Category: Identity Governance

Identity Governance comprises of Identity Management and Governance.

Identity Management is the process of Automation of JML Activities while adhering to the organizational/geographical laws.

Identity Governance helps in “Verification of Excess of Stale Privileges”.

Password Management for Okta Administrators using CyberArk PVWA 

Posted on by Leela Krishna Paluru in Okta
  • Introduction
  • Pre-Requisites
  • Use case Overview
  • Technical Demonstration
  • Conclusion
  • Reference Links

Introduction: 

As Organizations continue to adopt cloud-based identity and access management solutions like Okta, securing administrative access to these platforms has become a top priority. Okta administrators possess elevated privilege allowing them to manage user identities, configure security policies, and access sensitive data. However, this also makes them a prime target for attackers seeking to exploit these privileges. 

To mitigate this risk, it is essential to implement a robust password management solution that can securely store, manage, and rotate administrative credentials. Okta manages password in cloud and the organization desires to manage passwords on-premises using CyberArk Password Vault. 

To address the integration challenge, we will implement a comprehensive solution that integrates Okta with CyberArk PVWA using SAML 2.0. This integration will enable secure and automated management of Okta admin account passwords, reducing the risk of password-related security incidents and ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements. As part of this solution, two admin accounts will be created in Okta: one non-privileged account to access Okta user dashboard, and a second one Privileged account which will be linked to CyberArk PVWA. The Privileged account will receive a password generated by CyberArk, which will be used for authentication. Using SAML 2.0, the admin will log in to Okta using the privileged account credentials, with the password provided by CyberArk. This will ensure secure and compliant access management and password management processes, streamlining administrative tasks and reducing the risk of security breaches.

Pre-requisites: 

  • Okta tenant, CyberArk PVWA tenant and Active Directory with a Domain. 
  •  Active Directory must be integrated with CyberArk and Okta. 

Use case Overview:

Please refer to the below video to have an understanding about Okta & the use case around integrating CyberArk Password Vault with Okta.

Technical Demonstration:

Here’s the technical walkthrough on the integration between CyberArk Password Vault & Okta.

Conclusion: 

The integration of Okta with CyberArk PVWA provides a comprehensive solution for managing Okta administrator passwords, enhancing security, and improving compliance. By automating password rotation, expiration, and compliance, organizations can reduce administrative burdens and minimize the risk of password-related security incidents. With real-time visibility and control over password management, organizations can respond swiftly on security incidents and ensure the integrity of their identity and access management systems. Overall, this integration provides a robust and scalable solution for securing Okta administrator passwords and protecting sensitive resources and applications. 

Reference Links:

Setup SSO | Okta 

SAML authentication | CyberArk Docs 

Integrating SailPoint IIQ with Okta

Posted on by Akshit Konaperthi in Okta
  • Introduction
  • Prerequisites
  • Usecase Overview
  • Technical Demonstration
  • Conclusion
  • Reference Links

Introduction

In today’s digital landscape, many organizations face significant challenges in securely managing access to their sensitive data. These unchecked identity challenges often result in vulnerabilities, data breaches, and difficulties in ensuring that only the right individuals have the appropriate access. This solution offers a robust answer to these issues by simplifying and strengthening access control with a governance view. By integrating Okta with product like SailPoint IdentityIQ (IIQ), organizations can strengthen their identity governance and automate the provisioning and de-provisioning processes. This integration ensures that users are granted access solely to the resources they need, thereby minimizing security risks and ensuring compliance.

To get started, organizations need to configure SSO and Okta connectors within Sailpoint IIQ, which link their systems and data sources to enable seamless and secure access management across the enterprise.

Prerequisites

Usecase Overview

Please watch the video to understand why we are integrating SailPoint IIQ with Okta and the specific use case for this integration.

Technical Demonstration

In this video, we’ll show you how to integrate SailPoint IIQ with Okta. We’ll cover setting up SSO, configuring the Okta Connector, and mapping Okta attributes to SailPoint. We’ll also demonstrate how admins manage access reviews and how users can access SailPoint IIQ from Okta.

Conclusion

On a closure note, with all the steps carried out in this use case, it is fair enough to say that we have successfully integrated SailPoint IIQ with Okta, which enhances access management by governing the right identities have access to the right resources. Along with that achieving identity lifecycle management by ensuring synchronized access and governance policies are harmonized between the products. This integration reduces manual processes, increases compliance, and streamlines access control across the organization. Regular monitoring and fine-tuning of policies ensure the integration remains effective as the organizational needs evolve.

Reference Links

Integrating SailPoint IIQ with Okta

Best_Practices_Integration_Guide

Okta Custom Login URL and Branding 

Posted on by Sanjay Selvaraj in Okta
  • Introduction
  • Problem Statement
  • Solution
  • Usecase Overview
  • Technical Demonstration
  • Conclusion
  • Reference Links

Introduction

In today’s enterprise environment, providing a seamless and branded login experience is essential for user engagement, security, and brand identity. Companies using Okta for identity management often seek to customize their login portals to cater to different user such as employees, contractors, and partners. A custom login page not only enhances the user experience but also reinforces the company’s branding and can improve security by providing distinct, role-specific access points. 

This blog describes how to set up personalized login URLs and pages for employees and contractors/partners, enabling each user to enjoy a customized login experience while utilizing Okta’s identity management features.

Problem Statement 

Organizations typically have a diverse set of users, including employees, contractors, and business partners. These users may need to access different resources, apps, and tools, but they may also have different access control policies and security requirements. The need for custom login experiences arises from the following challenges: 

  • Brand Consistency: The login experience should reflect the company’s branding and visual identity. 
  • Role-based Customization: Different users (employees, contractors, partners) may have different access levels and login requirements. 
  • User Segmentation: Having a single login page can be confusing for users from different groups who may have different authentication mechanisms or access privileges. 
  • Security and Compliance: Separate login pages can help implement role-based security policies more effectively. 

Solution 

To address the problem, we propose the following solution using Okta’s customization features: 

Custom Logon URLs and Pages for Different Users 

  • Employee Login Page: A custom URL like https://employeelogin.company.com will serve employees, presenting the company’s branding and specific employee-related apps. 
  • Okta Customization: Okta provides options to customize the login page through its “Okta Sign-In Widget” and “Custom Sign-In Pages.” These tools allow for integrating branding elements (e.g., logos, colors), different authentication methods (e.g., MFA), and a dynamic user flow tailored to each user group. 

Usecase Overview:

Check out the presentation below to explore how to configure a Custom Domain in Okta, including the benefits of custom branding and DNS configurations for a seamless user experience.

Technical Demonstration:

Check out the demo below to see how to configure a Custom Domain in Okta, customize the sign-in page, and apply DNS configurations for a fully branded and secure Okta experience.

Conclusion 

Customizing the Okta login experience for different users like employees, contractors, and partners helps enhance security, improve user experience, and maintain consistent branding. By using Okta’s flexibility in customizing login URLs and pages, along with role-based access control, organizations can ensure that each group has the appropriate level of access while maintaining a branded, user-friendly login process. 

Reference Links

Custom Domains & Branding | Okta 

Use an Okta-managed certificate

Use your own TLS certificate

CyberArk PAM Master Policy

Posted on by Supreeth Avula in CyberArk, Technology

The Master Policy

Managing and securing privileged access across diverse IT environments is complex and prone to vulnerabilities. Without a centralized approach, inconsistencies in policy enforcement can lead to security breaches and compliance issues.

Using CyberArk’s PAM Master Policy helps standardize and enforce security and compliance policies consistently across all platforms, reducing the risk of unauthorized access and enhancing overall security.

CyberArk’s PAM Master Policy offers a simple and intuitive way to manage an organization’s security policy.

The Master Policy enables us to configure the security and compliance policy of privileged accounts in an organization from a single pane of glass. It allows us to configure compliance-driven rules, which will be defined as the baseline for the organization.

Master Policy: Rules

The Master policy is divided into four higher-level and compliance-driven policy sections, such as:

  1. Privileged Access Workflows
  2. Password Management
  3. Session Management
  4. Audit

Each of the above sections has a set of rules and offers better visibility and control over policy configurations and enforcement.

Master policy rules
Image: Rules of the Master Policy

Master Policy: Exceptions

Master policy settings, when configured, can be applied to most privileged accounts in the organization. However, a few privileged accounts may need to deviate from these global settings for various reasons. We can create exceptions for the accounts that need to deviate from the configured global settings.

Master Policy: Presentation

The following video will explain CyberArk PAM’s Master Policy and it’s rules in detail. Below are the topics covered as part of this video:

  • The Master Policy
  • Master Policy: Main Concepts
  • Master Policy: Rules
  • Master Policy: Configuring a Rule
  • Privileged Access Workflows
  • Password Management
  • Session Management
  • Audit
  • Exceptions
  • Combining Privileged Access Workflows
CyberArk PAM Master Policy: Technical Presentation

Master Policy: Technical Demostration

The following video will provide a detailed technical demonstration on configuring the Master Policy:

CyberArk PAM Master Policy: Technical Demonstration

Conclusion

In conclusion, managing privileged access across diverse IT environments is complex and prone to vulnerabilities. The CyberArk’s PAM Master Policy standardizes and enforces security and compliance policies, reducing the risk of unauthorized access. 

ENH iSecure plays a crucial role in this ecosystem by providing comprehensive support and expertise in implementing and managing CyberArk’s PAM Master Policy. With ENH iSecure, organizations can ensure that their privileged access management is not only effective but also aligned with industry best practices and compliance requirements.

Pass Through Authentication via Active Directory in SailPoint IdentityIQ

Posted on by Kashyap Kota in Sailpoint

Pass Through Authentication (PTA)

In today’s digital age, secure authentication is crucial for all kinds of organizations. Pass Through Authentication enables users to access resources seamlessly without the need for maintaining credentials in on-prem infrastructure. The user credentials are validated against the organization’s directory service such as Active Directory without the need to store credentials. PTA is used commonly in hybrid environments where organizations want control over authentication while integrating with cloud services. The diagram below depicts the process of Pass Through Authentication via Active Directory in SailPoint IdentityIQ.

Image: Pass Through Authentication via Active Directory

  1. A user requests to log in to an application, in our case, SailPoint.
  2. The application (SailPoint) secures the credentials by encrypting them.
  3. The login configuration is checked and found out to be Pass Through Authentication.
  4. The credentials are validated against Active Directory.
  5. After successful validation, the user is logged in.

Advantages

⦁ Pass Through Authentication ensures the credentials are not stored, reducing the risk of exposure.
⦁ Simplifies user management by validating with a directory system like Active Directory.
⦁ Provides real-time authentication, ensuring accurate and up-to-date access control.
⦁ Offers seamless experience as users can log in to on-prem and cloud-based applications using the same credentials.

Let’s have a close look into Pass Through Authentication in below video.

In this video, a detailed demonstration on Pass Through Authentication via Active Directory and usecases like AD Birthright Provisioning are discussed.

SailPoint Identity Security Cloud Launcher and Launchpad

Posted on by Prince Singh in Identity Governance, Sailpoint, Technology

Introduction

SailPoint Identity Security Cloud is a comprehensive Identity and Access Management (IAM) solution designed to help organizations manage user access to critical systems and applications efficiently and securely. Within IdentityNow, Launcher and Launchpad are key components that enhance user experience and streamline access management processes.

Launcher

Launcher is a feature within IdentityNow that allows users to manually initiate interactive processes related to access management. It is tied to entitlements and can be assigned to users through regular governance practices. Here’s how it works:

  • Manual Initiation: Users can manually start processes such as access requests, certifications, and reviews.
  • Entitlements: The launcher is linked to specific entitlements, ensuring that users have the appropriate permissions to initiate these processes.
  • Governance Integration: It integrates with IdentityNow’s governance framework, allowing for seamless management and oversight of access-related activities.

Launchpad

Launchpad is a centralized interface within IdentityNow that provides users with a single point of access to various identity management tasks and applications. It offers a user-friendly and intuitive way to navigate and manage identity-related activities. Key features include:

  • Centralized Access: Users can access different identity management functions from one place, improving efficiency and ease of use.
  • Customization: The launchpad can be customized to meet the specific needs of an organization, allowing for personalized dashboards and workflows.
  • Self-Service Capabilities: Users can perform self-service tasks such as password resets, access requests, and profile updates directly from the launchpad.

Creation Flow for Launcher and Launchpad

Together, Launcher and Launchpad enhance the user experience by providing intuitive and efficient ways to manage access and identity-related tasks within IdentityNow.

In the video below, I have thoroughly explained Launcher and Launchpad, along with Forms and Workflow, using a simple presentation:

In this video, I have vividly explained the entire process of Launcher and Launchpad using real-life analogies:

Machine Identity Management in SailPoint Identity Security Cloud

Posted on by Anirudh Rajagopal in Identity Governance, Sailpoint, Technology

Introduction

The age of AI and automation is here. With organizations all around the globe leveraging Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, more and more tasks and processes previously done manually, are now being automated. This leads to the creation of several machine accounts dealing with Robotic Process Automation (RPA), privileged service accounts for authenticating requests from an external system, and the like. Consequently, organizations are spending more time and resources managing the access held by these non-human accounts in every application, which can often lead to complicated situations as there is no centralized view of the same.

Why Machine Identity Management?

As described above, organizations are automating mundane processes, and thus more machine accounts are being created. These accounts can be difficult to manage and govern in a standalone environment, considering the lack of ownership and effective ways to control and manage their access. The following are some statistical insights on machine accounts shared by SailPoint: –

This gives a clear picture as to how AI, Automated Scripts and Robotic Processes are taking over the workplace, which signifies the difficulty as well as importance of managing these machine accounts.

The solution – SailPoint Machine Identity Security

This is where SailPoint’s Machine Identity Security jumps in. It offers a robust set of features to:-

  • Discover any accurately configured machine account on any source
  • Classify the accounts as machine accounts, by using an account attribute/set of attributes (eg, in Active Directory, if there are machine accounts containing the word “bot” in their sAMAccountName, we can use this account attribute to classify these accounts as machine accounts in SailPoint)
  • Assign a human owner to a machine account. This identity will be responsible for reviewing the access held by the machine account in a certification campaign
  • Correlate the machine accounts to machine identities
  • Certify the machine account’s access using Certification Campaigns

The diagram above depicts SailPoint Machine Identity Security, which aggregates machine accounts from various applications such as Active Directory, SAP and Web Service and manages them under a single platform i.e., Identity Security Cloud.

Advantages

There are several advantages to using SailPoint Machine Identity Security: –

  • It provides clear visibility and insights on all machine accounts across various applications.
  • It provides tools to automate the management of machine accounts. This eliminates the need to maintain and manage these accounts and their access manually, such as on excel sheets.
  • Human owners can be assigned to machine accounts, ensuring accountability, risk detection and mitigation.
  • Access reviews via Certification Campaigns help ensure that machine accounts follow the principle of Least Privileged Access Control.

Let’s have a close look at how SailPoint Machine Identity Security works in the following video: –

The following video is a deep dive demonstration of SailPoint Machine Identity Security: –

Hope this blog gave you some insights into how you can use SailPoint Machine Identity Security to effectively classify, manage and govern machine accounts from any source. Please share your thoughts and feedback in the comment box below.

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Duo Two-Factor Authentication for SailPoint Identity Security Cloud

Posted on by Sravanthi Pedduri in Cyber Security, Sailpoint

What is Duo

Duo is a two-factor authentication solution that helps organizations boost security by verifying user identity, establishing device trust, and providing a secure connection to company networks and applications.

Why Duo

Duo is fast, easy and flexible. Passwords and even basic Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) aren’t enough to keep you safe from today’s attackers. Duo gives you the extra layers of protection you need for secure access management. With this setup, Duo two-factor authentication (2FA) is added as a verification option for account unlocking and password resets.

Prerequisites to integrate Duo

  1. Configure SailPoint Web application and copy ClientID, secret and hostname these details are required for SailPoint integration.
  2. Add users and enroll them in the application. User should have an account in SailPoint.

Technical Overview:

Here’s the technical demonstration on the integration of Duo

Use case Demonstration – Integration flow:

Please refer to the below video to have an understanding about Duo integration

SailPoint configuration

  1. The steps to be done in SailPoint tenant for duo integration
  2. First in SailPoint, integrate the Duo and then check the test connection after successful test connection
  3. Enable multifactor Authentication in Identity profile
  4. And select duo web in Password Reset and Unlock Settings
  5. Now you are all set to use duo authentication

Duo 2FA for Identity security cloud password reset

  1. With duo integration user can reset his password
  2. First user has to proceed to reset password
  3. Enter the username
  4. Then you should enter the passcode received from duo after successful duo authentication you can able to set new password

Duo 2FA for Identity security cloud Unlock account

  1. If the user account got locked, then he can unlock his account with duo integration
  2. First user has to proceed to unlock account
  3. Enter the username
  4. After successful duo authentication your account will be unlocked

 

A Deep-Dive into Okta Sign-On Policies

Posted on by Tanuja Bhogi in Okta
  • Introduction
  • Usecase Overview
  • Usecase Demonstration
  • Challenges
  • Conclusion
  • Reference Links

Introduction:

In today’s digital landscape, organizations rely on various applications to enhance productivity, necessitating secure access for diverse workforces, including remote employees and contractors. To ensure secure access for remote workers using new devices, implementing Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) is essential. When accessing sensitive applications from unrecognized devices, Okta prompts for MFA, requiring additional authentication steps such as a one-time password or biometric verification. Administrators can set contextual-behavior based sign-on policies to determine when MFA is necessary, enhancing security and reducing unauthorized access risks, while logging all attempts for monitoring and auditing.

Usecase Overview:

Please refer to the below video to have an understanding about Okta Sign-On Policies focusing on their structure, functionality, and how they enhance security using contextual behavior detection methods.

Usecase Demonstration:

This demonstration offers a comprehensive overview of the Sign-on Policies in Okta, highlighting the practical application with a common scenario around WFH / remote employees.

Challenges:

In general, many organizations encounter various challenges when it comes to user access management: 

  • Securing access for remote employees, contractors, and full-time staff who require varying levels of access to applications. 
  • Ensuring consistent user attributes and access permissions across all applications. 
  • Demonstrating compliance with security standards by implementing strong access controls and monitoring user activity. 
  • Minimizing administrative overhead associated with managing user identities and access. 

Conclusion:

Implementing Okta for centralized security management enables organizations to leverage the platform’s robust features and benefits. By setting up user groups, integrating applications, configuring session policies, and enabling MFA, companies can create a secure and efficient identity management system that meets their specific requirements. 

Reference Links:

Global session policies | Okta Docs

Authentication policies | Okta Docs

Multifactor authentication | Okta Docs

Behavior Detection | Okta Docs

Risk scoring | Okta Docs


Integrating Active Directory with Okta’s Universal Directory

Posted on by Sanjay Selvaraj in Okta
  • Introduction
  • Understanding Okta Universal Directory
  • Key Features of Okta Universal Directory
  • Prerequisites
  • Usecase Overview
  • Technical Demonstration – Integration flow
  • Conclusion
  • Reference Links

Introduction

Active Directory (AD), a directory service developed by Microsoft for Windows domain networks, is primarily used for authentication and authorization, helping organizations manage user access to resources. However, as organizations increasingly adopt cloud-based applications, managing user access across disparate directories has become a challenge for traditional Active Directory (AD)/LDAP systems. Each cloud service often introduces its own user store, leading to a proliferation of login credentials and making it difficult to maintain consistent, secure access control.

This complexity can result in administrative headaches, such as trouble deactivating user accounts when employees leave and a lack of visibility into resource access. To address these issues, many companies turn to Okta, an identity management platform that integrates seamlessly with Active Directory, bridging the gap between on-premises and cloud environments. By using Okta, organizations can continue to leverage their existing AD or LDAP services for user authentication while centralizing User Lifecycle Management, providing a unified dashboard for administrators to ensure consistent, secure access control across all systems.

Understanding Okta Universal Directory 

Okta Universal Directory is a centralized platform designed for managing user identities from various sources. As a core component of the Okta Identity Cloud, Universal Directory provides a centralized view of all users and their respective attributes, making it easier for IT teams to oversee and manage user data. This product enables organizations to maintain a unified profile for a user, no matter where their data comes from. This capability is especially advantageous for enterprises with multiple user directories, as it simplifies user management and bolsters security. 

Key Features of Okta Universal Directory 

  • Centralized User Management: Universal Directory allows you to manage all your user identities in one place. This means that whether your users are employees, partners, or customers, you can easily create, modify, or deactivate their accounts without jumping between different platforms. 
  • Integration with Multiple Sources: It allows integration with various identity sources, including Active Directory (AD), LDAP, and HR systems like Workday. This flexibility ensures that organizations can consolidate user information from different platforms seamlessly. 
  • Customizable User Profiles: Universal Directory supports both Okta user profiles and app-specific user profiles. This capability allows organizations to define and manage user attributes tailored to their applications, ensuring that each app only accesses the data it needs. 
  • Customizable User Attributes: With Universal Directory, you can customize user attributes to fit your organization’s unique needs. This flexibility enables you to collect and store specific information relevant to your users, such as job titles, department details, or location data. 
  • Real-Time Synchronization: Changes made in AD, such as user updates or account deactivations, are synchronized in real-time with Okta. This ensures that terminated employees lose access immediately, enhancing security and compliance. 
  • Delegated Authentication: The integration allows for delegated authentication, meaning that users can authenticate against AD without needing direct access to the AD environment. This feature simplifies the authentication process while maintaining security. 

Prerequisites

Okta Tenant: 

  • You must possess an account with Super Admin role privileges. 

On-Premises Active Directory: 

  • The host server should have at least two CPUs and a minimum of 8 GB RAM.  
  • Host server running Windows server 2016 & above.  
  • .NET framework 4.6.2 and above.  
  • The host server should be a member server part of the same domain.  
  • Okta agent installation wizard should be executed from the host server.  
  • An account with Domain administrator privileges for domain discovery & AD agent application installation in the host server.  
  • Delegated Authentication – Enables the users to use their AD credentials to access Okta & downstream applications. This feature is enabled by default.

Usecase Overview:

Check out the video below to explore Okta’s Universal Directory and how it works with Active Directory integration. Along with that, benefits of Universal Directory & the integration flow.

Technical Demonstration – Integration flow:

Here’s a technical demonstration, a step-by-step approach explaining the integration between Active Directory and Okta.

Conclusion 

Integrating Active Directory with Okta not only streamlines identity management but also enhances security and user experience. With Okta’s Universal Directory, organizations can manage user identities more effectively, ensuring that they are well-equipped to handle the demands of a cloud-first world. This integration empowers IT teams to focus on strategic initiatives rather than being bogged down by the complexities of traditional identity management systems. 

Reference Links

Active Directory Integration | Okta Docs

User Management | Okta Docs