to or from their location. And any of those locations would be $20 or more in tolls and associated fees. That’s when I asked her to show me the email and I saw this:

Now this is a very, very convincing email that would make you think that this was legitimate. But it isn’t. Here’s why:

  1. There is no mention of my wife’s name or account number. That’s a #fail because companies who send you bills will always refer to you by name or account number.
  2. Looking closely at the sent address and recipient address, I see this:

The to address was sent directly to my wife’s email account. But the reply to didn’t come from the organization that runs the 407 ETR as that would have ended in @407etr.com. Next, if you look at the “from” field, you see this.

This is clearly not from the organization that runs the 407 ETR. Plus, if you look at the link that is referenced in the email, you get this:

The real 407 ETR website is http://www.407etr.com. Thus highlighting that this is a scam email.

Now my wife did not click on any links, but as a precaution we changed the password that’s associated with the account to keep the account safe. But I did go to the link and found a page which was clearly created to steal your credit card details. And on top of that, it looks like the same threat actors sent her two additional emails with different dollar amounts over the last two weeks. I find that interesting because this campaign seems hyper targeted. Perhaps it is related to this data breach from 2020? Who knows. But my wife took the right actions and avoided falling for this scam. Which are not to click anything and question everything. And I am doing my part by putting this story out there so you don’t fall for this scam either seeing as it is clearly an active campaign.

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A Q&A On human-AI Collaboration With Aditya Ganjam Of Conviva

Posted in Commentary on February 9, 2026 by itnerd

Here’s a Q&A with  Aditya Ganjam, Co-founder of Conviva human-AI collaboration. This is something that I usually don’t do. But I thought I would give it a shot to see if I get a good response. Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of this.

In what ways might human-AI collaboration move past simple automation to actively shape and guide strategic business choices? 

AI agents are shifting from task runners to partners in decision-making. To achieve this potential, organizations must measure real experience and outcomes, not just accurate responses. By continuously analyzing every interaction and linking consumer behavioral patterns—for example, movement from agents to apps, and websites; long pauses; abandonment—to results like purchases, bookings, or resolution, teams can objectively measure agent effectiveness from the human’s perspective. This approach exposes friction, inefficiencies, and confusion, or where the agent helps or hurts. Furthermore, it can create a virtuous improvement cycle whereby the outcomes continuously sharpen prompts and tools. That outcome loop turns agents into engines of strategic insight that drive growth, reliability, and trust.

Which often overlooked human abilities will become increasingly valuable as AI integrates into the workplace? 

Curiosity with rigor is the superpower. People who design experiments, test assumptions, and learn fast will create outsized value. As agents take over routine execution, humans must become designers of discovery. We will see significant value placed on those willing and confident enough to test boundaries, question assumptions, and learn from failure at speed. The winners will make experimentation a habit, treating every failure as data that sharpens both the product and the agent.

What steps can leaders take to maintain clear accountability and openness as AI is adopted into daily business processes?

Manage AI by outcomes, not outputs. Define success as consistent, efficient achievement of business results, like add-to-cart, purchase, booking, and resolution, and track it with client-side telemetry that reflects experience and engagement from the consumer’s perspective. Pair this with explainability (what the agent did and why) and continuous feedback loops that refine prompts, tools, and policies. Keep human oversight for ethics and alignment, but let data drive iterative improvement.

Which ethical standards and governance structures should organizations establish today to effectively manage AI agents by 2027?

Enterprises should formalize human-in-the-loop governance as their first safeguard with outcome-based metrics as the central focus of agent performance. Require real-time monitoring of agent behavior “in the wild,” tying actions to consumer experience and measurable results, not just model-level accuracy. Mandate traceability for critical decisions, bias checks, and rollback paths, and institutionalize continuous learning so fixes and improvements flow back into prompts, tools, and safeguards. This makes systems provable, auditable, and resilient.

What’s the most important mindset or cultural transformation companies need to make to harness the full potential of human-driven AI?

Move from fear to evidence-driven curiosity. Encourage teams to co-work with agents, instrument experiences end-to-end, and act on what the data shows about outcomes. When people see how agents improve resolution, speed, and satisfaction, and where they don’t, they focus on higher-value work while systematically tuning the rest. That’s how organizations convert AI from novelty into predictable business performance.

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Naval Group Announces Partnership with Astrolight to Supply Ships with Jam-Proof Laser Communication Terminals

Posted in Commentary with tags , on February 9, 2026 by itnerd

French shipbuilding giant Naval Group and Lithuanian space-tech company Astrolight signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU). The MoU marks the beginning of a collaboration between the two companies to test Astrolight’s POLARIS laser terminal on Naval Group’s vessels, exploring the potential for future integration of the technology. The partnership comes as Naval Group works to design a new multi-purpose vessel for the Lithuanian Navy, with plans to equip the ship with POLARIS.

Laser communication uses narrow, focused light beams that are nearly impossible to interfere with and detect. This new technology complements today’s cutting-edge technologies by mitigating risks associated with communication security, bandwidth, and data rate.

The new Multi-Purpose Offshore Patrol Vessel developed by Naval Group is designed to be versatile, capable of adapting quickly to changing mission needs. It can be used for combat, transport, launching unmanned aerial vehicles, and even converting into a floating hospital in an emergency.

The MoU between Naval Group and Astrolight was signed at the Lithuanian Maritime Defence Industry Days in Vilnius, where Naval Group, Belgium Naval & Robotics, and Exail showcased their vision for a new ship tailored to the needs of the Lithuanian Navy. The event was organized by the Lithuanian Engineering and Technology Industry Association.

This year, Astrolight’s POLARIS laser terminal was successfully tested with the Lithuanian Navy, as well as at NATO’s REPMUS/Dynamic Messenger, the largest exercise focusing on maritime unmanned systems in the world, and NATO’s largest military exercise in Latvia, DiBax. There, Astrolight demonstrated jam-proof, undetectable, and high-bandwidth ship-to-ship and land-to-land laser-based communication links. 

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Tesoro VC and Parallel Works Partner to Support AI + Semiconductor Accelerator Startups 

Posted in Commentary with tags on February 9, 2026 by itnerd

Parallel Works and Tesoro VC today announced a strategic ecosystem partnership that will accelerate innovation at the intersection of AI, semiconductors, and high-performance computing (HPC).

Through the partnership, Tesoro VC connects accelerator startups with advanced compute requirements to Parallel Works, enabling them to access, manage, and scale HPC, GPU, and hybrid cloud resources without infrastructure complexity. Startups gain a consistent, ready-to-use compute framework that supports shared best practices, built-in cost controls, and repeatable workflows, allowing teams to focus on product development rather than platform management.

Tesoro’s Hybrid AI + Semiconductor Accelerator identifies and supports early-stage startups with demanding AI and semiconductor workloads, offering an end-to-end pathway from prototyping and design to funding, scaling, and global market entry.

Companies in the accelerator program gain access to the Parallel Works ACTIVATE platform, enabling teams to integrate complex technology stacks without vendor lock-in while providing a clear path from accelerator environments to enterprise-grade deployments. The collaboration includes technical enablement through training, mentorship, and workshops to help startups effectively access and apply HPC and AI tools to semiconductor design, AI model development, and advanced simulation.

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