Okta identity service gets FedRAMP approval
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The identity management platform received FedRAMP moderate authorization.
On May 11, Okta announced that it had received Federal Risk and Authorization Management Program moderate authorization for its identity, mobility and security services available through Amazon Web Services’ commercial cloud in the US East and US West regions.
While Okta already provides its software-as-a-service products to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Department of the Justice helped Okta get the FedRAMP authority to operate. DOJ was interested in Okta because it wanted to simplify verification, according to Okta CIO Mark Settle.
With the company's developer and platform products, product teams can layer Okta’s identity services into their applications and portals. The company’s services include universal directory, single sign-on, provisioning, adaptive multi-factor authentication and mobility management, according to the FedRAMP website.
“The federal government has the highest security standards, so we see FedRAMP as the next evolution of our company,” Settle told GCN. “We have already worked to get a lot of other certifications with the government such as HIPAA [Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act], and we have seen the benefits cascade to our customers, which helps us with our security safeguards.”
Okta is designed to be a “one-stop gateway to the cloud” that features the ability to incorporate legacy applications.
The identity management platform was a launch partner with the AWS Partner Network Government Competency Program. Okta leverages many AWS services to operate its SaaS platform, including Amazon EC2 Container Service and AWS Key Management Service.
Settle said several federal agencies are in “prospective-stage” conversations with Okta about using the services.
“We realize that there are various levels of sensitivity when it comes to protecting information, but at the same time customers don’t want to be hassled to get access --so the customer experience is huge for us,” Settle said.
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