Enhancing Workspot Security Posture with CyberArk and Qualys

  • Published on Jul 16, 2024
  • 6 minute(s) read
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This Article Applies to Workspot Elite Customers Only

Executive Summary

In an era of heightened cybersecurity threats, organizations must implement stringent security measures to protect sensitive information and guarantee the continuity of their businesses in this age of increased cybersecurity threats. CyberArk and Qualys are essential cybersecurity solutions that can dramatically improve an organization's security posture if appropriately implemented. Since Workspot is the industry's preeminent provider of cloud-native EUC solutions, it makes excellent use of these features. This article elucidates how Workspot incorporates CyberArk and Qualys into its security strategy, fortifying its defenses against potential cyberattacks.

CyberArk

CyberArk is a leading provider of Privileged Access Management (PAM) and Cloud Entitlement Manager (CEM) solutions. It safeguards privileged accounts, which are often primary targets for cyber attacks due to their high level of access and control over critical systems and data.

One significant advantage of CyberArk is its capability to ensure secure gateway access, which effectively removes human access to Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS) credentials and ensures that administrators only have the permissions necessary to perform each job function. This reduces the risk of unauthorized access and potential breaches.

Furthermore, CyberArk enhances the audit functionality of Workspot's security architecture. For example, recording sessions automatically provides a crucial audit trail that can be shared with customers, fostering transparency and accountability.

Lastly, CyberArk offers invaluable IP spoofing protection, filtering out packets with hidden or spoofed IP addresses and enhancing the security of remote connections.

CyberArk and Workspot

Workspot leverages CyberArk to enhance the security of remote desktop gateways. The key benefits are as follows:

  • Secure Gateway Access: CyberArk allows Workspot to connect securely to the gateway, removing human access to IaaS credentials and reducing the risk of unauthorized access.

  • Audit Functionality: CyberArk automatically records sessions, providing an audit trail to share with customers.

  • Brute Force Attack Protection: CyberArk, along with Qualys, alerts Workspot to any brute force attacks, allowing the company to quarantine the affected gateway.

  • IP Spoofing Protection: CyberArk helps to filter out packets with hidden or spoofed IP addresses, enhancing the security of remote connections.

Cyberark CEM (Cloud Entitlements Manager)

At Workspot, adhering to the Principle of Least Privilege is a key security pillar, which is effectively executed using Cyberark's Cloud Entitlements Manager (CEM). This crucial practice minimizes the risk in cloud environments by methodically reducing excessive permissions without disrupting regular operations. CEM implements remediations swiftly, based on Least Privilege principles, all viewable within a single interface, thereby optimizing Workspot's ability to control unnecessary access rights.

Cyberark CEM, through an intelligent combination of IAM entity data and Artificial Intelligence (AI), assigns exposure level scores to each unique identity, environment, and platform. This allows Workspot to efficiently map the most immediate paths to risk reduction and routinely review their permissions exposure, enhancing overall cloud security.

Using the IAM services on each platform, CEM identifies and maps permissions across the entire cloud estate. This includes detecting configuration risks such as Shadow Admins, individuals with specific sensitive permissions capable of escalating privileges in the cloud, which often escape tracking by the native IAM tools of cloud providers.

Cyberark CEM systematically collects usage data for all presently granted permissions, pinpointing excessive or dormant ones that can be safely removed with negligible impact on regular operations. It uses this data to score permissions based on the extent of access granted, generating an exposure level score that quantifies and represents the overall permissions risk of each environment.

By harnessing the power of AI, CEM creates accurate, instantly deployable JSON policy remediation that removes only unnecessary or excessive permissions, thereby decreasing risk while preserving access needed for ongoing operations. These AI-driven recommendations are tailored to the specific risks associated with each provider and are governed by the principle of least privilege.

Workspot's compliance with leading industry frameworks and best practices for cloud security is enhanced by enforcing the least privilege through CEM. API and Webhook integrations also allow relaying Exposure Level scores to security tool workflows, boosting their effectiveness. Therefore, Cyberark CEM's advanced functionalities fortify Workspot's security posture, providing an assured, high-level cybersecurity environment.

Cyberark Privilege Cloud

Privileged access presents a significant security risk to modern businesses, extending across infrastructures and applications, whether they are on-premises or in the cloud. In its appropriate context, privileged access ensures system maintenance, automation of operations, and protection of sensitive data and guarantees business continuity. Yet, when mishandled or misused, privileged access could lead to serious security breaches, including theft of confidential data and substantial harm to the organization.

The majority of cyberattacks exploit privileged access. Malicious insiders and external attackers can misuse privileged access to disable security systems, take over critical IT infrastructure, and access private data, among other harmful actions.

In this context, Workspot leverages CyberArk Privilege Cloud, a powerful SaaS solution, to bolster its support for Cloud Service Provider (CSP) customers and hybrid and Bring Your Own Cloud (BYOC) scenarios. Privilege Cloud enables Workspot to store, rotate, and isolate credentials securely for both human and non-human users while also providing scalable risk reduction and the capability to monitor sessions.

Encompassing on-premises, cloud, and hybrid infrastructures, Privilege Cloud effectively safeguards, manages, and monitors privileged access. By applying this advanced solution, Workspot enhances its cybersecurity posture, effectively mitigating risks associated with privileged access and ultimately improving the security of the overall digital ecosystem.

Qualys

Qualys is a leading provider of cloud-based information security and compliance solutions. Its suite offers real-time visibility into an organization's IT security and compliance posture.

Qualys provides customers with a proactive approach to managing vulnerabilities. Workspot can anticipate threats and patch vulnerabilities by constantly detecting Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs).

The capability of Qualys to detect threats is another significant advantage of the product. In addition, Workspot is provided with an all-encompassing picture of its clients, geographies, and Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) thanks to the monitoring services provided by Qualys for all gateways.

In addition, Qualys pinpoints areas in need of patching, guaranteeing that Workspot's information technology infrastructure is always current and protected. In addition, it ensures conformity with various benchmarks and government standards, lowering the possibility of incurring penalties for non-compliance.

The End Point Detection and Response (EDR) management offered by Qualys, which is installed on the gateways, provides an additional layer of protection for Workspot. Because of this, the 24x7 Operations staff can efficiently monitor the IT environment.

Qualys and Workspot

Workspot integrates Qualys into its production RD Gateways. This enhances the company's security strategy in the following ways:

  • Vulnerability Management: Qualys continuously detects Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs), allowing Workspot to address threats and vulnerabilities proactively.

  • Threat Detection: Qualys monitors all gateways for threats, giving Workspot visibility across all customers, regions, and CSPs. This monitoring extends to potential brute force attacks, with alerts triggering immediate action.

  • Patch Management: Qualys identifies patch requirements, aiding Workspot in maintaining an up-to-date and secure IT infrastructure.

  • Compliance Monitoring: Qualys monitors the company's IT infrastructure according to CIS benchmarks and government standards, ensuring compliance.

  • End Point Detection and Response (EDR) Management: Qualys VMDR + EDR runs on the gateways for reporting, enabling Workspot's 24x7 Operations team to monitor the IT environment effectively.

Data Management and Customer Transparency

Qualys collects security-related data from servers while user data remains untouched. A subset of this data will be available in Workspot Control, aligning with the company's commitment to transparency.

Workspot's Security and Operations team manages Qualys, utilizing its data and recommendations in security operations planning. This includes immediate action on zero-day and severe threats and customer notifications of these events and any suspicious activity.

Conclusion

Workspot has developed a security approach that is both comprehensive and reliable by combining the capabilities of CyberArk and Qualys. CyberArk strengthens the security against unauthorized access, while Qualys ensures proactive threat and vulnerability management by providing proactive threat and vulnerability management. When used in conjunction with one another, these two solutions offer Workspot a strengthened defense system against cybersecurity threats. In addition, this mechanism ensures that Workspot's solution is protected and controlled with the highest possible level of security. This investment corresponds with best practices, demonstrates Workspot's dedication to data security, and reaffirms Workspot's position as a trusted partner in cloud-native VDI solutions.