A New Era of Machine Identity Security: Welcome Venafi to CyberArk

October 1, 2024 Matt Cohen

CyberArk CEO Matt Cohen foreground; "Machine Identity" background; feature image for CyberArk acquisition of Venafi blog by Cohen.

We are thrilled to announce that we have completed the acquisition of Venafi, a recognized leader in machine identity management. This strategic move aligns with our commitment to not just protecting human identities but expanding our capabilities for securing the rapidly growing world of machine identities.

A Perfect Combination

From the onset of our discussions with Venafi, it was clear that this acquisition was more than just a strategic fit—it was a powerful convergence of vision, technology and culture. The past months have only reinforced our belief that joining forces will reshape the landscape of machine identity security. Venafi’s exceptional team and cutting-edge solutions bring immense value to our vision of securing every identity—human and machine—with the right level of privilege controls.

The Growing Importance of Machine Identities

In today’s digital age, machine identities are burgeoning at an unprecedented rate, outnumbering human identities by as much as 45-to-1. This surge is driven largely by ongoing digital transformation, the expansion of cloud computing, and the integration of AI technologies. The rapid proliferation of machine identities has outpaced traditional security measures, leaving many organizations vulnerable to cyber threats.

Machines, from workloads in the cloud to connected devices at the edge, are no longer just a part of the infrastructure; they are integral to the core of modern digital operations. Yet, many organizations still rely on manual, siloed processes for managing these identities. This approach is not only inefficient but also exposes organizations to significant compliance and security risks. In addition, the demands of becoming post-quantum resilient and adhering to new industry standards are set to put more demands on security teams.

Better Together

By combining CyberArk’s industry-leading secrets management with Venafi’s robust machine identity management solutions—including certificate lifecycle management, enterprise PKI, workload identity management, secure code signing, and SSH security—we are poised to deliver a comprehensive, end-to-end machine identity security platform that will meet the needs of our customers, not just today, but in the future.

Blog pull quote from CyberArk CEO Matt Cohen: "By combining CyberArk’s industry-leading secrets management with Venafi’s robust machine identity management solutions, we are poised to deliver a comprehensive, end-to-end machine identity security platform that will meet the needs of our customers, not just today, but in the future."

This combination will provide organizations with a centralized solution to manage and protect all machine identities, whether they are workloads, code, applications, IoT devices or containers. By automating and securing these identities, we will help prevent misuse and compromise, ultimately reducing risk and enhancing operational efficiency.

And Venafi’s technology is already integrated across multiple CyberArk solutions, giving our Privileged Access Management (PAM) customers immediate benefits when used together.

A New Paradigm for Identity Security

Every organization is facing new forces that are creating a rapid increase in the number and types of identities – both human and machine — and increasingly complex hybrid cloud environments to secure. These forces are driving new attack methods, which are made even more sophisticated and effective by AI. When it comes to managing and securing identities in complex, modern digital environments, a paradigm shift is required. To be secure, every identity, from workforce to IT, to developers to machine, needs the right level of privilege controls intelligently applied. Equally important, we need to provide these controls without getting in the way of productivity, efficiency and innovation.

Looking Ahead

As we embark on this exciting new chapter, our focus remains on delivering unparalleled identity security solutions that meet the evolving needs of our customers. We are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead and are eager to work together to set a new standard for machine identity security.

To our customers, partners, and the entire CyberArk and Venafi teams—thank you for your continued support and collaboration as we move forward into this new era. Together, we will secure every identity and pave the way for a more secure digital future.

Matt Cohen is the CEO of CyberArk.

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