Only 24% of IT leaders say they are extremely confident in their organisation’s ability to address mainframe vulnerabilities over the next year, according to a Researchscape survey commissioned by Rocket Software. The company is launching a unified portfolio to address that gap.
Rocket Software has launched Rocket z/Assurance, a portfolio of risk and compliance management tools specifically designed for IBM Z environments. The announcement comes as organisations running hybrid infrastructure that includes mainframes face increasing pressure to demonstrate continuous compliance and evidence of effective controls.
The portfolio bundles six capability areas. Rocket z/Assure Vulnerability Analysis Program identifies code-level and integrity exposures that traditional configuration scans can miss. Rocket z/Assure Continuous Vulnerability Monitor tracks emerging exposures as the Z estate changes, reducing the window between a new vulnerability appearing and it being identified. Rocket z/Assure Patch gives teams visibility into missing security patches across the estate. Rocket z/Assure Compliance automates policy adherence checks and control validation to build audit-ready evidence. Rocket z/Assure Quantum assesses cryptographic inventories and quantum-related exposures across z/OS, z/VM, and Linux on Z. A sixth component, with AI-driven assistance for interpreting findings and prioritising remediation, is described as expected and not yet shipping.
“Modernisation decisions increasingly depend on an organisation’s ability to understand and manage risk across its most critical systems,” said Phil Buckellew, president of infrastructure modernisation at Rocket Software. “When leaders have clear visibility into where risk exists and confidence that their IBM Z environments remain protected, security becomes an enabler of innovation and modernisation rather than a barrier to progress. It allows organisations to move faster, make informed decisions, and focus resources where they can have the greatest impact.”
Rocket’s framing centres on a specific dynamic: that mainframe security and modernisation programmes are increasingly intertwined, and that the traditional approach of treating mainframe security as a static audit exercise is inadequate when AI is accelerating the speed at which vulnerabilities can be discovered and exploited. The 24% confidence figure from the Researchscape survey is the headline number; Rocket has not published the full methodology or sample size.
Rocket Software serves more than 13,500 customers globally and has more than 3,000 employees. It is privately held and headquartered near Boston.
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