Current trends in cyberspace create interesting job prospects for future generations of IT and communications professionals.
The cyber world is a fundamental phenomenon of our time. It is a new space in which we spend more and more time in our work and private lives. For most users, it is a world full of entertainment, multimedia communication, and education. For technical professions, it is undoubtedly a world full of interactions between powerful technologies, applications and services; a world of current trends and future technical, technological and security challenges.
OPTOKON, a.s. - is a company that not only realizes the huge boom in the field of communication and information systems and cyberspace, but also creates a stable and permanent promising environment for its construction. "We are building the future of our company by expanding our capabilities and the competencies of our employees, but at the same time, we feel a growing need to strengthen partnerships at various levels with other companies and customers, both nationally and internationally," says Jiri Stefl, CEO of OPTOKON Group, adding that "overcoming current and future technological and security challenges is impossible without synergy and cooperation."
One of the main activities of OPTOKON is the development and production of custom-made components for the construction of communication and information modules, which are then deployed to meet the needs of the Joint Forces of the Czech Republic Army. A key element of the company's portfolio is the secure LMCP (Land Mobile Computing Platform). As part of the final deployment, it forms the imaginary heart of a command and control center or armored or combat vehicle system. This powerful server is complemented by a switch to fully service all connected ICT components.
In addition to reliability and performance, it is also secure. For example, the device is equipped with a wipe button so that all data on the disks can be deleted before any misuse by the enemy. The LMCP's basic features also include powerful software, virtualization, operating systems, and a centralized monitoring and diagnostic system. It is not just for proprietary components in the network. The system can also be used by users from communication and information systems. Even these users can check and correct any errors using the procedures provided. In the basic view, the system shows a plan of the facility where the system is installed in which the system is installed, e.g. a military vehicle. The operator will be informed about the error and its about the error and its location in this component of the vehicle, which speeds up the solution of the problem. Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
In addition to the LMCP product, the company's product portfolio also includes secure phones, switches, and routers that are based on the Cisco Systems platform. "We have become a Cisco Solution Technology Integrator. This partnership, unique to the Czech Republic, allows us to produce our own products using Cisco Systems components and supply them to customers around the world," says the Director of the ICT Division, Eng. "There is also interest in these products abroad, which allows us to take a position as the world's leading supplier of these devices. OPTOKON, a.s. is also active in the field of cybersecurity and actively cooperates with many leading manufacturers and companies dealing with cybersecurity issues. The company's products include effective tools for detecting cyber incidents that can generate security reports for use in planning and evaluating military operations. The common denominator of security solutions built on the OPTOKON platform is the automation or early detection of an operational or cyber incident and automatic and immediate response. "That's why we make our systems as autonomous as possible," adds Dr. Thomas Müller.
Another interesting area of security, in addition to operational and cybersecurity, is information security, where OPTOKON is a provider of security gateways that connect different networks with different levels of confidentiality. The gateways can recognize the security level of certain information and safely and securely route it to the intended recipient. "We are responding to the growing needs of customers to transfer information between different security domains and thus create a basic environment for transferring different types of security between networks," says Jiri Stefl, engineer.
Artificial intelligence is among the main trends and challenges in cyberspace. That's why OPTOKON's development department has recently added hardware support for machine learning to its product portfolio.
"Our company's server products can run applications and services using artificial intelligence elements. This expands the possibilities of using our portfolio in the future," concludes the engineer. "Since last year, our portfolio also includes the OPTTA product, which is designed for machine learning directly in the field. This will allow us to introduce completely new, not only security applications and services for the Joint Forces and users from the Czech Army."
And it is the OPTTA product that can be used as part of the so-called FOTAS system, which, based on the detection of perimeter violations, for example, a large open area protected by an optical cable, registers even the slightest movement. The fundamental advantage is that, unlike a video surveillance system, there is no need to power the active elements, as the system emits nothing and cannot be detected. It is ideal for perimeter protection solutions where the size of devices can reach tens of kilometers.
The key element in OPTOKON's development is cooperation and synergy. Collaboration with partners and customers, as well as with the younger future generation, is vital. The company offers a number of areas of cooperation with high schools and universities, as well as opportunities to engage students during their studies. This provides an opportunity to gain first-hand experience with ICT and cyberspace from the perspective of a future specialist, expert, and communicator.
a technical specialist, expert, and communicator. "In the beginning, you don't need any fundamental skills, you just need a desire to work independently, learn new things, overcome current challenges and not be afraid of future ones - much more important," says engineer. more important," says engineer Tomasz Müller, director of the ICT division at OPTOKON. At the same time, building relationships with the industry relationships with the industry is a fundamental prerequisite.
The Czech Army also needs new talents, future technologies and experts in the field of communication and information systems, and OPTOKON fully supports and cooperates with the new generation of communication specialists. This is due to the fact that relations with communication technologies need to be constantly developed, and technologies are impossible without professional personnel, both on the manufacturer's side and on the user's side.