Somerford Associates Limited

HashiCorp Boundary - secure, automated, remote access for critical systems

Boundary provides access to applications and critical systems with fine-grained authorizations without managing credentials or exposing your network.

Features

• Secure remote access
• Manage access to dynamic infrastructure and integrate service registries
• Authenticate with any trusted identity provider
• Authorise access based on granular, logical roles and services.
• Automate credential brokering with HashiCorp Vault.

Benefits

• Authenticate and access different clouds, systems and endpoints
• Reduction of secret sprawl across systems
• Reduce risk of leaking credentials with just-in-time credentials

£39.60 a unit a month

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at penny.harrison@somerfordassociates.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.

Framework

G-Cloud 14

Service ID

958927441037288

Contact

Penny Harrison
07897075103
penny.harrison@somerfordassociates.com

Service scope

• Software add-on or extension: No
• Cloud deployment model:
  • Public cloud
  • Private cloud
  • Hybrid cloud
• Service constraints: None.
• System requirements: Not applicable

User support

• Email or online ticketing support: Email or online ticketing
• Support response times: Silver Support Tier - 9-5, Monday - Friday, Local Business Hours; ; Gold Support Tier - 24/7 Sev 1 Urgent
• User can manage status and priority of support tickets: No
• Phone support: Yes
• Phone support availability: 9 to 5 (UK time), Monday to Friday
• Web chat support: No
• Onsite support: Yes, at extra cost
• Support levels: We provide support from priority 1 to priority 4 cases on any existing configuration or part of the platform that is in total or partial failure as well as not working as expected. We also provide configuration guidance and recommendations for use cases. Each customer receives their own Account Manager who works closely with Support and ensures that cases can be followed up. Somerfords Support desk is available as a value added service in addition to the maintenance and support purchased alongside the license.
• Support available to third parties: Yes

Onboarding and offboarding

• Getting started: We provide a learning portal https://learn.hashicorp.com/ with videos and self-guided tutorials.; We also provide virtual paid training through the Hashicorp Enterprise Academy. Schedule and registration can be found here: https://events.hashicorp.com/hashicorp-enterprise-academy
• Service documentation: Yes
• Documentation formats: HTML
• End-of-contract data extraction: If you decide to end the HashiCorp Boundary Enterprise contract, you could migrate to the self-managed Boundary Community Edition which allows you access to data and features not restricted by Enterprise entitlements.
• End-of-contract process: When the contract is coming to an end you have the option to renew the subscription. ; ; If you do not wish to renew, you will have to migrate your configurations to Boundary Community Edition. You will lose access to HashiCorp support and Enterprise specific features.

Using the service

• Web browser interface: Yes
• Supported browsers:
  • Internet Explorer 11
  • Microsoft Edge
  • Firefox
  • Chrome
  • Safari
  • Opera
• Application to install: Yes
• Compatible operating systems:
  • Linux or Unix
  • MacOS
  • Windows
• Designed for use on mobile devices: No
• Service interface: Yes
• User support accessibility: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Description of service interface: UI, API or CLI are available to interface with the service
• Accessibility standards: WCAG 2.1 AA or EN 301 549
• Accessibility testing: N/A
• API: Yes
• What users can and can't do using the API: Full service capability Is accessible through the API
• API documentation: Yes
• API documentation formats: HTML
• API sandbox or test environment: No
• Customisation available: No

Scaling

• Independence of resources: HashiCorp Boundary Enterprise is deployed and managed by the customer on their own infrastructure. This is not applicable.

Analytics

• Service usage metrics: Yes
• Metrics types: HashiCorp Boundary Enterprise metrics are documented here:; ; https://developer.hashicorp.com/boundary/docs/operations/metrics; ; Boundary provides metrics through the /metrics path using a listener with the "ops" purpose.; ; The metrics uses the OpenMetric exposition format which can be read by Prometheus
• Reporting types: API access

Resellers

• Supplier type: Reseller providing extra features and support
• Organisation whose services are being resold: HashiCorp

Staff security

• Staff security clearance: Conforms to BS7858:2019
• Government security clearance: Up to Developed Vetting (DV)

Asset protection

• Knowledge of data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Data storage and processing locations: Other locations
• User control over data storage and processing locations: Yes
• Datacentre security standards: Supplier-defined controls
• Penetration testing frequency: At least once a year
• Penetration testing approach: Another external penetration testing organisation
• Protecting data at rest: Encryption of all physical media
• Data sanitisation process: No
• Equipment disposal approach: A third-party destruction service

Data importing and exporting

• Data export approach: Not applicable
• Data export formats: Other
• Other data export formats: Personal data can be exported in a data portable format.
• Data import formats: Other
• Other data import formats: Not applicable

Data-in-transit protection

• Data protection between buyer and supplier networks: TLS (version 1.2 or above)
• Data protection within supplier network: TLS (version 1.2 or above)

Availability and resilience

• Guaranteed availability: HashiCorp Boundary Enterprise is deployed and managed by the customer on their own infrastructure. This is not applicable.
• Approach to resilience: HashiCorp Boundary Enterprise's reocmmended architectural practices document resilience through a fault-tolerant and highly-avaiable deployment architected segregated by failure domain.; ; At the most basic level, running 3 controller and 3 worker instances across 3 availability zones gives a fundamental level of high availability for the control plane (controller), as well as bandwidth for a number of sessions on the data plane (worker). Both server types should be run in a fault-tolerant configuration, that is, in a self-healing environment such as an auto-scaling group.
• Outage reporting: HashiCorp Boundary Enterprise is deployed and managed by the customer on their own infrastructure. Customers can make use of HashiCorp Boundary Enterprise APIs in order to determine health and availability of their HashiCorp Boundary Enterprise deployments.; ; https://developer.hashicorp.com/boundary/docs/operations/health

Identity and authentication

• User authentication needed: Yes
• User authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password
• Access restrictions in management interfaces and support channels: Access is granted on a least privileged basis and all access is time bound. Users who need and subsequently request admin access are subject to an approval chain and their right to request access is automatically revoked after 90 days, after which they must re-apply. ; ; Once users have the right to request access, they are authenticated through an internal system. Admin access to production systems is limited to 15mins before re-authentication.; ; Access for support teams to read hashed audit logs is granted for 30 days
• Access restriction testing frequency: At least every 6 months
• Management access authentication:
  • 2-factor authentication
  • Username or password

Audit information for users

• Access to user activity audit information: Users have access to real-time audit information
• How long user audit data is stored for: User-defined
• Access to supplier activity audit information: No audit information available
• How long system logs are stored for: User-defined

Standards and certifications

• ISO/IEC 27001 certification: No
• ISO 28000:2007 certification: No
• CSA STAR certification: No
• PCI certification: No
• Cyber essentials: Yes
• Cyber essentials plus: Yes
• Other security certifications: Yes
• Any other security certifications: FIPS 140-2

Security governance

• Named board-level person responsible for service security: Yes
• Security governance certified: Yes
• Security governance standards: Other
• Other security governance standards: HashiCorp security has achieved SOC 2 report, ISO 27001, ISO 27017 (cloud security) & ISO 27018 (cloud) certifications.
• Information security policies and processes: All individuals with access to HashiCorp Resources are required to report any misuse or violations of this standard to Security (security@hashicorp.com), including:; Unauthorised access, disclosure, modification or deletion of HashiCorp data, Insufficient controls or weaknesses, and improper risk classifications. Please report to the IT and Security team immediately.

Operational security

• Configuration and change management standard: Supplier-defined controls
• Configuration and change management approach: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Vulnerability management approach: HashiCorp uses the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) for all vulnerabilities within scope of this standard. Each vulnerability must be assessed by the Security Team to determine the CVSS rating by completing the NIST CVSS v3.1 Calculator. ; For a High severity vulnerability we aim to have a response timeline of 5 business days.
• Protective monitoring type: Supplier-defined controls
• Protective monitoring approach: At least annually or when significant changes have occurred, HashiCorp will conduct an independent review of the approach to managing information security and its implementation. Additional third party reviews may be performed at least annually as necessary.; Information systems should be regularly reviewed for compliance with HashiCorp’s information security policies and standards. The security team will use approved tools to check systems and networks for technical compliance as part of regular vulnerability assessment and penetration testing activity.
• Incident management type: Supplier-defined controls
• Incident management approach: All HashiCorp employees and contractors must report any suspected incident or suspicious event within 24 hours of detection of an incident. Customers, community members, and vendors with access to HashiCorp Resources, or who act on behalf of HashiCorp must also report any suspected incident or suspicious event involving HashiCorp Resources within 24 hours of discovery. ; Information security weaknesses, incidents, and events must be reported as soon as possible. Employees must notify the security team through email or slack. External parties who experience an incident or event should report it to the security team via email.

Secure development

• Approach to secure software development best practice: Supplier-defined process

Public sector networks

• Connection to public sector networks: No

Social Value

• Social Value:

  Social Value

  • Fighting climate change
  • Covid-19 recovery
  • Tackling economic inequality
  • Equal opportunity
  • Wellbeing

  Fighting climate change

  As an organisation that works closely with the public sector, Somerford is keen to demonstrate our commitment to supporting the achievement of the Net Zero target of greenhouse gas emissions by 2050.; ; Management and staff at Somerford have been conscious of our impact upon the environment even before the Climate Change Act was introduced, and we’ve adopted environmentally friendly practices as the business has grown. Consequently, Somerford ‘s business already has a reasonably low carbon footprint, and will continue to strive for further reductions wherever possible because this is beneficial for our business, our stakeholders and the environment.; ; We will use our influence as a value added reseller of leading edge software products and supporting professional services to select supplier-partners whose own carbon reduction philosophy and plans are aligned with ours, and who can show commitment to the Net Zero target. In practical terms, this means we participate in a carbon-net-zero supply chain in the delivery of the solutions from our supplier-partners to our customers.; ; For further details, please see our Carbon Reduction Plan online at https://www.somerfordassociates.com/carbon-reduction-policy-and-plan/ As an organisation that works closely with the public sector.

  Covid-19 recovery

  During the Covid-19 pandemic, our robust business continuity measures, prudent fiscal policy, and the benefits of a highly flexible team, meant we were well prepared for the difficulties ahead. ; ; Staff wellbeing has been at the forefront of our Covid-19 recovery plans, taking care of their physical and mental health, including;; ; * home working to avoid unnecessary exposure to the virus; * providing safe office space where staff personal circumstances dictated; * regular contact, albeit remotely, to prevent isolation; * organised e-based social events to maintain interaction; ; ; As a result we have been able to:; ; * give uninterrupted service to our customers; * move our staff to home working; * avoid compulsory redundancies and minimised furlough; * in 2020, gain an 11% increase in revenues; * continue to grow the workforce by over 10% in the same year; * take on new partners to enhance our solutions portfolio; * invest in staff education to meet future customer needs. ; ; Changes in business practices due to Covid-19 have shown that flexible work patterns can be very effective, and we’re unlikely to fully return to our previous style of working. ; ; Our solutions have also helped customers to cope with their changing work patterns too - supporting their Covid recovery by providing the infrastructure, tooling and monitoring to support their own remote, flexible and sustainable ways of working.

  Tackling economic inequality

  Somerford is a healthily growing business, and actively strives to create employment opportunities that are inclusive of all socio-economic groups. For example:; ; * 47% of our staff joined us as junior.; * 17 of our team have joined us as apprentices or graduated from our in house technical academy; * We actively participate in the Armed Forces Covenant Scheme and help to redeploy and re-skill leavers from the Armed Forces. So far, 18 staff have joined us in this way;; ; Strong technical skills are key to the delivery of services to our customers, so we’ve invested heavily in staff training, as is demonstrated by 47% of our staff starting with us as juniors.

  Equal opportunity

  Somerford is an equal opportunities employer and does not discriminate on the grounds of gender, sexual orientation, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy or maternity, gender reassignment, race, colour, nationality, ethnic or national origin, religion or belief or age.; ; We do not discriminate on the grounds of disability. We take particular care to respect the rights of those with disabilities, throughout all stages of recruitment and employment. We make reasonable adjustments to ensure those with disabilities are not disadvantaged in the workplace, eg. adjusting working hours or providing special equipment to help to do their job.

  Wellbeing

  Somerford is committed to promoting and supporting the wellbeing of all of its staff. We aim to create a culture which focuses on prevention of issues in the workplace that can adversely affect staff health and wellbeing, and where issues are identified, they are managed promptly before they can have a detrimental impact.; ; This includes:; * providing staff with clarity and purpose regarding their job role;; * ensuring staff have the capability, training, support and encouragement to conduct their role confidently and effectively;; * providing a physical working environment that is suitable for the work to be carried out effectively;; * encouraging staff to maintain a sensible work-life balance;; * minimising the stressful impacts of work;; * ensuring bullying and harassment have no place in the working environment;; * managing sickness and absence effectively;; * considering requests for career breaks and sabbaticals;; * providing medical assistance to staff;; * encouraging employee fitness;; * promoting dignity at work.

Pricing

• Price: £39.60 a unit a month
• Discount for educational organisations: No
• Free trial available: No

Service documents

• Pricing document

  PDF

• Skills Framework for the Information Age rate card

  PDF

• Service definition document

  PDF

• Terms and conditions

  PDF

Request an accessible format

If you use assistive technology (such as a screen reader) and need versions of these documents in a more accessible format, email the supplier at penny.harrison@somerfordassociates.com. Tell them what format you need. It will help if you say what assistive technology you use.