Okta and Palo Alto Networks team up on security platform

A padlock laid on top of a circuit board.

Okta and Palo Alto Networks have announced they're teaming up on a security platform to automate end-user security, combining the Okta Identity Cloud and the Palo Alto Networks platform.

The partnership means businesses will be able to quickly identify threats and respond to them before a cyber attack happens, using identity as the basis of their checks, communicating with other parts of a company's infrastructure along the way.

"The security stack must evolve to account for the changing threat landscape, particularly as the proliferation of people, applications and devices only continues to widen and grow," said Frederic Kerrest, Okta COO and co-founder.

"With Okta and Palo Alto Networks technologies working closely together, our joint customers will be able to better manage and secure the vast volume of resources now a part of the extended enterprise, and benefit from monitoring, detecting and alerting to prevent breaches caused by compromised credentials."

Okta and Palo Alto have a long history of working together. For example, the two companies recently announced a partnership that allows Okta admins to automate responses to requests for data stored in the company's identity cloud.

It uses Palo Alto's firewall data and MindMeld information to automate processes including ending a user session, requiring more in-depth authentication or suspending rights to even access Okta's Identitiy Cloud if it feels the user could be a threat actor.

"Credential harvesting is one of the most common tactics for today's threat actors," said Terry Ramos, vice president of business development at Palo Alto Networks.

"Palo Alto Networks delivers the industry's first multi-method, scalable and automated approach designed to prevent credential-based attacks. Together with Okta, we're able to provide a unified view of the user and their networks and take action against potential threats."

Clare Hopping
Freelance writer

Clare is the founder of Blue Cactus Digital, a digital marketing company that helps ethical and sustainability-focused businesses grow their customer base.

Prior to becoming a marketer, Clare was a journalist, working at a range of mobile device-focused outlets including Know Your Mobile before moving into freelance life.

As a freelance writer, she drew on her expertise in mobility to write features and guides for ITPro, as well as regularly writing news stories on a wide range of topics.