At Britive, our mission is to provide seamless and secure access management for multi-cloud environments and beyond. One of our latest innovations, the Access Broker feature, showcases how state-of-the-art technology can revolutionize how businesses extend the Cloud Privileged Access Management (CPAM) operating model to on-premises networks, data centers, branch offices, and even IoT resources. This blog explores the architecture behind the Access Broker feature, powered by Amazon Alexa’s scalable architecture and AWS IoT MQTT.
The Role of Access Broker in Modern Access Management
As enterprises increasingly operate in hybrid environments, managing access to resources across cloud and on-premises networks becomes more complex. Britive’s Access Broker solves this challenge by serving as a lightweight, secure, and scalable bridge between Britive’s CPAM platform and on-premises or IoT environments.
Here’s how it works, as described on our website:
1. Broker Startup & Registration:
• On startup, the broker calls a bootstrap endpoint (a REST API over HTTPS) to register itself with the Britive platform under a designated broker pool.
• During registration, the broker informs the platform that it is online and provides details about the resource permissions it supports.
2. AWS IoT MQTT Broker Integration:
• The Britive platform responds with AWS IoT MQTT broker connection details, enabling the broker to connect securely.
• Once connected, the broker subscribes to specific MQTT topics where request messages are sent by the Britive platform.
3. Dynamic Access Management:
• These request messages enable the broker to grant or revoke access permissions in real time for connected resources. The lightweight architecture ensures speed, scalability, and low latency.
Why AWS IoT MQTT? Inspired by Amazon Alexa
When designing the Access Broker, we looked for a messaging protocol and architecture that could handle high-scale, real-time, and low-latency communication across diverse environments. Enter AWS IoT MQTT, the same technology that powers the globally popular Amazon Alexa service.
Key Reasons We Chose AWS IoT MQTT:
1. Scalability:
AWS IoT MQTT is designed to handle billions of devices and trillions of messages. This same scalability ensures that Britive’s brokers can operate seamlessly, even in the most demanding enterprise environments.
2. Proven Track Record:
The architecture behind Amazon Alexa demonstrates how MQTT can power real-time, intelligent communication at scale. Alexa’s ability to process voice commands, interact with IoT devices, and respond instantaneously is a testament to the robustness of AWS IoT MQTT.
3. Low Latency & Lightweight Protocol:
MQTT’s publish-subscribe model ensures minimal overhead and enables near-instantaneous delivery of messages, making it ideal for dynamic access control scenarios.
4. Security:
Built on AWS IoT’s robust security features, MQTT ensures secure communication channels through encryption and device authentication, aligning perfectly with Britive’s security-first approach.
How Access Broker Extends CPAM to On-Prem and IoT
Traditionally, CPAM solutions have focused on managing access in the cloud. However, with the Access Broker feature, Britive expands this capability to encompass on-premises networks, IoT devices, and other hybrid environments.
Here’s how the Access Broker leverages AWS IoT MQTT to achieve this:
• Dynamic Access to Legacy Resources: On-prem servers, databases, and applications can now dynamically acquire or revoke permissions as needed, without requiring direct cloud connectivity.
• IoT Integration: IoT devices, often deployed in distributed environments, can securely and scalably communicate access control requests with the Britive platform.
• Unified Visibility: Access requests and permissions, regardless of their origin (cloud or on-prem), are consolidated under the Britive CPAM platform, giving administrators a single pane of glass for management.
• Resiliency: AWS IoT MQTT ensures reliable message delivery even in environments with intermittent connectivity.
The Future of Hybrid Access Management
Britive’s Access Broker feature, powered by the same architecture that makes Alexa possible, represents a new paradigm for privileged access management. By combining the lightweight, scalable power of AWS IoT MQTT with Britive’s CPAM expertise, we’re enabling organizations to secure hybrid environments more efficiently than ever before.
Whether you’re managing access in a cloud-native environment or connecting IoT and on-prem resources to your security ecosystem, the Access Broker’s innovative use of state-of-the-art technology ensures that you’re ready for the challenges of tomorrow.
Ready to take your access management to the next level?
Explore more about the Access Broker feature and how Britive is redefining privileged access for hybrid environments by visiting our documentation.
In summary, Britive’s Access Broker showcases how proven technologies, like AWS IoT MQTT, can unlock new capabilities and help businesses securely navigate the complexities of modern access management. Inspired by Amazon Alexa’s architecture, we’re bringing the same scalability and reliability to the world of CPAM—making hybrid access management faster, smarter, and more secure.
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