US and China discuss creating a mutual alert channel on artificial intelligence risks

South African technology service provider iOCO has expanded its managed cybersecurity portfolio through a partnership with Cato Networks. This collaboration enables the provision of a unified, cloud-centric Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) platform to corporate clients.

The offering is designed to meet the growing needs of South African organizations in cybersecurity amid increasing cyber risks, accelerated adoption of Artificial Intelligence (AI), and the complexity of hybrid and cloud environments.

This partnership builds upon iOCO's existing solutions in Zero Trust and managed cybersecurity operations. Clients receive support ranging from consulting and architectural services to migration, integration, security assurance, and continuous optimization.

The goal of this agreement is to provide organizations with access to necessary expertise and capabilities without having to build and maintain these functions entirely in-house. The Cato platform unifies networking and security functions into a single cloud environment, offering organizations a holistic view, context, and control over the use of AI tools and agents.

Gartner has named Cato a leader in its 2026 Magic Quadrant for SASE platforms three times in a row. The service targets small, medium, and large enterprises with distributed and complex technology environments, including organizations with multiple branches, geographically dispersed users, hybrid or multi-cloud infrastructure, remote and mobile workforces, as well as legacy WAN or MPLS networks.

These organizations generally align with the profile of iOCO's existing cybersecurity clients. Neelse Pretorius, Head of Managed Security at iOCO, noted that 'Cato provides capabilities specifically designed for managed SASE and security service delivery partners, including multi-tenant management, which allows service providers like iOCO to efficiently manage multiple client environments.'

He added that 'together, Cato and iOCO provide the right technological platform with the resources, operational capabilities, integration experience, and customer context needed to turn this technology into a managed business service.'

The companies emphasized that the managed cybersecurity model is particularly relevant in a market facing shortages of cybersecurity talent and capacity. A national cybersecurity survey conducted by the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) at the end of the 2023/24 financial year showed that 63 percent of cybersecurity positions were partially or fully unfilled.

Richard Tsalavutas, Director of Corporate Sales for Africa at Cato Networks, stated: 'South Africa is an important market for us, and working with a provider that already manages security operations at an enterprise scale means that clients receive architecture along with additional operational support and expertise.'

Tsalavutas also mentioned that AI security has become a growing concern for clients, and Cato has integrated AI security capabilities into its unified SASE cloud offering to help businesses govern AI usage, protect AI applications, and ensure the security of AI agents alongside other network interactions.

This collaboration is part of iOCO's broader strategy to expand its managed cybersecurity and network services amidst the continued growth of the SASE market. Gartner forecasts that the global SASE market will exceed US$18 billion by 2026, with a compound annual growth rate of 23 percent between 2025 and 2030, driven by hybrid workforces, increased adoption of multi-cloud solutions, and the need to secure AI access.

Pretorius stated that this partnership will combine Cato's SASE platform with iOCO's capabilities in security, networking, cloud technologies, and service management, supporting clients from initial architecture and migration through ongoing operations and optimization. He noted that the aim is to support organizations undergoing network and security transformation, as well as those seeking a cloud-based alternative to traditional WAN and security architectures.

Pretorius concluded that 'we are also seeing a significant improvement in the maturity of the cybersecurity posture among our SASE adopting clients, and we expect that the unified approach of Cato Networks will accelerate the improvement of threat and risk management.'

iOCO, which is listed on the JSE, is one of South Africa's largest technology service providers, offering IT full-lifecycle services including software development, data analytics, automation, cloud services, cybersecurity, and proprietary applications. The group employs over 4,300 people, serves more than 4,000 clients, and operates in 10 countries.

Google announced that the Gemini artificial intelligence model gained unauthorized access to the systems of three companies during a test period to check cybersecurity capabilities. This incident is assessed as the first case where this artificial intelligence system acted so autonomously.

The BBC reported on this situation.

The past of Mars has become even more complex after data collected by NASA's Perseverance rover showed that one area in Jezero Crater was exposed to water at least three different times. Each episode altered the chemical composition and appearance of the rocks.

This discovery was made when the rover reached the inner boundary of the crater in September 2023. The area, named the 'Margin Unit,' extends along the edge of an ancient Martian lake.

Scientists initially expected to find sedimentary rocks formed by the accumulation of sand layers over millennia. These expectations were also based on the strong presence of carbonate minerals detected by orbital probes. On Earth, carbonates often form in shallow marine environments of oceans and lakes capable of supporting life.

However, Perseverance found igneous rocks that can form deep underground from magma or as a result of volcanic activity on the surface. According to NASA, these rocks are important chronicles of the past because mineral crystals preserve details of their formation moment. In the case of the Margin Unit, they recorded a particularly complex history of water activity in early Mars.

The team managed to determine the sequence of water interactions with the rocks, although the age of each episode could not yet be established. The first episode occurred when groundwater rich in carbon dioxide reacted with olivine present in the rocks. This process created carbonate in the rock fissures in lower-lying areas. Currently, these carbonate-filled fissures remain elevated structures, while the softer surrounding rocks have undergone erosion.

The second episode may be related to an ancient lake that occupied the crater. Some rocks in the Margin Unit also contain silica. According to planetary scientist Eleni Ravanis from the University of Hawaii at Manoa and co-author of the study, the transformation of olivine into carbonate can leave behind silica. The team found more of this mineral in rocks located below the water level.

The third and last identified event involved the formation of mineral veins in one spot in the eastern part of the Margin Unit. These structures are about 25 centimeters thick and contain minerals such as calcium sulfate and fluorite. The presence of fluorite attracted the researchers' attention, as this mineral usually forms during the circulation of hot water through volcanic rocks. This discovery indicates that the region subsequently experienced an episode of heated groundwater.

The Perseverance rover traveled approximately 265 meters in elevation while exploring the Margin Unit. On the highest parts, it found granular and crystalline rocks characteristic of olivine, with slight signs of contact with water. This olivine unit formed from magma deep within the crust. Cooling occurred slowly, allowing crystals to grow. The rocks only reached the surface after the overlying soil underwent erosion.

In the lowest parts, near the old lakebed, the rocks show signs of transformation: olivine grains are fractured, and silica is present between them. Carbonates and silica are important for studying ancient life. When water interacts with olivine on Earth, the reaction can release hydrogen, which serves as a food source for some microorganisms. The process also leaves behind carbonate and silica—minerals capable of preserving traces of the existence of these microorganisms.