Analysts recognise Osirium’s Task Automation innovation

Task automation has played an integral part in the Osirium PAM since its very inception in 2008. Horrified that new and increasingly perilous risks were created every time a user is given access to a Privileged Account, the forward-thinking British technologists behind Osirium PAM developed the Privileged Task Management module. The module helped coin the phrase “delegate the task, not the privilege”.

Since then, internationally recognized and independent analysts KuppingerCole and Gartner have been speaking about Osirium’s Task Automation innovation…

What is Privileged Task Management?

Privileged Task Management allows for the automation of SysAdmin tasks, preventing the need to open up access to critical infrastructure via native tools. Administrators can build a task (e.g. restarting a network device or server-based service) and delegate the task to more junior staff, containing the correct instructions and passwords. Those executing the task never need to know the device administration passwords, and can only interact with target servers to carry out the specific command, therefore “delegating the task, not the privilege”.

Tasks run automatically without the need to grant insecure and unaccountable access to any target servers. The privileged credentials used are also protected because the PxM Platform securely injects them into the target servers; instantly mitigating an organisation’s most vulnerable attack surface whilst increasing workflow efficiency. SysAdmins can feel comfortable in delegating complicated multi-step tasks without fear of human error by reducing execution to a single click. All tasks can be run under the same Privileged Account, and the PxM Platform will keep track of the parameters used and who issued the commands. As a result, teams can dispense with wading through loathsome run books and hunting down shared login credentials, etc.

Combining the benefits of security, efficiency, time saving and accuracy, the Privileged Task Management module remains the cleanest and safest way of performing a series of known, auditable tasks without granting excessive privileges to the user.

The benefits

Typically, a 20-minute task can be reduced to an error and risk-free 8 seconds, allowing businesses to effectively focus on delivering an IT infrastructure that grants a truly competitive, modern edge.

Confirmed data from a UK Mobile Telephone provider has proved a 98% time saving in some tasks, as well as the security benefits for their managed service customers, delivered through our combined Privileged Access Management and Task Automation modules.

One UK Mobile Telephone provider found 98% time savings in some tasks using the PxM Platform’s Privileged Task Management.

What the analysts are saying

Kuppingercole’s Executive View on Privileged Access Management recognises the growing number of vendors seeing the merits of task-based approaches for limiting the access of different user types. Osirium have implemented Privileged Task Management from inception. KuppingerCole describes how:

Osirium differs significantly from other vendors. While supporting core features we expect to see in Privilege Management solutions, their task concept and gateway approach add important capabilities, which are relevant to the vast majority of customers.

They continue by saying that Osirium’s Privileged Task Management functionality “seamlessly integrates, e.g., with Cisco Infrastructure, but also with environments such as Microsoft SQL Server. The range of systems supported by task management and pre-configured tasks out-of-the-box is impressively large.”

Last year, Osirium was recognized as a Gartner Cool Vendor in Identity and Fraud Management, in part due to the Privileged Task Management module. The report described the PxM Platform as:

A PAM solution that introduces a step change in efficiency by reducing the amount of time that system administrators need to execute privileged tasks.

Gartner recognized how we differ from our competitors, stating how “unlike other PAM vendors that focus on compliance and risk reduction associated with privileged access, Osirium also enables its clients to reduce costs and increase operational accuracy faster than with other PAM solutions”.

“Osirium’s product differs from most other PAM products currently on the market. Instead of just replicating similar Privilege Management solutions and features, their innovative approaches to the market set the Osirium products apart.”  – KuppingerCole

If you’d like to find out about Osirium PAM, get in touch.