New service for generating OAuth 2.0 client credentials
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
Pega® Platform now includes the oauthclients service package that provides a REST service for generating OAuth 2.0 client credentials. By using the client registration service, you can dynamically register OAuth 2.0 clients. The new service is secured by an existing OAuth service. Access tokens that are issued by the existing OAuth service are accepted as initial access tokens by the new service.
For more information, see OAuth 2.0 Client Registration data instances.
Enhanced security of Robotic Desktop Automation requests
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
Security enhancements have been introduced in the communication (data synchronization or pulling data) between your application that uses robotic desktop automation functionality and Pega® Platform. These applications (web, desktop, and legacy) communicate with Pega Platform through connectors. No additional configuration is necessary.
For more information, see Robotic automation.
External keystore support in Pega Platform
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
Pega® Platform now provides the ability to source certificates and encryption keys from external keystores. You use the Keystore rule to specify alternatives to the platform's database to source certificates and keys. You can choose to use a data page, a URL, or an external file in one of the following standard formats: JKS, JWK, PKCS12, KEYTAB, or KEY. Keystore information is stored in cache memory only. It is not stored on the clipboard nor is it directly accessible to the application logic.
For more information, see Creating a Keystore data instance.
Two-factor authentication with one-time passwords
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
Pega® Platform now supports two-factor authentication in custom authentication services and case flow processing, by sending a one-time password to an operator through email and requiring the operator to provide it back to your application for verification. Use REST API OTP Generation to generate and store one-time passwords, and REST API OTP Verification to verify passwords against user entries. You can also use the pxSendOTP and pxVerifyOTP activities called by these APIs to implement two-factor authentication of users in case flows prior to performing a critical operation (e.g. before completing a critical transaction such as a funds transfer in excess of a certain amount). Settings on the Security Policies landing page control the behavior of the two-factor authentication process.
For more information, see Enabling security policies.
Support for OAuth 2.0 authorization in Pega Platform REST services
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
Pega® Platform REST services now support OAuth 2.0 authorization that uses federated authentication with SAML 2.0-compliant identity providers (IDPs). The OAuth 2.0-based authorization can be configured to use the SAML2-bearer grant type with a SAML token profile. This configuration is used when a resource requestor is authenticated by using a SAML2.0-compliant IDP.
For more information, see Security rules and data.
Privilege inheritance support through access roles
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
Privilege inheritance simplifies the process of defining privileges that are relevant in multiple classes. When determining whether a user should be granted a named privilege that allows a type of access to a class, Pega® Platform searches for Access of Role to Object (Rule-Access-Role-Obj) rules that are relevant to the target class and to the access roles listed in the user's access group, and considers the privileges granted or denied in those rules. When privilege inheritance is enabled within an access role, the search for relevant Access of Role to Object rules begins with the target class and, if necessary, continues up the class hierarchy until a relevant rule is found.
For more information, see Privilege inheritance for access roles.
Cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) policies for APIs and REST services
Valid from Pega Version 7.3
You can now use cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) policies to control how external systems and websites (origins) are permitted to access resources such as APIs and services within your applications. For example, Pega® Platform uses CORS policies to restrict which Pega Robotic client applications can connect to your Pega applications, and to limit which mobile apps can call Pega mobile services. Using CORS policies results in reduced cost and implementation times, while providing increased security when other systems or websites interact with your application.
For more information, see Creating a cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) policy and Mapping an endpoint to a cross-origin resource sharing (CORS) policy.
Integrated Application Security Checklist helps you deploy a secure application
Valid from Pega Version 7.3.1
Pega® Platform now provides an Application Security Checklist that you can refer to when you prepare your application for deployment. By completing the recommended tasks in this checklist, you can track your progress, access instructional information for tasks, and verify that your configurations are secure.
For more information, see Preparing your application for secure deployment, Compliance Score tab, Designer Studio — Home page.
Encrypt sensitive case data by using a secure default Pega Platform cipher and AWS KMS keys
Valid from Pega Version 7.3.1
You can encrypt sensitive data within your application without having to write custom cipher classes. You can configure encryption on the Data Encryption landing page by using your own keys managed in your private Amazon Web Services Key Management Service (AWS KMS) instance. Pega® Platform encryption uses keys that are stored in AWS KMS to support both time-based and on-demand key rotation. Technical issues can arise in some cases, for example, if a key is deleted from AWS KMS.
For more information, see Potential problems with keystores when using AWS KMS, Configuring a Platform cipher, Types of ciphers.
REST services support password credentials and JWT Bearer grant types
Valid from Pega Version 7.3.1
Pega® Platform REST services now support password credentials and the JWT (JSON Web Token) Bearer grant type when you enable OAuth 2.0-based authentication. By using password credentials, you can quickly migrate clients from direct authentication schemes, provide additional flexibility when other grants are not available, and integrate your application with REST services in other applications. You can add compatibility with modern JWT-based cloud security IDPs by using the JWT Bearer grant type.
For more information, see About OAuth 2.0 Provider data instances, OAuth 2.0 Client Registration data instances - Completing the Client Information tab, Creating an Identity Mapping data instance.