PlainID: A Fresh Mess-Less Approach To Authorization & Identity Access Management

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The next generation identity and access management solution company PlainID focuses on making authorization in fast-paced organisations simple through a simplified AuthZ platform. This innovative approach can help rapid business growth by saving time in implementing emerging authorization standards while also reducing the overall investment in authorizations. To gain a bit more insight into their platform we talked with Gal Helemski, CoFounder & CMO of PlainID:

Q: Could you provide our readers with a brief introduction to PlainID?

A: PlainID is the go-to Authorization solution, we secure digital assets with one unified authorization platform that accommodates cloud, mobile and legacy applications. PlainID simplifies AuthZ to one point of decision, one point of control and one point of view. Access is determined dynamically and in real time, based on user attributes, environmental attributes such as time, location, and events. We sort the AuthZ mess using contextual, dynamic based business policy. Companies that use PlainID benefit from a simplified AuthZ platform and meet the demands of growth without worry. This truly is a fresh approach.

Q: You’ve recently won the 2017 Cybersecurity Excellence Award; could you tell us something more?

A: Authorization management and control, is an ever-growing challenge in each organization. Enabling or denying access is at the very core of each organization security. Controlling that access in todays distributed environment is very challenging.

It’s also a real GAP in the IAM market today, which address mostly identity and authentication. PlainID provides a focused solution to address Authorization.

Adding to that is the need to modernize the existing data center, that is essential to support the business growth. PlainID Unleashes the untapped potential of legacy IAM and boost it up to support the newer technologies & newer requirements.

Q: Could you explain the function and advantages of your Unified Authorization Platform?

A: I can summarize our main functions and advantages using the following points:

A Business-oriented approach: Our solution is designed for both business owners and administrators to define, understand and use. PlainID “talks” to each in his language enabling better management and control.

In-depth Analytics and Insights: PlainID provides unobstructed visibility with a full audit trail. Compliance, regulation and audit requirements – they’re easy to manage on a simple graph-based UI.

Universal Authorization support: AuthZ can be consumed using industry leading standards, XACML, OAuth & SAML alongside custom and tailor made protocols. Simple and fast allow/deny per request or a fully detailed access decision.

Contextual access: Access is determined dynamically and in real time, based on user attributes, environmental attributes (time, location, etc.) as well as event based authorizations. PlainID combines ABAC (Attribute Based Access Control) & RBAC (Role Based Access Control) to a united policy.

Fine-Grained Authorization: PlainID amplifies Attribute-based Access Control (ABAC) by providing a flexible policy, that enables attribute based decisions all the way from the user to the resource/action, based on a pattern or resource attributes.

Distributed identities: Multiple identity types and multiple identity sources. PlainID provides a comprehensive view of the identities you need to authorize. Employees, customers, system accounts – It really is one solution for all.

Policy lifecycle management: Using PlainID you can build your policy on a graph based editor, have it approved and certified. That, with the policy simulator, provides a tighter control of access to data and resources. PlainID: Leading vendors.

Q: What advantage does PlainID have over its competitors?

A: I would say that the main advantages are the universal authorization support and the graph based technology & User Interface.

We understand that there is not just one way to “speak” authorization. Our product need to support what the organization already invested in and from there enable it to adopt new standards and technologies.

As for our user interface, it is designed to enable the business owners to be more involved in the access decisions, and to take control when needed. After all, deciding if traders can execute trades, or sales accounts can access their accounts data, is a business decision and not a technical one.

Q: Why PlainID?

A: PlainID was founded by leaders in the IAM (Identity and access management) area. We have been managing, implementing and developing IAM projects for more than 15 years. We came to realize that something is missing. Each project was complex, time consuming, required much development efforts, and it was hard to scale with. In addition, as new technologies emerged, such as cloud environments, mobile apps, APIs and such, the challenges increased rapidly. Adding to that is the increasing need in collaboration between organizations – IAM became a show stopper, instead of a business enabler as it should be.

We are here to address those challenges.

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