CyberArk has released an upgraded version its Alero Software-as-a-Service platform that will make it easier to work from home. The improved Alero now uses multi-factor biometric authentication to enable Zero Trust access for any employees that need to use a CyberArk-managed system while they’re away from the office. 

Alero does not rely on VPNs, and can be deployed without any additional hardware or other infrastructure. The original Alero was geared towards third party vendors, but it has now been extended to cover employees and other collaborators who need access to key systems while working remotely.

CyberArk noted that remote work has become far more common in recent years (growing 44 percent in the past five years alone), making it a top priority for organizations that want to minimize the disruption to their standard work procedures.

“As organizations embrace the benefits of remote work – be it out of necessity or simply offering flexibility – it’s critical for workers to securely access the internal systems necessary to keep business up and running,” said CyberArk Alero Vice President Gil Rapaport. “By extending CyberArk Alero to include remote employees, organizations can take advantage of the benefits of continued productivity while mitigating security risks and reducing operational complexity.”

“We originally adopted Alero to provision and secure privileged access for third party vendors,” added IDBBANK EVP, CIO, and COO Dave Smithers. “Expanding this capability to include remote employees is an exciting development – especially in today’s environment where work often needs to happen beyond our office walls.”

While remote work has become more common, the arrival of a platform that makes it easier is particularly timely when more and more employees are being asked to work from home to curb the spread of the coronavirus. CyberArk Alero is one of several such solutions on the market. Idaptive recently enhanced its Next-Gen Access platform to facilitate the onboarding of remote workers, while OneLogin has developed a Desktop Pro platform that lets employees clock in with registered (and approved) devices.