Integrating Kerberos with ANOW! Automate enables seamless, ticket-based authentication between ANOW! and the systems it orchestrates, eliminating the need to store or manage separate credentials for those endpoints. This strengthens security posture and simplifies credential management without custom code.
The Kerberos integration provides a robust authentication mechanism for ANOW! Automate, enabling secure and efficient access to a wide range of enterprise systems. It facilitates ticket-based authentication, which is prevalent in Microsoft Active Directory environments, Hadoop ecosystems, and certain mainframe and Linux estates. This integration allows ANOW! to authenticate with endpoints using delegated tickets, eliminating the need to store or manage static passwords, reducing the credential footprint, and improving overall security.
The integration works by leveraging the Key Distribution Center (KDC) to issue one-time valid tickets. When a user attempts to log in via the ANOW! web interface, the browser requests a ticket from the KDC. This ticket is then presented to ANOW!, which validates it with the KDC. Upon successful validation, ANOW! creates an access_token, granting authentication. This process ensures that ANOW! agents can authenticate to various endpoints, including Windows servers, SQL Server instances, and big data platforms, using the established Kerberos protocol.
This integration is designed for enterprise IT decision-makers and security architects who manage complex hybrid IT landscapes. It addresses critical needs for improved security, streamlined credential management, and consistent identity propagation across diverse platforms. By aligning with existing enterprise authentication standards, the Kerberos integration supports zero-trust principles and improves operational orchestration.
This integration significantly reduces the number of static passwords stored, thereby narrowing the blast radius in the event of a security compromise. It aligns with zero-trust principles by favoring short-lived, ticket-based credentials over long-lived secrets, enhancing the security posture of your orchestration layer.
ANOW! agents can authenticate to Active Directory-joined endpoints, including Windows servers and SQL Server instances, using delegated Kerberos tickets. This eliminates the need to store service account passwords for each target, simplifying credential management and reducing attack surface across your hybrid IT estate.
Kerberos integration enables silent SSO to the ANOW! web interface for users on domain-joined workstations. This improves user experience and accelerates adoption by providing transparent authentication aligned with established Windows authentication patterns, without additional credential prompts.
Leverage Kerberos for cross-platform authentication across z/OS and Unix environments, ensuring consistent identity propagation between distributed and mainframe components. This preserves the identity executing each step across platform boundaries, supporting segregation of duties and simplifying audit processes.
Use Cases
SECURITY
Securely authenticate ANOW! agents to Active Directory-joined systems using Kerberos tickets, reducing the amount of stored credentials.
IT OPERATIONS
Provide seamless single sign-on to ANOW! web interface for users in Windows environments.
BIG DATA
Orchestrate workloads securely on Hadoop, Spark, and Hive platforms using Kerberos authentication.
HYBRID IT
Enable consistent identity propagation between mainframe and distributed systems using Kerberos.
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The integration reduces reliance on stored passwords by utilizing ticket-based authentication. This minimizes the attack surface and aligns with zero-trust principles by preferring short-lived credentials over long-lived secrets, thereby enhancing the overall security posture.
ANOW! can authenticate with systems that natively support Kerberos, including Microsoft Active Directory-joined endpoints like Windows servers, SQL Server instances, file shares, and internal applications, as well as Hadoop, Spark, Hive, and certain z/OS and Unix environments.
SSO improves user experience and adoption by allowing users on domain-joined workstations to access the ANOW! web interface without additional credential prompts. It integrates ANOW! seamlessly into existing Windows authentication patterns and policies.
Yes, by ensuring consistent identity propagation across platforms and reducing the number of stored credentials, the integration supports segregation of duties and simplifies audit processes. This contributes to auditable compliance and a stronger security posture.
It significantly reduces credential management overhead by shifting from static password storage to a ticket-based model. This means fewer vault entries to manage and a decreased exposure to credential compromise, simplifying operations for large enterprises.
OAuth 2.0 is the principal authorization framework for modern cloud and SaaS services, enabling ANOW! Automate to securely orchestrate API-driven platforms like Microsoft 365, Azure, and Salesforce, managing token-based access and refreshing tokens automatically to ensure reliable and secure integration without distributing complex OAuth implementation logic.
SAML 2.0 is the established standard for federated single sign-on, allowing ANOW! Automate users to authenticate once against a corporate Identity Provider (IdP) and access the platform without re-entering credentials. This integration aligns access with enterprise identity standards, strengthening security and improving user experience.
