BeyondTrust adds clarity to reduce password management risks

BeyondTrust has announced BeyondTrust PowerBroker Password Safe 5.5. The new version of BeyondTrust’s privileged password management and privileged session management solution enables data feeds from privileged password activity, user and account behavior to be incorporated into the Clarity threat analytics capabilities of BeyondInsight, the company’s IT Risk Management Platform. Further enhancements include securing the use of SSH keys, simplifying the administration of dual accounts, new deployment options and reporting capabilities, as well as expanded platform support.

Since many exploits involve the abuse of privileged credentials in conjunction with a vulnerability, PowerBroker Password Safe’s solution integration makes it easier for customers to uncover emerging risks in the organization, pinpoint specific at-risk systems, report on the findings, and take action to eliminate the threat. This is made possible by BeyondInsight Clarity, which automatically taps into a rich database of information from company desktops and servers to set baselines for normal behavior, observe changes, and identify anomalies that signal critical threats. Now with Password Safe 5.5, privileged password management data is a part of the equation.

Password Safe automates privileged password and privileged session management. The solution provides secure access control, auditing, alerting and recording for any privileged account – from local or domain shared administrator, to a user’s personal admin account, to service, operating system, network device, database and application accounts – even SSH keys.

“Findings from our recent Privilege Gone Wild 2 survey indicate that over half of organizations without a solution in place manage shared passwords ‘individually’ and that 34 percent share passwords ‘locally,’” said Brad Hibbert, CTO, BeyondTrust. “The results from the survey revealed that enterprise password management is a continuous battle to protect privileged information and resources. By incorporating password data as a part of BeyondInsight Clarity, customers will recognize and neutralize potential threats based on user behavior and existing threat intelligence.

PowerBroker Password Safe 5.5 improves on key features and capabilities with unmatched levels of security, accountability and control. New features include:

· Simplified SSH key management for better control and accountability
· Dedicated user account mapping, which simplifies administration
· Option to download Password Safe 5.5 as a software-only deployment
· Reporting, workflow and administration enhancements, such as ad-hoc session data as a part of the “session activity report”
· Expanded platform and device support