Companies use CyberArk primarily to establish robust identity security, safeguarding their critical assets from cyber threats by managing and securing all human and machine identities. Its identity security platform is the first line of defense against malicious actors and unauthorized access to protect what matters most, making it a crucial tool for modern cybersecurity strategies.
CyberArk provides a comprehensive suite of solutions that help organizations mitigate risk, enforce least privilege, and comply with stringent regulatory requirements.
The Core Problem: Identities are the New Perimeter
In today's interconnected digital landscape, traditional network perimeters are dissolving. Attackers no longer focus solely on breaking through firewalls; instead, they target identities – user accounts, administrative credentials, application secrets, and machine identities – to gain unauthorized access and move laterally within an organization's systems.
Compromised identities, especially privileged ones, are the leading cause of data breaches, ransomware attacks, and insider threats. This is where CyberArk's specialized focus on identity security becomes indispensable.
Key Reasons Companies Choose CyberArk
Companies adopt CyberArk for several strategic reasons, addressing critical cybersecurity challenges:
1. Robust Privileged Access Management (PAM)
CyberArk is a recognized leader in Privileged Access Management (PAM), which is crucial for controlling "keys to the kingdom" – accounts with elevated permissions (e.g., local administrators, domain admins, root accounts, service accounts, DevOps secrets).
- Securing Privileged Credentials: It centrally stores, manages, and rotates privileged passwords, SSH keys, and other secrets, removing them from vulnerable spreadsheets or hardcoded locations.
- Just-in-Time Access: It grants elevated privileges only when needed and for a limited time, minimizing the window of opportunity for attackers.
- Session Monitoring and Recording: Privileged sessions can be monitored in real-time and recorded for forensic analysis, providing an audit trail for accountability and compliance.
- Enforcing Least Privilege: It ensures that users and applications only have the minimum necessary access to perform their tasks, significantly reducing the attack surface.
2. Preventing Data Breaches and Ransomware
By securing and managing identities, CyberArk significantly reduces the risk of successful cyberattacks.
- Stopping Lateral Movement: If an initial foothold is gained, CyberArk prevents attackers from using stolen credentials to move deeper into the network.
- Mitigating Insider Threats: It monitors and controls access for internal users, helping to detect and prevent malicious or accidental misuse of privileges.
- Protecting Endpoints: Solutions like Endpoint Privilege Manager remove local administrator rights from end-user workstations, preventing malware (including ransomware) from escalating privileges and spreading.
3. Securing Modern IT Environments
CyberArk extends its identity security capabilities across various complex IT environments.
- Cloud Security: It secures access to cloud infrastructure (AWS, Azure, GCP) and manages privileged identities within cloud environments.
- DevOps and Application Security: It automates the secure management of secrets (API keys, database credentials) used by applications and in CI/CD pipelines, preventing hardcoding and enhancing DevSecOps practices.
- Hybrid and Multi-Cloud: Provides a consistent identity security framework across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud deployments.
4. Meeting Compliance and Audit Requirements
Many regulatory frameworks (e.g., GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX) mandate strict controls over privileged access and data security.
- Audit Trails: CyberArk provides detailed logs of all privileged activities, demonstrating compliance with security policies.
- Policy Enforcement: It enforces granular access policies, ensuring that only authorized individuals and systems can access sensitive resources.
- Simplified Audits: The comprehensive reporting capabilities streamline the audit process, proving adherence to regulatory standards.
5. Enhancing Operational Efficiency
Automating identity and access management tasks leads to greater efficiency and reduces administrative burden.
- Reduced Manual Effort: Eliminates the need for manual password rotation and credential management.
- Streamlined Provisioning: Automates the secure provisioning and de-provisioning of access for users and applications.
- Improved User Experience: Provides secure, single sign-on access to critical systems for authorized users, while maintaining strong security controls.
How CyberArk Helps Businesses
The table below summarizes the key challenges companies face and how CyberArk provides solutions to deliver tangible benefits:
| Challenge Companies Face | How CyberArk Helps (Key Solutions) | Resulting Benefits for Companies |
|---|---|---|
| Cyberattacks Targeting Identities (e.g., phishing, credential theft, ransomware) | The CyberArk identity security platform acts as the first line of defense against malicious actors and unauthorized access. It secures and manages all identities, especially privileged ones, which are frequently targeted. | Prevents unauthorized access, stops lateral movement of attackers, significantly reduces the risk of data breaches and system compromise. |
| Insider Threats & Abusive Privileges | Enforces least privilege, ensuring users and applications only have the necessary access for their tasks. Monitors and records privileged sessions. | Minimizes the impact of insider threats, both malicious and accidental. Provides detailed audit trails for accountability. |
| Complex Credential Management (e.g., shared passwords, hardcoded secrets, forgotten credentials) | Centralizes management of privileged credentials and application secrets, automating rotation and secure storage. | Eliminates reliance on insecure practices, improves operational efficiency, reduces human error. |
| Regulatory Compliance & Audits | Provides comprehensive audit logs, reporting, and policy enforcement capabilities. | Simplifies compliance with regulations like GDPR, HIPAA, PCI DSS by demonstrating control over access. |
| Securing Modern IT Environments (cloud, DevOps, remote work, IoT) | Extends identity security across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, secures CI/CD pipelines, and protects endpoints. | Ensures consistent security posture across diverse IT landscapes, enabling digital transformation securely. |
By focusing on identity as the new control plane, CyberArk empowers organizations to proactively defend against advanced cyber threats, maintain operational agility, and build trust in their digital operations.
