Proofpoint & CyberArk expand partnership for enhanced security

Proofpoint and CyberArk have announced the expansion of their strategic partnership aimed at securing identities in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

This collaboration features new integrations designed to address critical cyber challenges, combining layered defences to mitigate threats before they reach users and implementing preventative policies to ensure access accuracy.

Proofpoint’s role in this partnership involves preventing email attacks and identifying individuals and systems targeted by the most sophisticated threats using its extensive data set, which consists of trillions of data points each year. CyberArk then applies adaptive controls and identity security policies based on this insight to ensure legitimate users have necessary access without overextension.

Ryan Kalember, Chief Strategy Officer at Proofpoint, stated, “Because attackers now see people and their digital identities as their target of choice, it's time to shift security strategies to protect people and defend the data they create, placing identity at the centre of security. Our strategic partnership with CyberArk represents a significant advancement in identity-centric security, empowering organisations to connect their key platform to understand human risk with their platform to mitigate it.”

Clarence Hinton, Chief Strategy Officer at CyberArk, elaborated on the evolving nature of securing identities: “Approaching how we secure identities must drastically evolve. With a single compromised identity, threat actors can attain an initial foothold that unlocks significant opportunities for all kinds of downstream attacks, including data theft and ransomware. Both CyberArk and Proofpoint are innovators in their respective security domains and share a commitment to placing digital identities at the centre of security strategies to deliver better outcomes for our joint customers.”

This expanded partnership will also see the integration of Proofpoint’s ZenWeb browser extension with CyberArk’s Secure Browser. Web browsers, often lacking essential security features, are key targets for cybercriminals. The ZenWeb browser extension, powered by Proofpoint’s threat intelligence, protects against malicious URLs that can deliver malware or steal corporate credentials. Combined with CyberArk’s Secure Browser, organisations can detect and block these URLs in real-time.

The integration also brings several additional benefits such as stopping targeted threats in real time, securing privileged users by applying granular policies, enhancing user safety through adaptive controls, reducing the risk of unauthorised data access, and streamlining incident response processes.

Moving forward, Proofpoint and CyberArk will leverage Proofpoint’s Nexus TI (Threat Intelligence) to dynamically assess email threats, which are then managed by CyberArk’s Identity Flows for adaptive response. Furthermore, privileged users with high-risk access will receive enhanced protection and real-time remediation. The integration also includes automated discovery and management of privileged accounts, cooperating closely with CyberArk’s security framework.