Tech Ascension Awards Announces 2025 Cybersecurity Winners – Honoring the Industry’s Most Innovative Solutions

The Tech Ascension Awards are proud to announce the 2025 Cybersecurity Award winners, recognizing the most groundbreaking technologies advancing cybersecurity. This year’s winners demonstrate an unwavering commitment to solving today’s complex cybersecurity challenges with forward-thinking and highly effective innovations. “These companies embody the bold innovation the cybersecurity world needs. They’re solving real-world threats with scalable, intelligent, and accessible solutions in the age of advanced threats," said David Campbell, CEO of the Tech Ascension Awards. "These award-winning solution providers are making our digital world safer and doing it with vision and impact.” The 2025 Tech Ascension Awards Cybersecurity Category Winners: Most Innovative Security Solution – Cohesity, Cohesity Data Cloud

Cohesity’s Data Cloud is a unified, SaaS-based platform that simplifies the protection and management of enterprise data across on-prem, edge, and cloud environments. Built with Zero Trust security at its core, the platform incorporates AI and machine learning to automate tasks, improve resiliency, and accelerate recovery. Its five functional pillars — Protection, Security, Mobility, Access, and Insights — allow organizations to handle cyber resilience, threat detection, data backup, and more through a single pane of glass, streamlining infrastructure and strengthening security posture.

Best AI / ML Powered Solution – McAfee, Scam Detector

McAfee’s Scam Detector is the first AI-powered solution designed to proactively identify and block deepfakes, phishing texts, and scam emails in real time. It uses adaptive behavioral models trained on over 4 billion data points daily to detect threats before they reach users. Seamlessly integrated across platforms — Windows, iOS, and Android — Scam Detector delivers enterprise-grade protection to consumers with zero friction, combining privacy-first architecture with intuitive alerts that empower everyday users.

Best Cloud Security Solution – Operant AI, AI Gatekeeper

Operant AI’s AI Gatekeeper product is part of a broader runtime defense platform that provides real-time, full-stack visibility and protection for cloud and AI-native applications. It blocks over 80% of OWASP Top 10 threats, including prompt injections and lateral movement, and deploys in minutes with zero performance impact. By actively defending Kubernetes, APIs, LLMs, and MCP servers, Operant offers security designed for the dynamic needs of modern DevSecOps and cloud environments — without slowing development.

Best Mobile Security Solution – Guardsquare, DexGuard

DexGuard delivers polymorphic, multi-layered mobile application protection for Android apps, combining static code hardening with runtime application self-protection (RASP). It detects reverse engineering, tampering, and emulator threats in real-time and integrates seamlessly into Android build environments without modifying source code. With ThreatCast analytics, developers gain real-time threat visibility, ensuring high performance, rapid deployment, and comprehensive IP and user data protection.

Best Endpoint Security Solution – Adaptiva, OneSite Patch

OneSite Patch is a fully autonomous, cross-platform patching solution that remediates vulnerabilities across 20,000+ products without manual effort. It integrates with security tools like CrowdStrike and Microsoft Defender and uses a peer-to-peer distribution model for instant delivery — even to remote or bandwidth-limited devices. Its intelligent automation and adaptability empower IT and security teams to shrink patch cycles from weeks to hours while maintaining compliance and minimizing operational disruption.

Best Identity Management Solution – Prove Identity, Prove Identity Network

Prove’s Identity Network enables instant, secure identity verification using just a phone number — no documents, passwords, or friction required. Leveraging over 30 billion annual authentication events, it confirms Possession, Reputation, and Ownership to proactively stop fraud. With trusted solutions like Prove Pre-Fill®, Mobile Auth®, and Trust Score®, the platform is used by leading banks and enterprises to deliver seamless onboarding, logins, and transactions while safeguarding against scams and deepfakes.

Best Network Security Solution – DNSFilter, DNS Protection

DNSFilter provides AI-driven DNS threat protection and content filtering that blocks phishing, malware, and harmful content 10 days earlier than competitors. It’s agentless, deploys in minutes, and protects users and devices across hybrid workforces and public networks without needing VPNs. Continuous updates like GenAI content blocking and behavioral analytics make DNSFilter a critical layer of modern network security — protecting over 43,000 organizations globally.

Best Application Security Solution – Black Duck, Black Duck Polaris™ Platform

Black Duck Polaris is a cloud-native platform delivering integrated SAST, DAST, and SCA with AI-assisted remediation. It enables scalable, real-time security testing and risk management across DevSecOps workflows, aggregating findings from internal and third-party tools. Recognized repeatedly by Gartner and Forrester, Polaris empowers developers with rapid onboarding, intelligent fix guidance, and a unified view of application risk — accelerating secure development at scale.

Best SecOps Solution – Barracuda Networks, Barracuda Managed XDR

Barracuda XDR is a fully managed extended detection and response platform that integrates AI analytics, SIEM, SOAR, and threat intelligence across endpoints, cloud, email, and network. It’s backed by a 24/7/365 global SOC with five dedicated cybersecurity teams, reducing incident response time from days to seconds. Built for simplicity and scale, Barracuda XDR empowers organizations of all sizes to gain enterprise-grade protection with hands-free threat detection and remediation. Best Managed Services Provider – Hughes Network Systems, Hughes Managed SASE Hughes Managed SASE is a fully managed, cloud-native platform that unifies advanced security functions — including firewall-as-a-service, secure web gateways, CASB, ZTNA, and AI-powered data loss prevention — with Hughes’ intelligent SD-WAN infrastructure. Designed to simplify operations and strengthen protection across distributed enterprises, the solution applies Zero Trust principles to verify every user, device, and application interaction in real time. Backed by Hughes’ decades of managed service expertise and recognition as a 2024 Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ Leader, the platform reduces complexity, improves visibility, and ensures consistent performance across all locations. With nationwide support, 24/7 operations, and predictable pricing, Hughes Managed SASE empowers organizations to securely connect users to critical resources anytime, anywhere — without compromising security or scalability. The Tech Ascension Awards continues to highlight the most influential and forward-thinking companies and solutions in the technology industry, setting the benchmark for excellence and innovation.

How Best Data Management Solution Award Winner Diliko is Redefining Data Orchestration for Mid-Sized Enterprises

Diliko was recently named a Tech Ascension Awards Big Data category winner for Best Data Management Solution – Mid-Market Orchestration. This prestigious recognition highlights Diliko’s innovative approach to simplifying complex data environments for mid-sized enterprises. We sat down with Ken Ammon, Chief Strategy Officer at Diliko, to discuss how the company’s Agentic AI-powered platform is reshaping data orchestration and how Diliko is helping organizations unify, secure, and leverage their data more effectively than ever.

What core challenges in data management does the Diliko platform solve for mid-sized enterprises, and how is that different from traditional solutions? Diliko addresses the labor intensive nature and lack of technical enterprise required to manage data in mid-sized enterprises. Unlike legacy solutions that require heavy infrastructure and specialized talent, Diliko offers a fully managed, cloud-delivered platform that combines ingestion, integration, governance, and orchestration. This is especially beneficial for regulated sectors like healthcare and financial services, where organizations must process sensitive data across multiple systems while maintaining compliance. Diliko eliminates the need to juggle multiple tools, allowing these organizations to focus on delivering services and outcomes—not managing infrastructure.

The platform is described as Agentic AI-powered. What does that mean in practice, and how does this technology help automate complex data workflows? Agentic AI refers to Diliko’s ability to autonomously manage data pipelines and enforce policies in real time. It’s not just about automating a static workflow—it’s about continuously adapting to changing data structures, compliance rules, and business needs. For healthcare providers juggling electronic health records and claims data, or financial institutions dealing with transactional and risk data, Agentic AI enables secure, policy-aware data orchestration without human intervention. This helps lean teams do more with less, while reducing compliance risks and improving operational efficiency. Diliko was named the Best Data Management Solution – Mid-Market Orchestration. What makes Diliko’s orchestration capabilities unique or particularly well-suited to the mid-market? Diliko’s orchestration engine is purpose-built for organizations that need powerful capabilities without the overhead of traditional data engineering. Its ability to handle ETL and reverse ETL, schema mapping, data synchronization, and policy enforcement in one platform makes it ideal for mid-market teams. In healthcare and finance, where data flows between siloed systems like EMRs, core banking apps, and analytics tools, Diliko ensures that data is securely and consistently orchestrated, enabling real-time insights and faster decision-making. Security and compliance are central to your platform’s value. How does Diliko help organizations meet strict regulatory requirements like GDPR and HIPAA without adding operational overhead? Compliance is embedded into the Diliko architecture—not bolted on as an afterthought. Using technologies like differential privacy and federated learning, Diliko protects sensitive data at the source, allowing organizations to derive insights without exposing raw data. For healthcare providers managing PHI under HIPAA or financial services firms subject to GDPR and PCI DSS, Diliko’s real-time policy enforcement and audit-ready logging ensure regulatory alignment without requiring a large compliance team. This reduces both risk and resource strain. How does Diliko enable organizations to manage and unify data across siloed and distributed environments, especially in hybrid and multi-cloud settings? Diliko was designed to work seamlessly across hybrid environments and multiple clouds. It connects disparate systems—whether legacy, cloud-native, or third-party—into a unified data fabric. For example, a healthcare organization might have patient data in on-prem EMRs and analytics in the cloud, while a bank could be balancing transactional systems with third-party fraud detection services. Diliko synchronizes this data in real time, maintaining consistency, data integrity, and compliance across all systems without requiring deep integration expertise. Many mid-sized companies lack the technical resources of larger enterprises. How does Diliko help these teams unlock the full potential of their data without requiring a large in-house data engineering team? Diliko is built with usability and automation in mind. Its intuitive interface, pre-built connectors, and automation-rich workflows make it possible for non-specialists to manage complex data environments. For healthcare and financial institutions with limited IT staff, this means they can implement secure, compliant data pipelines and analytics initiatives without hiring a full team of engineers. Our Data Pro Accelerator service also provides guided support to fill any skill gaps—ensuring success from day one. Looking ahead, how do you see the role of intelligent, cloud-delivered data platforms like Diliko evolving in the context of AI governance and data democratization?

As AI becomes more integral to operations in healthcare and finance, data platforms must not only enable access to clean, usable data—but also enforce governance, traceability, and ethical use. Diliko’s built-in compliance and privacy features position it as a foundation for responsible AI deployment. By automating data preparation and policy enforcement, Diliko democratizes access to data while ensuring security and accountability. This helps organizations innovate with confidence, knowing their data practices are as strong as their analytics.

Tech Ascension Announces 2025 DevOps Award Winners: Driving Innovation Across AI, Automation, and Open Source

The Tech Ascension Awards is excited to unveil the winners of the 2025 DevOps Awards, honoring the most innovative technologies and platforms accelerating software development, automation, and operational excellence.

This year’s awardees are at the forefront of modern DevOps—delivering AI-driven insights, seamless CI/CD pipelines, open-source leadership, and next-gen infrastructure intelligence to help organizations scale securely and efficiently. “The 2025 DevOps Award winners are building the future of software delivery,” said David Campbell, CEO of Tech Ascension Awards. “From AI copilots to intelligent observability and open-source resilience, these solutions are breaking barriers and enabling faster, smarter, and more secure innovation across industries.” 2025 DevOps Award Winners

• Best AI / ML Powered Solution – Planview, Planview Copilot Planview Copilot brings generative AI into strategic portfolio and work management. It enhances productivity by streamlining project planning, accelerating decision-making, and surfacing predictive insights that help teams stay aligned and adaptive in dynamic environments.

• Best DevOps Automation Solution – Opsera, Opsera Unified DevOps Platform Opsera’s Unified DevOps Platform empowers engineering teams with no-code automation, end-to-end pipeline orchestration, and integrated security. Supporting multi-cloud and hybrid environments, it enables organizations to scale DevOps without sacrificing speed or governance.

• DevOps Innovation of the Year – Azul, Azul Intelligence Cloud The Azul Intelligence Cloud offers real-time, actionable insights into Java runtime performance. With advanced telemetry and analytics, it identifies bottlenecks, optimizes application behavior, and enhances developer productivity—all without code changes or redeployments.

• Best Open-Source DevOps Tool – Sonar, SonarQube SonarQube continues to lead the industry in integrated code quality and code security innovation. As a widely adopted open-source platform, it empowers developers to catch bugs, vulnerabilities, and code smells early — from the IDE through the CI/CD process—resulting in higher quality, secure software and faster release cycles.

The 2025 Tech Ascension DevOps Award winners represent the cutting edge of software engineering and operational agility. As development teams race to build more scalable, intelligent systems, these companies are proving that automation, AI, and community-driven tooling are the key to sustainable success.