Cleanup vs IBM Resource Access Control Facility comparison

CA Cleanup for z/OS (CA Cleanup) reduces the effort and pressure associated with maintaining current regulatory, statutory and audit requirements. It does this by removing obsolete, unused, redundant and excessive access rights through easily automated, virtually unattended and continuous cleanup of mainframe security databases CA ACF2TM, CA Top Secret and IBM RACF.

CA Cleanup Features

CA Cleanup offers the following features:

• Security Policy Management: The software allows administrators to define and manage security policies for mainframe resources. This includes setting rules for user access and password requirements, and defining group-based access controls.

• Access Control: CA Cleanup for z/OS enables granular control over who can access specific mainframe resources. It supports various access control methods, including resource-level security, program authorization, and transaction authorization.

• User Authentication: The software provides robust user authentication mechanisms, such as password-based authentication, RACF pass tickets, digital certificates, and more. It ensures that only authenticated users can access the mainframe system.

• User Provisioning and De-Provisioning: It facilitates the creation and removal of user accounts on the mainframe. Administrators can easily manage user profiles, assign appropriate access privileges, and revoke access when needed.

• Auditing and Reporting: CA Cleanup for z/OS offers extensive auditing capabilities to monitor user activities and track changes made to security settings. It generates comprehensive reports for compliance purposes, including user access reports, audit trail reports, and security violation reports.

• Resource Monitoring and Protection: The software continuously monitors mainframe resources for unauthorized access attempts, suspicious activities, or security breaches. It provides real-time alerts and takes proactive measures to prevent unauthorized access.

• Integration with Mainframe Security Systems: CA Cleanup for z/OS integrates with existing mainframe security systems like IBM RACF (Resource Access Control Facility) to leverage their features and enhance overall security management.

• Compliance Management: The solution helps organizations meet regulatory compliance requirements, such as PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR. It provides tools and reports to demonstrate compliance and supports security audits.

• Customization and Automation: Administrators can customize security policies and settings according to their organization's requirements. The software also supports automation through scripting and APIs for streamlined management.

• Centralized Management: CA Cleanup for z/OS offers a centralized management console or interface for efficient administration of security policies and controls across the mainframe environment.

CA Cleanup Benefits

Using CA Cleanup has the following benefits:

• Enhanced mainframe security

• Control over user access to resources

• Protection against unauthorized access

• Auditing and tracking of user activities

• Compliance with regulatory requirements

• Streamlined user provisioning and de-provisioning

• Real-time alerts for security incidents

• Integration with existing mainframe security systems

• Customization to meet organizational needs

• Centralized management of security policies

In 1976, IBM set the standard for security products when RACF was introduced!

From the beginning, the RACF Development Team has proudly brought you RACF, the premier product for securing your most valuable corporate data. Working closely with your operating system's existing features, IBM's award-winning Resource Access Control Facility (RACF) licensed program provides improved security for an installation's data. RACF protects your vital system resources and controls what users can do on the operating system.

You decide which resources you want to protect and which users need access to them. RACF provides the functions that let you:

• identify and verify system users
• identify, classify, and protect system resources
• authorize the users who need access to the resources you've protected
• control the means of access to these resources
• log and report unauthorized attempts at gaining access to the system and to the protected resources
• administer security to meet your installation's security goals

IBM Resource Access Control Facility Features

Resource Access Control Facility offers the following features:

• Access Control: RACF allows administrators to define access controls for various system resources, including datasets, programs, transactions, and system commands. It enables granular control over who can access specific resources and what actions they can perform.

• User Authentication: The solution supports multiple authentication methods, such as passwords, digital certificates, smart cards, and biometrics. It ensures that only authorized users with valid credentials can access the system.

• Authorization: Users are provided with fine-grained authorization capabilities, allowing administrators to assign and manage permissions for individual users or groups. It enables the definition of resource-level and data-level access controls based on user roles and responsibilities.

• Auditing and Logging: RACF generates detailed audit logs that capture security events, including successful and failed access attempts, resource modifications, and policy violations. These logs are essential for compliance auditing, security analysis, and incident investigation.

• Secure Password Management: The product includes features for enforcing password policies, such as minimum length, complexity requirements, and password expiration. It supports password encryption and hashing to protect sensitive credentials.

• Encryption and Data Protection: The solution provides encryption capabilities to protect sensitive data stored on mainframe systems. It supports encryption algorithms and cryptographic protocols for safeguarding data confidentiality and integrity.

• Integration with External Authentication Systems: Users can integrate it with external authentication systems, such as Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP) or Active Directory, allowing them to leverage existing directories for authentication purposes.

• Resource Monitoring and Control: It enables real-time monitoring and control of resource accesses, as well as providing alerts and notifications for suspicious activities, allowing administrators to respond promptly to potential security threats.

• Compliance and Regulatory Support: RACF helps organizations meet regulatory compliance requirements by providing the necessary controls, audit trails, and reporting capabilities. It supports compliance frameworks such as Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) and General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

• Administration and Management: The solution offers a comprehensive set of administration and management tools for configuring, maintaining, and monitoring the security environment. It provides utilities for managing user accounts, defining security policies, and performing system-wide security administration tasks.

IBM Resource Access Control Facility Benefits

Some of the benefits that IBM RACF can offer its users are:

• Enhanced security

• Access control management

• Authorization and authentication capabilities

• Centralized control over resource access

• Fine-grained access control policies

• Audit trail and monitoring features

• Compliance with regulatory requirements

• Protection against unauthorized access

• Segregation of duties

• Efficient resource allocation and utilization