ACF2 vs Cleanup comparison

CA ACF2™ for z/OS provides innovative, comprehensive security for your business transaction environments—including Linux, UNIX and z/OS on System z—helping you realize the reliability, scalability and cost-effectiveness of the mainframe. CA ACF2 provides an Advanced Authentication Mainframe feature, system entry validation, resource control, auditability, accountability, and administrative control. In conjunction with distributed security solutions from CA Technologies, CA ACF2 provides mobile-to-mainframe enterprise class security and compliance management.

ACF2 Features

ACF2 offers some of the following features:

• Authentication: ACF2 is used for authenticating users and granting them access to profiles and various resources on the mainframe.

• Access Control: The solution provides resource control, allowing administrators to control who can access specific mainframe resources.

• Logging and Monitoring: Organizations can easily track and monitor activities on the mainframe. This feature enables the creation of audit trails for follow-up and helps with security analysis.

• Metrics and Reporting: ACF2 allows the configuration of tools to produce different types of metrics and reports. These can then be used by senior management for making informed security decisions.

• Comprehensive Security: The solution provides comprehensive security for mainframe environments, ensuring the protection of valuable data assets. It offers advanced authentication, system entry validation, and administrative control.

• Streamlined Administration: It simplifies the administration of mainframe security by providing streamlined management capabilities. ACF2 also enables administrators to monitor and adjust security policies and accommodate various organizational structures.

• Scalability: ACF2 offers reliable and scalable security, allowing businesses to expand their mainframe environments while maintaining a high level of protection.

• Compliance Management: Organizations can meet compliance requirements by providing auditability, accountability, and comprehensive security controls.

• Integration: ACF2 can integrate with distributed security solutions from CA Technologies, providing enterprise-class security and compliance management for mobile-to-mainframe environments.

• Flexibility: ACF2 allows flexibility in adapting security policies to accommodate different organizational structures and requirements.

ACF2 Benefits

Some of the benefits that ACF2 provides are:

• Enhanced security and resilience

• Streamlined administration

• Reliable and scalable security

• Comprehensive audit capabilities

• Cost-effectiveness

• Integration with other security solutions

• Simplified identity and access management

• Compliance management

• Efficient monitoring and reporting

Reviews from Real Users

According to an IT Examiner at a financial services firm with 10,000+ employees, "ACF2 is extremely beneficial for the mainframe environment, and it is at the forefront for security and resilience."

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