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Secure Data Storage from Cyber-Ark

The vaulting technology driving Cyber-Ark is software which is installed on a designated Windows server, creating a secure area. The user then uses the area to store sensitive data. What makes the technology unique is that it separates the data storage from the data access mechanism. The Storage Engine itself allows access to stored data only through a single data access protocol, while a System Gateway provides multiple access interfaces. The vendor notes multiple forms and layers of authentication as supported by the vault protocol, including Windows-based, two-way challenge and response mechanisms based on passwords, PKI, Cyber-Key, RSA SecurID, and smart cards.

Users have the ability to access part version of the stored data thanks to the fact that data stored in the safes are not overwritten, and every change made is written as a new copy of the file. Audit controls are provided allowing designated users to see the past history of accesses and changes to an object. When an item is accessed, the safe, folder, and individual items are marked with a blue dot--when they are updated the dot is red, and new items are marked with a green dot--for the visual scanning of activity. All data within the safe is stored encrypted and when users connect to the safe their communication tunnel is also encrypted so data in transit is protected.

The vendor is currently offering three separate products. The Network Vault is for internal secure data access, and runs on a dedicated Windows server with access allowed from all Windows clients. The Inter-Business Vault provides for access to secure data from remote locations over the Internet. The Inter-Business Vault provides file system access, E-mail access, or file transfers via a two component platform. Finally, the Enterprise Password Vault allows for the storage of key, sensitive passwords to be looked up by designated individuals as allowed and necessary. The Enterprise Password Vault includes a Central Password Management component that can automatically and periodically reset key passwords on designated systems or devices and store the new password in the vault. Additionally, the Enterprise Password Vault Toolkit provides a programmatic interface such that scripts and applications can retrieve needed passwords for service accounts from the vault.