I had the opportunity to spend some time in the expo hall at Citrix Synergy in Orlando this year looking at the different technologies our Citrix Ready Partners are bringing to market. One company called Sentry Bay, and their Armored Client for Citrix made such an impression that I decided to write a blog post about them and shoot a demo video of the product.

The Challenge

sentrybayBy design, Citrix XenApp & XenDesktop is a very secure solution, but there has always been a concern that if the endpoint is compromised, there is a risk of keylogging and screen capturing/recording of confidential data. Endpoint security for unmanaged PCs is a concern for many companies in many segments, particularly those bound by regulatory compliance which either prevents the use of non-managed endpoints for remote access or is high on the security risk register today.

Remote Access – Endpoint Risks

If the employee’s unmanaged endpoint device is compromised in any way by threats, such as hackers or malware, there is a real risk that data or systems access will be exposed. In today’s heightened security threat landscape, the following threats should be addressed:

  • Keylogging: Key-loggers covertly record every keystroke.
  • Screen Scraping: This activity can deliver every scrap of data displayed on employees’ screens directly into the hands of cybercriminals.
  • Browser-Based Attacks: Workers browsing the internet expose themselves and their employers to a host of additional threats that target the browser software as a gateway.
  • ICA File Interception: ICA files can be intercepted either in flight or from the endpoint’s file system and re-used in a timely fashion elsewhere.
  • RDP Double-hop or VNC Attacks: Common ways for malicious threat actors to compromise confidentiality on endpoints is by use of RDP & VNC attacks.
  • Printing: The Windows printing sub-system can be exploited by common malware, at the point a print job is passed to the Print Spooler (from any application) it can be copied and content displayed by a malicious threat actor.

The Solution

SentryBay Armored Client for Citrix

SentryBay, founded in 2002, provides security technology for PC, MAC and Mobile devices. Their product — Armored Client for Citrix — is certified in the Citrix Ready – Secure Remote Access Program and they hold patents in anti-logging, anti-phishing, and others pending.

The Armored Client for Citrix solves the key security challenges for Citrix endpoints highlighted above. The design objectives for SentryBay set out to use their core patented technology to provide a lightweight, secure environment to solve the key security and compatibility issues today on both Windows and MacOS endpoints:

  1. Protect the browser and logon process from keylogging, screen-scrapping & other malicious attacks
  2. Protect Citrix session from keylogging, screen-scrapping & other malicious attacks
  3. Integrate with Citrix NetScaler Gateway
  4. Solve browser compatibility issues
  5. Enforce and deploy a consistent installed Citrix Receiver version
  6. Enable the ICA / HDX virtual channels to function normally (where possible)
  7. Allow the user to switch to their normal applications at any time without disconnecting from Citrix applications

Give it a Try

I’ve had a chance to install the Armored Client on my MAC — a simple 4-click install — and have recorded a demo video that can be found here and below:

If you would like to give the Armored Client for Citrix a try you can request a 45-day trial here.

The software is globally distributed by PhireServe and links to both companies, product brochures, white paper and press releases are below.

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