In this episode of IGEL Weekly, Andy Whiteside sits down with Chris Feeney from IGEL’s Office of the CTO to explore a critical, often overlooked element of disaster recovery—endpoint resilience. They unpack how IGEL is addressing business continuity challenges with innovative solutions like IGEL Dual Boot and USB Recovery, enabling organizations to recover in minutes rather than days.

Chris shares insights into the growing importance of securing endpoints amid rising ransomware threats and operational disruptions like the recent CrowdStrike incident. The conversation dives into:

• Why most organizations fail to plan for endpoint-level recovery
• How IGEL’s dual-boot architecture bridges the gap between prevention and recovery
• Real-world examples of minimizing downtime during breaches and outages
• The future of endpoint strategy as SaaS, browsers, and cloud PCs reshape IT infrastructure

Tune in to learn how IGEL is redefining endpoint continuity and setting a new standard for security and business resilience.

In Episode 103 of IGEL Weekly, host Andy Whiteside and Chris Feeney dive deep into what it means to truly rethink endpoint strategy in 2025. Using James Millington’s recent blog as a guide, they explore IGEL’s Preventive Security Model — a lightweight, adaptive, and policy-aligned approach that moves beyond the bloated, reactive stacks of the past.

From Zero Trust architecture and business continuity planning to repurposing hardware for sustainability and simplifying mergers and acquisitions, Andy and Chris share how IGEL unifies hardware, applications, and security into a failsafe foundation for any organization. Whether you’re managing thousands of endpoints or just a few dozen, this conversation reveals why it’s time to break from the status quo and design for a secure, flexible, and future-ready digital workspace.

I recall a few years ago buying a new car, it was a Hyundai Coupe, I’d never seen one before and thought I’d get something different.

As soon as I got the key and drove it, I saw them all over the place!

Not so unique after all.

This phenomenon is called ‘Intentional Blindness’ or ‘Perceptual Blindness’, when we don’t notice something in our field of view because we are busy focusing on something else.

I think this is akin to the pervasiveness of Digital Signage, it is everywhere we simply don’t see it.

Until it goes wrong…

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney

At IGEL DISRUPT 2024 in Munich this week, Lenovo presented its vision of how generative AI’s next advancement will involve personalizing end-user devices. This means that computers, phones, tablets, and other devices will soon be able to understand the context of our activities and adapt to how we prefer to work.

Overall, the concept of adding AI at the endpoint is gaining a lot of traction. In 2023, Adobe reported that 77% of all devices use some form of AI. Lenovo sees the future of AI moving to a background-running service, first appearing locally in high-end and then consumer devices and eventually becoming ubiquitous across all environments, allowing incredibly high-power models to function at low-power demand.

Lenovo, in partnership with IGEL, has already taken steps to implement these innovative features.

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney

In this episode, Rene talk about the power of the IGEL community, and what makes it so sticky!

Additionally we dive into some product discussions.  Did you know that IGEL OS 11 is going end of life in December 2025.

Finally, we close things out with a discussion of the IGEL Disrupt conference, and it's rebranding to IGEL Now and Next

Host: Barry Browne
Co Host: Rene Recker

There are many exciting announcements that are happening at this year’s annual IGEL DISRUPT event in Munich, one of which was the addition of the Island Enterprise Browser to the IGEL App Portal. In case you missed it, here is everything you need to know about the partnership between IGEL and Island and what it means for end-user computing. 

IGEL’s partnership with Island offers a uniquely agile workspace with unmatched security and optimized workflows. Here are six key benefits users will experience: 

• Zero trust access for applications to protect data 
• Frictionless onboarding and administration 
• Easy app installation and updates 
• Familiar browser interface options 
• Increased enterprise performance 
• Reduced power consumption 

Adding the Island Enterprise Browser offers a secure alternative to desktop virtualization for organizations already using IGEL OS. When paired with the Island Enterprise Browser, IGEL’s Preventative Security Model is a proven solution that provides simplified endpoint management and a familiar browsing experience.  

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney

Windows 10 goes end of life on the 14th of October 2025. By that date, Microsoft will stop providing free software updates from Windows update, no technical assistance will be offered and lastly, there will not be any more security fixes. Security fixes are a crucial part, and if you are on a system where a new vulnerability is exposed, and no more security fixes are going to be provided, you are in big trouble. Looking at last year’s increase of cyberattacks with ransomware, and how it affects companies, that is not an option!

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Bill Sutton
Co-host: Chris Feeney

IGEL helps companies to quickly recover, whenever productive work comes to a halt due to an IT outage.

IGEL offers a secure read-only lightweight Linux Operating System allowing you to convert existing PC’s to IGEL OS or boot from USB (thus not affecting the existing Operating System or data) whilst in a Disaster Recovery situation, allowing users to connect to services such as VDI, DaaS and\or WEB and SaaS applications.

In a DR scenario IGEL OS will work without the need for management infrastructure to be setup and configured, simply boot to IGEL OS, download evaluation licenses for 90 days; install any client applications you require to connect to your VDI, DaaS and\or WEB and SaaS applications and get your users back up and running FAST.

This may also have the advantage of granting the IT team breathing space whilst they continue to troubleshoot any ongoing outages.

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney

In response to the increasing cyber threats identified by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), including the aggressive ransomware campaigns by the Black Basta group, IGEL’s Preventative Security Model™ stands as a critical defence mechanism for the healthcare industry. This model prioritizes proactive prevention over merely reactive measures, ensuring that healthcare organizations are not just responsive but fortified proactively against sophisticated malware and ransomware attacks that exploit endpoint vulnerabilities. As threats like Black Basta continue to evolve, employing advanced tactics such as spear phishing and exploiting critical vulnerabilities within commonly used software, the emphasis on robust endpoint security and comprehensive threat prevention strategies has never been more crucial.

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney

Join Seb and I, along with a special guest host on this episode of the IGEL community podcast.

In this episode, we talk about IGEL Disrupt in Munich, IGEL Secure in London, IGEL Disrupt roadshow, and of course, all the IGEL community news that you could ever ask for.

Host: Barry Browne
Host: Sebastien Perusat
Host: Rene Recker

Links:  Behind the Hedgehog Podcast (https://open.spotify.com/show/3nuUydpmdeUzXGgdIsAW2h?si=9939beed97374f7a)

Join Seb and I for a long overdue episode of the IGEL community podcast.

We are fresh of the heels of IGEL Disrupt North America, so we go over the 20 announcements made at the event.  We then deep dive into a handful of the key announcements.  What they are, what they mean, and when we should expect them to be released.

Host: Barry Browne
Co-Host: Sébastien Pérusat

IGEL, provider of the secure endpoint OS for now and next, today from IGEL DISRUPT 24 announced that it has released a new program for IGEL app developers along with a software development toolkit (SDK) to empower the rapid delivery of new and proven solutions for IGEL customers and their supporting ecosystem. Resulting apps from developer program vendor members using the new SDK will be added to the growing IGEL App Portal which now features 50 validated apps for use in IGEL-powered environments, providing customers with fast and flexible updates and functionality.

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney

IGEL, provider of the secure endpoint OS for now and next, today from IGEL DISRUPT 24 announced new innovations with Citrix, a business unit of Cloud Software Group, which enhance the security and digital work experiences of their mutual customers. IGEL announced that the IGEL OS will be among the first Linux OSs to deliver support for Citrix® Enterprise Browser, which works in concert with Citrix® Secure Private Access to provide zero trust access across virtual, web, and SaaS applications from a unified platform with common policies and observability. Citrix also announced planned Linux support with Citrix uberAgent®, which IGEL plans to support upon availability, enabling comprehensive endpoint monitoring of their devices.

“Citrix is excited to extend the reach of our security and observability solutions to Linux and to partner with IGEL on the integration of our offerings for our joint customers,” said Sridhar Mullapudi, executive vice president and general manager, Citrix, a business unit of Cloud Software Group. “Citrix and IGEL are enabling any enterprise that wants to secure their employees, IT environment and content while delivering a more secure device posture without compromising user experience.”

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney

In today’s ever-evolving threat landscape, ensuring the security of endpoints and cloud workspaces is not just essential but a strategic imperative for enterprises. Enter IGEL – the epitome of comprehensive preventative endpoint security. Here are 10 plus one compelling reasons why IGEL stands tall as the ultimate choice for securing your endpoints across VMware, Citrix VDI, and Azure Virtual Desktop (AVD) cloud workspaces....

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Aaron Banner
Co-host: Chris Feeney

IGEL’s Preventative Security Model™ provides a secure endpoint OS for your use case.

It’s clear from the headlines that today’s approach to endpoint security isn’t working: take your OS, install antivirus, the latest XDR and DLP, make a lot of settings, harden that with custom scripts, install your applications, keep updating those applications and the OS and the AV and DLP….. and hope that all these steps keep the wolf from the door and the ransomware out of your systems.  Does your business financial data, personal health information or any other data feel secure?

With many of today’s workloads moving from the endpoint to SaaS, DaaS, VDI or being accessed through secure browsers, and many organizations looking at how to apply Zero Trust, isn’t it time to re-evaluate the endpoint?

What if you could put an endpoint OS into your workforce’s hands that was designed for the cloud-first world that doesn’t need high levels of care and feeding to remain healthy? Something that is more robust by its nature, that had built-in preventative components or measures, as in “Prevention is better than cure.”?

IGEL OS applies a number of core principles that make it a secure choice as an endpoint OS – the Preventative Security Model™.

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney

Join Seb and I as we look at 2023 in the IGEL Community.  We talk all things, good bacd and ugly.

We then get into the details about IGEL rebranding, and of course, everyone's favorite topic - IGEL Disrupt 2024.


Host: Barry Browne
Host: Sebastien Perusat

IT admins are having to deal with many challenges on the rocky road to digital transformation. The importance of security, cloud adoption, cost savings, and the rapid evolution of SaaS-based applications is driving organizations to a hybrid workspace that requires different approaches to how endpoints are deployed, used, managed, and controlled.

While the demand for applications is increasing, organizations are choosing to deploy a variety of platforms that bring together a hybrid mix of on-premises, virtual, and cloud-based workspaces in their environments. Whereas users expect more flexibility to work when and where they prefer, on their endpoint devices of choice with applications that ‘just work’.

This shift towards cloud-based workspaces promotes a SaaS approach to deploy applications, which combines a number of components to provide expanded functionality as a service. Therefore, it has become vital to deploy tools that allow organizations to not only get an inventory of their used applications but also to understand how they are being deployed and used in their environments.

Stratusphere UX monitors application performance by providing detailed metrics and diagnostics data that reveal blind spots to support IT teams and CIOs in making data-driven decisions.

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney
Co-host: Jaime Reynolds

This week, Seb and I nerd out a little bit about the upcoming F1 race in Las Vegas.  Sure to be a mess!

On top of that, we also take time to discuss the official IGEL KB, vs the community-moderated Github Docs repository.

With the new Slack client comes new woes.  Not to worry, we have Seb coming to the rescue with some awesome new workflows that will be introduced to the community in the coming weeks.  Listen to the episode to get that sneak peek.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of our American listeners, and happy Nikolaus day to our German audience.

Host: Barry Browne
Co-Host: Sebastien Perusat

p.s.  Here is the spelling of the IGEL abbreviation.

Intelligente Gesamtlösung in der Mikroelektronik

The IGEL community is getting ready to celebrate its sixth anniversary, so it is hard to believe that we are over 11,000 members strong!

Join Seb and I during this episode where we talk about the community, community events, rugby, and of course IGEL releases, features, and functionality.

Host: Barry Browne
Co-Host: Sebastien Perusat

The principle of ‘waste not, want not’ was first declared 300 years ago. It is a reasonable idea, to avoid wasteful use of resources and provide for a more secure future. However, the principle has lost ground; the IT environment being one example. A spending study by Flexera reports underutilization or wasted IT spending of 36 percent for desktop software, 33 percent for data center software, 32 percent for SaaS and 32 percent for IaaS/PaaS.

The study confirms that enterprises continue to spend needless dollars and use precious IT time, loading up their hardware endpoint devices with up to a dozen pieces of software – and required agents – before the end user can even work productively with the device. It also confirms some of this software spend never even makes it to the desktop.

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney

We are back from an unintentional summer hiatus of the IGEL community podcast.  Join Seb and I as we walk through the various changes within IGEL leadership.

We also dive into some great technical content (REST API, PSIGEL), and some other awesome nerdiness.

Host: Barry Browne
Host Sebastien Perusat


Links:  
https://github.com/IGEL-Community/PSIGEL
https://videos.igelcommunity.com/tech-qa-with-chris-fleck-citrix-vice-president-technical-fellow-and-psigel-powershell-module-for-igel-with-falk-heiland-igel-vip/

From pension funds to healthcare providers, ransomware is still finding plenty of victims. After a post-pandemic drop, the rate of ransomware is accelerating. Two groups getting attention are CIOp and BlackCat (ALPHV). Cl0p’s MOVEit Transfer hack to date has affected 15 million people and 121 organizations, including two large pension funds, CalPERS and CalSTRS. BlackCat (ALPHV), skilled at exfiltration, threatened to leak photos and sensitive data of a plastic surgeon’s patients and, according to a Check Point report, previously leaked patients’ photos and medical records after an attack against American healthcare provider LVHN earlier this year.

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney
Guest: Jason Mafera

Bring power and performance to your hybrid workforce with the beautifully designed HP Elite mt645 Mobile Thin Client. The fast, efficient AMD Ryzen™ processor combined with enterprise-level security and flexible manageability elevate your day-to-day.

Effectively work in the office or remotely with advanced networking options and premium features. Get long-term productivity and tackle heavy workloads with the AMD Ryzen™ 5000 series processor and varied connectivity options.

Get peace-of-mind with premium features that help protect your device from the BIOS to the browser. Designed for hybrid environments with firmware TPM 2.0 hardware-based encryption keys and other versatile security options.

Durably designed with a refined aesthetic, carry this striking mobile thin client with confidence. The sturdy chassis can withstand daily wear and tear and undergoes MIL-STD testing. Keep it clean with common household cleaning wipes.

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney

In waving goodbye to our hardware business, shifting to a subscription model, and bringing to market our ground-breaking COSMOS platform, IGEL is setting the course towards a promising future that is rich with innovation. The narrative unfolding within IGEL Ready mirrors this pattern of advancement and transformation.

The growing IGEL Ready ecosystem, comprised of the industry’s best hardware and software partners, is a point of pride and offers a strong foundation for future growth and innovation. As we continue to down this path with our 130+ IGEL Ready partners, IGEL is optimizing the program to align with our collective goals and objectives more closely.

Host: Andy Whiteside
Co-host: Chris Feeney

With the release of the IGEL COSMOS platform, there was bound to be some confusion around COSMOS, what it is, and why should I care.

In this podcast Sebastien and Barry walk through the top handful of misunderstandings taken directly from the IGEL Community, and real-world customer scenarios.

Host: Barry Browne
Cohost: Sebastien Persuat