Introducing Okta + NetMotion: Future-proof and Secure Remote Access for a Post-COVID World

Introducing Okta + NetMotion: Future-proof and Secure Remote Access for a Post-COVID World

We’ve entered into a new era of identity. As organisations have had to become increasingly flexible in supporting distributed, remote teams, they’ve also had to put an increased focus on security. With workforces worldwide becoming more mobile and dynamic—a change that will last long after the COVID-19 pandemic—new access and security considerations require more advanced solutions that keep all employees, customers, and data safe.

For most organisations, this means evolving the range of sophisticated solutions they use—retiring traditional perimeter-based security tools and implementing a Zero Trust architecture—to protect identity in all contexts. This overall evolution of security strategies and the technology stack, often referred to as Secure Access Service Edge (SASE), has spurred a wide ecosystem of solutions and integrations designed for today’s identity landscape. As the need for modern remote access remains a priority, businesses need seamlessly deployable solutions that provide best-in-class security for remote workers as well as an unparalleled user experience.

It’s with this goal in mind that Okta has partnered with NetMotion. Both leaders in the identity space, Okta and NetMotion have come together to provide an integration that will keep businesses secure. Pairing Okta’s industry-leading adaptive multi-factor authentication (AMFA) and single sign-on (SSO) technologies with NetMotion’s unparalleled mobile-centric VPN and software defined perimeter (SDP) solutions, the Okta + NetMotion integration is designed to enhance the user experience while making IT’s job easier than ever before.

Together, the solutions give remote employees, contractors, and field workers everywhere the ability to access enterprise resources securely, even when they are highly mobile. But what are the main benefits of this platform-level integration for Okta and NetMotion customers? We’ll tell you.

Seamless user experiences anywhere, anytime

Today, there’s no such thing as “too secure.” Your employees are working from around the world, accessing an array of critical documents from various devices. As David Bradbury, Okta’s chief security officer, states: “The remote-first workforce is here to stay. With the shift to a completely decentralised environment in 2020, IT and security leaders have had to completely rethink the way that their employees access data and applications.”

That shift, however, shouldn’t come at the expense of the user experience. The Okta + NetMotion integration enables easy connectivity so that employees can gain immediate access to the services they need, no matter where they’re located, and without added end user friction.

The integration is also built to reduce IT friction, allowing Okta’s intelligent AMFA to seamlessly integrate with NetMotion’s SDP and experience monitoring platform. This gives IT teams powerful visibility into network activity and the ability to create dynamic policies that actively protect employees and network assets from bad actors. As companies balance the need for seamless user experiences and enhanced security, it’s critical to implement security products designed to actively improve the employee experience. Okta + NetMotion’s integration ensures that security and user experience are never at odds with one another.

Enabling Zero Trust maturity

Businesses today need to embrace new approaches to security. The Zero Trust security model ensures that the right people have the right level of access, to the right resources, in the right context, and that access is assessed continuously.

While there is no silver bullet when it comes to achieving a Zero Trust security architecture, identity and access management is the core technology that many organisations start with on their Zero Trust journeys. Okta and NetMotion’s collaboration ensures that any company using their solutions will enjoy the benefits of a seamless Zero Trust approach. All connections to applications and services are secured at the device and resource levels, and supported by real-time contextual analysis—allowing your workforce to easily do their jobs without adding security risks.

In certain industries, these capabilities are more critical than ever. Take justice and public safety organisations, who face intensive Criminal Justice Information Services (CJIS) compliance requirements. A Zero Trust framework helps ensure these organisations meet advanced authentication requirements when it comes to MFA policies, approved factors, access restrictions, and handling account management. Okta and NetMotion offer controls that allow local, state, and federal agencies to access CJIS databases to track criminal activity, conduct background checks, and perform a number of necessary tasks that keep citizens safe—all without jeopardising sensitive data.

The best of both worlds

Building out a sophisticated security program can be a daunting task—but Okta and NetMotion make it easier, whether you’re a government agency, a large corporation, or a small- to medium-sized business. All organisations have encountered a need to simplify the way end users connect to their corporate resources; the joint Okta + NetMotion solution makes it simple to leverage both companies’ product offerings in one fell swoop.

NetMotion’s CEO, Christopher Kenessey, said it best when he stated: “The problem with most security products is that they hinder rather than facilitate the end-user experience. [...] Okta and NetMotion already offer best-in-class solutions that fix real-world problems. Together, that combination is even more powerful, and will help remote workers everywhere.”

Learn more about the Okta + NetMotion integration and how these two solutions can help your organisation stay securely connected with a remote or mobile workforce.