Security | Threat Detection | Cyberattacks | DevSecOps | Compliance

In a typical enterprise environment, NTP server configurations may differ not just between vendors, but even across OS variants within the same vendor. Ensuring that these configurations are correct and standardized is critical for time synchronization, which underpins security, logging, and automation.

We are proud to share that Forward Networks has been recognized by Fortune and Great Place to Work on not one but three lists in 2025: These honors mean a lot to us, not only because the competition is fierce, but because they are based on employee feedback. Recognition on multiple lists is a signal that our people feel connected, valued, and inspired to do their best work. That is what matters most. Awards are exciting, but they do not happen by chance.

“AI is just automation by a different name.” It’s a bold claim—but one that Brandon Heller, CTO and co-founder of Forward Networks, and Howard Holton, CEO of GigaOm, unpack in a way that will make you think. In their recent conversation on Discovering Disruptions in Tech, they make the case that artificial intelligence, especially generative AI, is not delivering brand-new capabilities.

Cisco devices don’t warn you before rebooting with unsaved changes. A missed write memory means the running config is lost—and the device reloads with an outdated startup config. That’s how critical updates disappear, outages happen, and incidents get escalated. Manually checking for this drift across hundreds or thousands of devices is tedious and error-prone.

The Forward Networks platform creates a complete digital twin of your network—but the power of that data multiplies when it’s accessible via API. Whether you’re pushing insights into dashboards, validating changes before rollout, or automating ticket generation, the API puts your network state into your workflows.

Agentic AI—the emerging class of autonomous systems that can plan, decide, and act with limited human oversight—has become one of the most talked-about technologies of 2025. The promise is enormous: faster operations, automated decision-making, and the ability to handle complexity at scale.

At DAFITC 2025, Forward Networks drew attention with a field-ready booth and tactical charm, but the real conversation centered on operational readiness in cybersecurity. This post highlights three major themes from the event that reflect the evolving needs of Air Force cyber operators, and how digital twin technology is helping address them.

Network teams often risk costly disruptions when aging or unsupported hardware slips under the radar. With Forward Networks’ Network Query Engine (NQE), you can proactively identify devices approaching End‑of‑Sale (EOS) or End‑of‑Life (EOL), plus enforce hardware/software compliance at scale. Get ahead of risks, reduce technical debt, and align your infrastructure with business goals—automatically.