CyberArk Secure Cloud Access

I worked on Fortinet before, and now I am working on an altogether different vendor ecosystem that focuses more on Cybersecurity Operations Center . I currently work with IBM QRadar , CyberArk Secure Cloud Access , and a few other cybersecurity vendors.

I use these tools for my own service operating model. I am currently building a managed security services provider where I use these tools for building my security operations center and helping enterprise customers fight against cyber threats and build resilience.

I use this solution for providing zero-trust network access and application security to cloud-based workloads.

Their presence in the European market and the cloud-based SaaS consumption model is the most exciting aspect for customers.

Their claims are quite promising, and their risk score rating for different cyber threats is particularly exciting so that customers can gauge the impact of cyber threats and prioritize their remediation efforts.

For integration with SIEM , they have a good telemetry ecosystem that can be forwarded using syslog and API-based integration. This unified telemetry ecosystem allows SIEM  to ingest logs and events seamlessly.

The efficacy of the solution is more or less specific to particular use cases rather than generic use cases. The solution is quite good, but it may not be applicable for all scenarios. For cloud workloads on a hyperscaler, this solution is sufficient. However, for specific use cases and how enterprises are using hybrid multicloud scenarios, the solution requires more flexibility in deployment and needs to have its efficacy tested in a hybrid multicloud scenario.

Role-based access control is not going to enhance cyber resilience, but it is more for the efficacy and optimization of resources that manage cyber resilience programs.

This product should be made available in various clouds in India because India now has the DPDP compliance requirement so that data from India-based deployments or India-based customers remains in India. This way, they can make these tools available widely on all hyperscaler cloud ecosystems in India so that enterprises can use them while keeping their compliance requirements in mind.

I have been using this solution for a few months.

I have conducted only theoretical and a little bit of practical evaluation. I have not deployed this in production, so I cannot comment on the stability of the platform because I have not used it for my production workload or in my lab workload. I conducted a theoretical evaluation and performed a few tests. I cannot comment on stability based on my experience.

I have not encountered any scalability issues. Usually, these cloud platforms are built with elastic scale in mind, so I do not think the platform will hit any scalability issues.

The setup is straightforward. Nowadays every SaaS solution is designed and architected with the understanding that deployment is intuitive, and even with moderate skills, an engineer can deploy it seamlessly.

Technically, the solution matches the offerings from different service providers. In that way, I think they are quite competitive. However, this is use case specific for workloads hosted on a public cloud. I think this is a promising platform.

CyberArk Secure Cloud Access  is a good and promising solution, but the efficacy of the solution is more or less specific to particular use cases rather than generic use cases.

Privileged access management, governance, and audit are the primary use cases for CyberArk Secure Cloud Access . For audit and governance purposes, you want visibility into who accesses what, at what time, and what they do. When deploying CyberArk Secure Cloud Access , you gain this visibility. If you need to audit something that has already happened, CyberArk Secure Cloud Access can help you understand who performed an action. For example, if a database administrator logged into a device or operating system via SSH, CyberArk Secure Cloud Access monitors the person so you know exactly what they did. If there is downtime caused by human error, perhaps a configurational error by a networking administrator, the PAM solution can help you understand that Isaac performed this action at this specific time and that action caused the downtime.

CyberArk Secure Cloud Access also prevents risks because you must go through the platform to access the environment, which limits your risk surface area and reduces risk overall. There are many reasons that organizations deploy CyberArk Secure Cloud Access. Some deploy it because it is part of their policy or standard, others deploy it for risk reduction, and others deploy it because they want to audit what their people are doing and manage their metrics.

Dynamic role-based access enhancement increases security based on user IDs and identification. You map users to applications by taking the application ID and user ID. Dynamic role-based access helps you identify which user is accessing what, with what device, at what time, and the level of access the person has for doing what they are doing.

Audit trails are the main functionality of CyberArk Secure Cloud Access. By monitoring the privileged activities that are occurring, CyberArk Secure Cloud Access gives you visibility and insight while mapping every log and providing meaning to the logs of whatever is happening. There is even live recording of whatever you are doing. When you log into a system, CyberArk Secure Cloud Access monitors the activities you are performing. If you log into a Windows operating system and access applications, it continuously records until you log out of the system and saves that recording.

CyberArk Secure Cloud Access involves substantial effort when performing on-premises deployments. The SaaS or cloud version is less time-consuming compared to the on-premises deployment. With on-premises deployment, you must do a great deal, including spinning up the infrastructure itself and adding it to the HSM before integrating or onboarding where you want to control through PAM. This requires significant human resources.

The deployment complexity may not be entirely accurate in my assessment because it has been a while since I left the engineering aspect and moved into more managerial roles. Before, when I was using it, too many components were involved in CyberArk Secure Cloud Access deployment. You need to understand every component because the least mistake results in being completely locked out of the system. Having too many components makes the deployment difficult and is not easy to understand. You have to be technically inclined to perform the deployment successfully.

I used the solution since 2019.

CyberArk Secure Cloud Access operates in real-time for monitoring purposes. You must go through CyberArk Secure Cloud Access to access what you want to access. If CyberArk Secure Cloud Access is down, you cannot access anything, which is a double-edged sword. It becomes more secure overall, but when that security measure is not in place, you cannot access your environment. This is especially problematic when using a trial version of the license. If the trial license expires before you activate your product, that becomes a significant problem.

The scalability of CyberArk Secure Cloud Access depends on the organization and how large the organization is for which you are onboarding or deploying the solution. If you have extensive infrastructure, then CyberArk Secure Cloud Access takes considerable effort to implement. However, if you have a small to medium-sized enterprise, you can typically complete your deployment in roughly a week.

We were partners and a Tier 1 partner with CyberArk Secure Cloud Access, so the support was very high. I even know the regional engineer for CyberArk Secure Cloud Access for both West Africa and East Africa. The support was really excellent. We could log cases and receive help. We could jump on a session with an engineer to assist us. As long as you have a license from them, the support is available during deployment. The level of support depends on the kind of support you have. Because we were a Tier 1 partner with CyberArk Secure Cloud Access, the support was excellent. They have even come down to Ghana to provide support.

CyberArk Secure Cloud Access has vast out-of-the-box integration interfaces. It integrates into almost everything within the enterprise infrastructure. I would rate this review an 8 overall.

I use CyberArk Secure Cloud Access  for managing privileged access and maintaining security. My work involves secure tunnels between on-premises and the cloud. I create secure environments using VPN, CPM , and PSM servers both on-premises and in the cloud, and handle installations and configurations across a variety of systems including physical, cluster, and virtual servers.

CyberArk Secure Cloud Access  offers high availability, ensuring no downtime as it is cloud-based. The solution provides robust security features essential for financial and banking sectors to avoid network and connectivity issues or security breaches. CyberArk's integration capability is highly valuable, as it allows seamless management of privileged accounts across various databases, network devices, and operating systems, unlike other products that require additional API development.

CyberArk Secure Cloud Access has limitations in support for on-premise teams. When issues arise with the VPN portal or the frontend, the admin team must directly engage the vendor, which can be time-consuming. It is important for critical support to respond within fifteen to twenty minutes to minimize business impact.

I have been using CyberArk products for over eight years. My experience covers several versions, most recently from version 10.5 to the latest 14.4, and I have been involved in the total implementation, installation, and configuration for more than forty clients.

Technically, CyberArk's deployment is efficient, but sometimes for critical cases, the response time can be delayed. There is a need for immediate vendor support in urgency, especially for severe issues that impact the business significantly.

CyberArk Secure Cloud Access ensures high availability with its cloud infrastructure, minimizing downtime. It is highly stable and reliable.

The technical support from CyberArk is generally good. They adhere to SLAs, and most issues are resolved effectively. However, for critical cases, support response needs to be quicker. Sometimes, contacting the right team for severe issues can take longer than preferred.

The initial setup of CyberArk Secure Cloud Access is straightforward, given its proactive communication and support in terms of providing updates and new features regularly through client conferences.

I am involved in implementing and configuring CyberArk across numerous setups, including integrating it with third-party solutions like Qualys and SailPoint.

I am not directly involved in pricing aspects, but I am aware that CyberArk is considered costly compared to other products. Nonetheless, its comprehensive security and functionality justify its price.

Overall, I would rate CyberArk Secure Cloud Access around eight or nine. I recommend CyberArk Secure Cloud Access because it offers unmatched security features, essential for critical sectors like finance and banking, despite being more expensive than other solutions. I give it a rating of 8 out of 10.