CyberArk expands privileged account security solution

CyberArk has introduced comprehensive Secure Shell (SSH) key management with the release of version nine of CyberArk Privileged Account Security Solution. Customers can now secure and manage SSH keys as well as other privileged credentials in a single, integrated platform to identify, manage and protect against advanced external attackers and malicious insiders.

Widely used by IT teams to get direct, root access to critical systems, SSH keys are often created without any oversight or management, essentially providing ongoing, uncontrolled privileged access to the target system. Research by Ponemon Institute showed that three out of four enterprises have no security controls in place for SSH keys and that 51 percent of enterprises have already experienced an SSH key-related compromise.* Further, because SSH keys are commonly used in automated application-to-application authentication, keys can be created, distributed and never thought of again, leaving systems riddled with unknown and undocumented vulnerabilities ready to be exploited.

“Cyber attackers know that hundreds of thousands of SSH keys exist in large enterprises and they exploit this situation to gain privileged access to critical systems. In an attempt to simplify trust and connectivity, organisations unwittingly leave giant holes in their defences,” said Roy Adar, vice president of product management, CyberArk. “Our focus is on preventing exploited privileged accounts through any attack vector, and therefore the protection of SSH keys is a natural expansion for our Privileged Account Security solution – one that will immediately improve our customers’ security.”

Key benefits include:
· Securely manage privileged accounts accessed through passwords or SSH keys from a single platform to protect, detect, monitor and respond to potential threats
· Discover how many SSH keys exist, where they are located, how they’re being used and the potential risks they pose
· Prevent SSH keys from being stolen by securely storing them in a hardened, central storage location
· Eliminate ‘timeless’ keys that create a permanent backdoor into critical systems by automatically rotating all SSH keys at regular intervals
· Extend controls to secure SSH keys used in Amazon Web Services UNIX images
· Support audit and compliance teams with full SSH key session recording

“Attackers are looking for ways to blend in with normal IT operations as long as they can and by hijacking an SSH key, they gain direct, seemingly legitimate access to critical systems that are very difficult to detect,” said Adar. “Customers are asking for solutions that prevent legitimate IT operations from being exploited by criminals, without compromising the company’s ability to stay competitive.”

In addition to SSH key management, CyberArk Privileged Account Security Solution v9 enables customers to:
· Reduce the cost of managing UNIX user provisioning through agentless Active Directory bridging capabilities, while increasing security with complete session monitoring
· Eliminate hardcoded passwords from applications and scripts using an agentless web services-based approach