ForgeRock is Modernizing IAM

Rachel Gillis | Thursday, January 28, 2021

ForgeRock is Modernizing IAM

Increased Cloud Usage Brings Increased Cyberfraud Concerns

Digital transformation and the migration of computer services to the cloud are driving the need for more comprehensive security systems to protect against unauthorized access. Continuing data breaches demonstrate the inadequacy of outdated and perimeter-based security systems. The number of stolen credentials available on the dark web is up over 300 percent, fueling an increase of account takeover (ATO), which jumped over 280 percent between Q2 2019 and Q2 2020. And the problem is not just with external threats. The cost and frequency of insider threats is increasing, too.  ForgeRock provides the most comprehensive identity platform on the market to help organizations protect themselves against internal and external threats by providing a simple, flexible, comprehensive Identity Access Management (IAM) solution.

 Threat and Theft Trends Demonstrate the Need for Modernized IAM 

Long gone are the days when a simple username and password were sufficient enough to protect an organization from unauthorized actors getting access to their systems. There are over 15 billion stolen credentials for sale on the dark web, and cybercriminals can purchase them for as little as $15.43 for consumer credentials to more than $3,139 for credentials for an organization’s key systems. Some consumer credentials have even been posted for free in open text. These credentials — especially when they give access to cloud administrator accounts — represent a significant threat to modern computing systems. To provide an additional level of security, many organizations have implemented two-factor or multi-factor authentication (MFA), requiring a second means of identification before access is granted.

However, the need for increased credentials security to keep cybercriminals out isn’t the only problem organizations face. The number of incidents due to insider threats is also on the rise, increasing by 47 percent from 3,200 in 2018 to 4,716 in 2020. Legacy perimeter-based access systems don’t provide sufficient security when the bad actor is inside the firewall. Once inside the network, a user with a specific authorization level can access nearly any operation or application that every other user at that level can access, regardless of whether they need it or not. For example, a user with a cloud service admin account can access and reconfigure all the infrastructure-as-a-service, platform-as-a-service and applications connected to that account level.

 Organizations need to incorporate just-in-time (JIT) access, where users are allowed access to applications and information only when they need it, as well as zero-trust access, where users — even those inside the network — need to be authenticated and authorized each time they request access to an asset, data or application. Accordingly, comprehensive IAM solutions have become critical to organization security.

 Another recent trend is the growing popularity of cloud access service brokers (CASBs). To help manage increasingly complex security measures, organizations use CASBs to extend the reach of their on-premises access policies to rapidly changing, dynamic cloud environments. CASBs can be either on-premises or cloud-based software deployed between cloud service users and cloud applications to monitor activity and enforce security policies.

The ForgeRock IAM Solution

The cost of data and security breaches makes it imperative that organizations deploy comprehensive IAM solutions designed to protect the organization from both internal and external threats today and in the future. Organizations surveyed in 2020 incurred an average cost of $644,852 per incidentiii, and the cost to organizations is more than lost revenue or stolen funds. Breach remediation costs can include activities such as investigation, escalation, incident response and containment and remediation/restoration of damages. External consequences of a breach can include the loss of information or intellectual property, outage costs, damage to equipment and loss of customers.

ForgeRock provides a simple, flexible, comprehensive approach that enables organizations to retire disparate, legacy, often inadequate identity management systems. It is the only platform on the market today that includes full-suite identity and access management and identity governance and administration (IGA) capabilities to help organizations mitigate internal and external threats. The ForgeRock Identity Platform is fast and easy to deploy, scaling to millions of users, through the world’s only commercial open-source identity platform architected to work as a unified system. The ForgeRock stack consists of Access Management, Identity Management, Identity Gateway and Directory Services.

ForgeRock can be deployed as identity-as-a-service (IDaaS) or as software. Software deployment options include on premises or within any cloud environment, including multi-cloud and hybrid identity clouds for millions of identities in minutes using ForgeRock’s full DevOps capabilities. The platform's single code base across all deployment models ensures that organizations have all the functionality and performance required to deliver exceptional and secure experiences. With ForgeRock, you can easily identity-enable and modernize legacy applications and services with an identity gateway. Organizations can use the latest industry and open standards like OAuth 2.0 to consistently bridge and enforce access and identity authorization across both new and legacy apps, APIs and microservices.

Leading global brands rely on ForgeRock to help people access the connected world. ForgeRock was the leading IAM solution for IAM in both the 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Access Management and KuppingerCole Leadership Compass for Customer Identity and Access Management (CIAM) Platforms reports.

More than 80 percent of organizations are planning to pursue a vendor consolidation strategy during the next two to three yearsv. ForgeRock is ready for this changing landscape now with one integrated digital identity platform that fuels its entire suite of products and gives organizations a kick start to convergence. Organizations can use ForgeRock’s modern AI-driven solution as they transition from their legacy solutions.

ExitCertified Training Prepares IT Professionals to Set up and Manage ForgeRock Systems

As with any comprehensive IT solution, proper training is essential for organizations to gain the maximum protection afforded with a ForgeRock solution. As a strategic North American training provider for ForgeRock’s Identity Relationship Management solutions, ExitCertified delivers the full spectrum of courses included in the ForgeRock offering, teaching learners the skills they need to be successful architecting, building and deploying ForgeRock solutions. ExitCertified currently offers fifteen courses — from high-level essentials overviews to comprehensive courses covering design, installation, configuration and management — as well as complimentary On Demand ForgeRock content with any ForgeRock course.

Classes are taught in well-equipped classrooms by expert staff dedicated to making the learning experience comfortable and productive. Additionally, remote training with ExitCertified’s Live Virtual platform makes online learning every bit as engaging as in-person training. Learners put a high value on the ForgeRock training that they receive from ExitCertified:

●      92% said they learned new knowledge and skills

●      89% said they will be able to apply new knowledge and skills in their jobs

●      91% believed training aligned with the business priorities and goals

●      Job performance was expected to improve by 46.5% after training

●      59% of job improvement was expected to be a direct result of training

With an authorized training partner like ExitCertified, you have access to the latest updates and new courses for ForgeRock. Take the next step in your career with ForgeRock training.