Okta, a leading identity provider, has deployed proactive protection measures to boost its security infrastructure aimed at protecting its clients from emerging threats as the number of identity-based attacks and credential theft continues to increase worldwide.
Protecting your workforce
Organizations worldwide are facing a wave of identity-related attacks that require vigilance and potent security measures that can keep employees, clients, and data safe. This involves more staff training on the dangers posed by phishing and social engineering methods. On the global level, businesses are putting a lot of effort into training systems aimed at enhancing staff awareness of modern threats and knowledge that will assist in identifying social engineering signs. Okta trains employees to increase awareness of phishing and social engineering techniques.
Moreover, the organization of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and zero trust strategies also play crucial roles for enterprises, thus allowing them to effectively incorporate authentication and identity management. These strategies are usually executed in cooperation with reputable third-party providers, who help enterprises by providing the necessary security technologies and know-how to defend themselves from threat actors.
Okta’s response and commitment
Around the end of October 2023, Okta disclosed that threat actors had illegally accessed its support management system, giving them the opportunity to obtain tokens, which could be used to launch further attacks on customers. According to Stephen McDermid, EMEA CSO at Okta, the company is always going to be a big target for threat actors as a market leader.
McDermid noted that this is an incident the company is eager to learn from to improve further customer defenses against new threats and set up an industry gold standard going forward. Additionally, Okta has implemented various proactive actions and modifications to provide secure products and services. In addition, Okta ceased all product development for 90 days as part of its reaction and an effort named Project Bedrock.
Given this, one of Okta’s main areas of attention is its Secure Identity Commitment. According to McDermid, this underpins the company’s long-term objective of becoming a key player in the war against identity attacks and credential theft.
The focus of this commitment includes four essential pillars, the first of which is continuous investment in product security and the promotion of best practices for customers. Through constant strengthening of its infrastructure and promotion of proactive security practices, Okta strives to become the standard in fighting identity-based attacks.
Rapid AI adoption
Okta stresses the importance of learning from the 2023 security breach and sees the incident as an alignment in which they can set the industry standards of battling against identity-based attacks.
Additionally, the company is making a big investment in enhancing its capabilities by speeding up the adoption of technologies like AI to make better products and services. It is also offering financial support and assistance to help digitalize non-profit organizations through its Okta for Good initiative.