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Manufacturers are improving OT remote access, but third-party access governance still lags behind, says Secomea

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Industry research highlights a growing gap between operational speed and third-party access governance in manufacturing

COPENHAGEN, Denmark, July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — As manufacturers continue to strengthen their cybersecurity following a wave of ransomware attacks targeting industrial organizations, attention is shifting beyond secure remote connectivity to a new challenge: governing third-party access across operational technology (OT) environments.

Machine builders, system integrators, equipment suppliers, and maintenance providers all require remote access to keep production running. But as vendor ecosystems expand and regulations place greater emphasis on accountability, many organizations are discovering that enabling remote access is only part of the challenge.

“Over the past few years, manufacturers have invested heavily in securing remote access,” said Knud Kegel, CTPO at Secomea. “The next step is making sure that access is governed consistently: knowing who has access, why they have it, how long they need it, and being able to demonstrate exactly what happened during every remote session.”

The shift comes as cyberattacks increasingly exploit trusted identities and legitimate remote access rather than relying solely on perimeter vulnerabilities. As a result, manufacturers are under growing pressure to improve visibility, identity controls, and vendor access governance without slowing maintenance or impacting production.

Secomea’s latest State of Industrial Remote Access 2026 research suggests many organizations are still closing that gap.

In North America, 57% of organizations manage six or more external vendors with remote access into OT environments, reflecting the growing dependence on third-party support. Yet only 46% report full auditability of vendor sessions, while just 23% review vendor credentials monthly or more frequently, leaving many organizations with limited visibility into who has access and whether that access remains appropriate.

The findings also show that organizations with shared IT and OT ownership of remote access experience lower incident rates than those where responsibility sits solely within either function, reinforcing the importance of governance alongside technology.

According to Secomea, effective third-party access governance extends beyond secure connectivity. It combines identity verification, least-privilege access, just-in-time vendor access, centralized approval workflows, comprehensive audit trails, and rapid revocation of access once work is complete.

“Manufacturers don’t need fewer vendors, they need better governance of vendor access,” Kegel added. “Third-party connectivity is essential for modern manufacturing. The organizations that will be most resilient are those that can enable that connectivity while maintaining visibility, accountability, and control.”

The research also points to where the industry is heading. More than three quarters of North American organizations say they either already use or would prefer a standardized platform for managing vendor access, indicating a shift away from fragmented VPNs and vendor-specific remote access tools toward centralized governance models.

Secomea recommends manufacturers assess whether their remote access strategy includes:

Identity-based access for every vendor and contractorJust-in-time access instead of persistent remote connectionsCentralized approval workflows across IT and OTComplete audit trails for every remote sessionRegular credential reviews and automated access revocationThe ability to quickly suspend or contain remote access during a cyber incident

The company’s complete findings are available in the State of Industrial Remote Access 2026 report, which analyzes how manufacturers and critical infrastructure organizations manage remote vendor access, governance, visibility, Zero Trust adoption, and operational resilience across North America and Europe.

About Secomea

Secomea is a Secure Remote Access solution purpose-built for industrial networks and OT equipment. More than 8000 manufacturers and machine builders worldwide use Secomea to securely connect people, systems, and machines while maintaining operational continuity and control. By helping organizations govern vendor access, implement zero-trust principles, and improve visibility into OT remote access activities, Secomea supports secure collaboration across the manufacturing ecosystem.

Secomea was recently identified as a Representative Vendor in the CPS Secure Remote Access category in Gartner® Hype Cycle™ for CPS Security, 2026.

GARTNER is a trademark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates.

Gartner does not endorse any company, vendor, product or service depicted in its publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s business and technology insights organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this publication, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.  

 

 

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Gravity Game Unite (GGU) Successfully Concludes European User Meetup for PC MMORPG ‘Ragnarok Zero: Global’!

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July 21, 2026

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KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Gravity Game Unite (GGU), the Malaysian subsidiary of global gaming company Gravity, successfully concluded the “Ragnarok Zero: Global European User Meetup” held in Germany.

Gravity Game Unite (GGU) hosted its first offline event for European users in Frankfurt, Germany, on July 18. The event was organized to demonstrate the company’s commitment to directly serving the European market and to build long-term relationships with the local community.

The event was attended by key Gravity Game Unite (GGU) executives, including CEO Yoshinori Kitamura, as well as members of the Ragnarok Zero: Global development team. Local users, influencers, and media representatives were also present, reflecting strong anticipation for the game. Europe was one of the regions where Ragnarok Zero: Global received particularly positive feedback during its OBT. CEO Yoshinori Kitamura’s attendance underscored the importance of the event and Gravity Game Unite (GGU)’s commitment to providing dedicated service to the European community.

The event began with welcoming remarks from the CEO of Gravity Game Unite (GGU), followed by an introduction to the title from the development team, a presentation on the service direction and roadmap for Europe, a developer talk featuring behind-the-scenes insights, a user Q&A session, and networking among users, developers, media representatives, and influencers. Attendees also received exclusive merchandise and enjoyed a variety of activities designed to create lasting memories.

Gravity Game Unite (GGU) stated that it plans to strengthen communication with users through the direct service of Ragnarok Zero: Global. During the event, the development team listened to user feedback and exchanged a wide range of views, while reaffirming its commitment to the game’s post-launch service direction and the growth of its community in Europe.

Harry Choi, President of Gravity Game Unite (GGU), said, “This event marked a significant milestone and laid a strong foundation for Gravity Game Unite (GGU)’s entry into the European market. We are making thorough preparations to repay the tremendous support and enthusiasm users showed during the OBT. We will continue to create opportunities to engage and communicate with our local community.”

Stay Connected

Players can follow the official Ragnarok Zero: Global channels for the latest news and updates.

Join OBT: https://roz.mygnjoy.com/en/event/obt
Pre-Register: https://roz.mygnjoy.com/event/prereservation?media=pr9
Discord: https://discord.gg/bFg77WjcHT
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ragnarokzeroglobal/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ragnarokzeroglobal/
YouTube: www.youtube.com/@RagnarokZeroGlobal
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ragnarokzeroglobal

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SOURCE Gravity Game Unite SDN. BHD.

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The 18th Annual Globee® Awards for Innovation Invite Local, Regional, and Global Workplace and Business Achievement Nominations Worldwide

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July 21, 2026

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Recognizing achievements across innovation, leadership, organizational advancement, products, services, and workplace excellence with worldwide participation

SAN FRANCISCO, July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — The Globee® Awards, organizers of merit-based, data-driven business awards programs with worldwide participation that recognize achievements across industries, announced that entries are currently being accepted for the 18th Annual Globee® Awards for Innovation (Golden Bridge Awards®), inviting organizations, professionals, business owners, teams, and departments worldwide to nominate their local, regional, and global workplace and business achievements for consideration.

Apply now: https://globeeawards.com/innovation/

Originally established as the Golden Bridge Awards®, the program is now in its 18th year and continues its tradition of recognizing achievements across innovation, leadership, business transformation, organizational advancement, products, services, and measurable impact across industries and markets worldwide.

The awards recognize achievements that improve how organizations operate, serve customers, develop products and services, strengthen workplaces, advance technologies, enhance communications, and create measurable value for businesses, communities, and industries.

The program welcomes nominations representing achievements in innovation, operational excellence, customer experience, digital transformation, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, healthcare, financial services, manufacturing, sustainability, workforce initiatives, brand, communications, creative, and other business and workplace environments.

Organizations of all sizes are invited to participate, including startups, small and medium businesses, large enterprises, public and private companies, government entities, educational institutions, research organizations, and non-profit organizations worldwide.

The Globee® Awards for Innovation recognize achievements across category groups including products and services, company and organization, individual and team, and brand, communication and creative. These recognitions are part of 10 awards programs that collectively reflect achievements across business and technology domains.

Nominations are welcomed for local, regional, and global achievements, recognizing that meaningful innovation and organizational progress can originate at every level and in every workplace.

Entries are evaluated through a merit-based, data-driven process involving participation from experienced professionals across multiple industries worldwide. Evaluations are conducted through a structured, consistent, and transparent framework based on defined scoring criteria.

Entries are open to organizations and professionals worldwide.

About the Globee® Awards

The Globee® Awards are organizers of merit-based, data-driven business awards programs with worldwide participation. Through 10 awards programs, the Globee® Awards recognize achievements across multiple industries and sectors. The programs use a structured evaluation approach involving participation from professionals across various industries.

Follow: @globeeawards

Hashtags: #GlobeeAwards #InnovationAwards #GoldenBridgeAwards #WorkplaceAchievements #BusinessAchievements #Innovation #Leadership #BusinessTransformation #GlobalRecognition #OrganizationalImpact

All trademarks belong to their respective owners.

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SOURCE Globee Awards

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Finatical Software: The Next Decade of Finance Will Be Built on a Structured Financial Data Layer

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July 21, 2026

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As AI transforms finance, trusted and structured financial data—not better prompts—will determine which organizations realize its full value.

DURHAM, N.C., July 21, 2026 /PRNewswire/ — Finatical Software, creator of Flash Reports for QuickBooks Online, today announced its vision for what it believes will become the next essential layer of the modern finance technology stack: the Structured Financial Data Layer.

For decades, finance technology has evolved in response to changing business needs.

1995–2015

Finance needed better reporting.

2015–2025

Finance needed real-time reporting, dashboards, and automated KPIs.

2025–2035

Finance needs trusted data for AI-powered decisions.

While organizations are investing heavily in artificial intelligence, many finance teams are discovering that AI is only as effective as the financial data and business logic it receives. Without a single source of truth built on reconciled, complete, and accurate financial information, AI can produce inconsistent analyses, conflicting recommendations, and outputs that are difficult to validate or trust.

“Much of the conversation around AI has focused on choosing the right model or writing better prompts,” said Shaun Pendrigh, Chief Technical Officer of Finatical Software. “We believe the real competitive advantage will come from building trusted, structured financial workflows that AI can consistently understand. Before finance teams can trust AI’s recommendations, they first need confidence in the data, calculations, and business logic behind them.”

Finatical believes finance organizations need more than access to AI—they need a governed foundation that organizes financial information into consistent, reusable, and auditable structures before AI enters the workflow.

That foundation is what Finatical describes as the Structured Financial Data Layer.

Unlike disconnected spreadsheets or opaque AI workflows, the Structured Financial Data Layer creates a trusted financial foundation where data, calculations, reporting logic, and business rules are transparent, reusable, and reviewable. Finance professionals can trace recommendations back to their source, understand how conclusions were reached, and maintain confidence in the decisions supported by AI.

Rather than replacing finance professionals, the Structured Financial Data Layer enables them to work more effectively with AI by combining trusted financial data with human judgment. AI can accelerate analysis, identify patterns, and generate recommendations, while finance professionals retain the ability to review assumptions, validate results, and understand the reasoning behind important business decisions.

“Finance professionals should remain in control of financial judgment,” Pendrigh added. “AI should amplify that expertise—not replace it. But that only happens when AI operates within a trusted financial workflow where both the data and the underlying logic can be reviewed.”

Finatical’s Flash Reports platform is designed around this philosophy by connecting live QuickBooks Online data with Microsoft Excel to create governed, refreshable financial models that become a trusted source of truth for reporting, forecasting, analysis, and AI-assisted decision support. By preserving financial logic within structured Excel workflows, finance teams gain the flexibility of Excel while maintaining the governance and transparency required for trustworthy AI.

“Finance has always required trust,” Pendrigh said. “AI doesn’t change that—it raises the standard. Organizations won’t gain a competitive advantage simply by adopting AI. They’ll gain it by building financial data foundations that make AI trustworthy, explainable, and repeatable.”

“Reporting was the last generation of finance technology,” Pendrigh concluded. “Decision support will define the next. The organizations that build a trusted Structured Financial Data Layer today will be best positioned to unlock the full potential of AI tomorrow.”

About Finatical Software

Finatical Software helps finance professionals transform live QuickBooks Online data into structured, trusted financial information and workflows for reporting, analysis, and AI-assisted decision support. Its flagship solution, Flash Reports, connects Microsoft Excel directly to QuickBooks Online, enabling finance teams to build refreshable, governed financial models while preserving the flexibility of Excel. Finatical’s vision is to become the trusted Structured Financial Data Layer for finance professionals working in Excel with QuickBooks Online.

Media Contact:

melissa.neal@finaticalsoftware.com

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SOURCE Finatical Software

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