Zero is HUGE!!!!

Posted by Grant Mongardi on Wed, Nov 11, 2015 @ 02:00 PM

Tags: Security, AD, IT, cloud security

Zero Sign-On for Zero hassles. Simple solution to everyday frustration.

Wait? What did I just say?
Yes, it sounds like I've gone completely crazy, but the kind of zero I'm talking about is huge. For everyone!

I'm talking about Zero Sign-On. You might be saying "I've heard of Single Sign-On (SSO) Grant, but what the heck is Zero Sign-On?". Zero Sign-On is the idea that if you can identify the device being used to connect then you can assume that device belongs to and is controlled by someone you know, and as such can let them connect without actually having to type a password. It's physical security, much like a door key or pass-card is. If I know that your mobile phone or tablet is owned and controlled by you, then I should have no problem using that device as the unique identifier indicating that you are the one trying to connect. Better yet, if I know the device is controlled by both you and me, I can be very comfortable in asserting to anyone that I can control access of both the device and the end-user.

"So Grant, how does all of this work?". In short, by uniquely identifying and then "tagging" that device, be it a phone, tablet or even a netbook, then you can use that as a pass-key to getting into protected resources without having to type a password. The device uniquely identifies you as you, rather than a user/password combination. Not only can it not be "hacked" without the actual device, but it can't be easily "shared" like a user/password can.

"Yeah Grant, but what if someone steals it?". Well, with a proper service like Centrify's IaaS Cloud service for this then all of that should be taken care of. Centrify's offering lets the user register their own devices under their user account. In addition to using it for Zero Sign-On and changing forgotten passwords, it also lets them find the device on a map, lock it remotely, wipe it remotely, and even see what the battery charge level is. But more importantly it lets you, the IT or Security Administrator do important things like apply group policy to the device (like encrypting storage, screen-lock time, passcode length/complexity, etc), unenroll the device and disable Zero Sign-On, and lock or wipe the device.

Centrify Cloud lets you find your lost device, lock it, and even wipe it!

Finally, it let's you see and report on the device's activity and even see if it's been jail-broken and is being backed-up to the Cloud!

"So what about the user's laptop?". Well, if that user has a laptop capable of IWA then the user can use that for Single Sign-On, allowing them to access their services without typing their password again. Centrify DirectControl for Macs will enable IWA on Apple Macs and it's built into Windows, so they just login to the laptop and they're done.

So a few of the best "Zero"s are: Zero support, Zero audit findings, and Zero shared credentials. And that all translates into infinitely better security and tighter controls over your valuable corporate resources.

For more information on Centrify Identity Service or other great products from Centrify just contact us at TheExperts@napc.com and we'll be happy to give you a full demo. We'll also be having a Webinar on Elegant 6 SAML and Centrify's Cloud service on November 19th, 2015 at 2:00 PM EST. Register here to join us for an hour!

 

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Deploy Macs Quickly and Simply With Centrify

Posted by Grant Mongardi on Wed, May 22, 2013 @ 01:56 PM

Tags: Centrify, Unix, Linux, IT, Macs, DirectControl, Windows

Mac

You're struggling with Mac deployments and wasting your valuable time fine-tuning the user experience on every Mac you release. You're sick of running around to desktops just to change minor settings like DNS, proxies, or background images. Who has the time?

Thanks to Centrify, you can deploy your Macs simply, quickly, and cheaply with a modicum of effort and the ability to easily customize the end user experience all with a single OSX image file, all from the comfort of your desktop. 



You can easily manipulate the users' look and feel based on the role of the machine, so a kiosk would look different from a laptop or a desktop. This all happens after deployment, meaning the look and feel changes all happen after the users logs into their respective Macs.

Watch the video for the full rundown of how Centrify will make your life a lot easier when deploying Macs. There's much more to learn about Centrify on our site! 

 

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Bam! How Centrify Makes Mac IT Work Easier

Posted by Grant Mongardi on Tue, May 21, 2013 @ 02:58 PM

Tags: Centrify, Unix, Linux, IT, Macs, DirectControl, Windows

CentrifyLogo

Working in IT presents a variety of challenges, especially when you're on a Mac. Whether it's running on licenses because your Mac users never release them or needing to manage recordable devices because of oversight by some regulatory committee, Centrify can save you a lot of time and headaches. Just like that - bam!


 

Centrify has a very low cost desktop version that allows you to control rights on Apple computers. Part of that is the ability to easily roll out dozens of new machines with minimal work. It's a common need, and we've a way of doing it no one else has. Centrify's DirectControl for Mac allows for joining Macs to AD and applying REAL Microsoft policy using Microsoft's Policy Management MMC. Stop trying to pass off configuration management as policy, and then spending hours explaining it to your auditor.

That's just the tip of the iceberg with Centrify, where you can:

-Create accurate, robust and customizable reports on everything AD
-Deploy, Manage, control and Customize your Mac Desktops.
-Manage your Mobile devices and control your BYOD devices (bring your own device)
-Realize all of your Single-Sign-On (SSO) desires.
-Manage user-privilige on Windows, Linux and Unix systems
-Monitor, Record and Audit user activity on Windows, Linux and Unix.

So when you're working in IT, there's no need to get that sinking feeling that your Mac will give you more hurdles and obstacles than you have time for. Centrify can make management and control problems go away with a bam!

 

 

 

 

 

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