This is an Early AccessEarly Access (EA) features are opt-in features that you can try out in your org by asking Okta Support to enable them. Additionally, the Features page in the Okta Admin Console (Settings > Features) allows Super Admins to enable and disable some EA features themselves. feature. To enable it, please contact Okta Support.
Enforce Okta Device Trust for Native Apps and Safari on MDM-managed iOS devices
Okta Device Trust for Native apps and Safari on MDM-managed iOS devices allows you to prevent unmanaged iOS devices from accessing enterprise services through browsers and native applications.
Key benefits
- Ensures that only iOS devices managed by your chosen Mobile Device Management (MDM) provider can access SAMLAn acronym for Security Assertion Markup Language, SAML is an XML-based standard for exchanging authentication and authorization data between an identity provider (IdP) and a service provider (SP). The SAML standard addresses issues unique to the single sign-on (SSO) solution, and defines three roles: the end user, the IDP, and the SP. and WS-Fed cloud apps.
- Provides a frictionless end user experience by utilizing Okta Mobile for iOS
Requirements
- iOS devices running Okta-supported versions of iOS
- MDM provider support:
- Minimum – any Mobile Device Management (MDM) provider that supports managed appAn abbreviation of application. Essentially, it is a web-based site used to perform any number of specific tasks, and requires authentication from end users by signing in. configuration
- Recommended – MDM providers that support (1) managed app configuration and (2) the ability to convert an end user-installed Okta Mobile app instance to a managed app
- Apps:
- Any iOS SAML or WS-Fed cloud app
- Okta Mobile 5.12 or later, managed by your MDM provider
Caveats
-
Device Trust does not apply to apps accessed via chicletsThe "buttons" that appear on an end user's Home page and represent each application they wish to access through Okta. Clicking the chiclet allows the end user to instantly sign in and authenticate themselves into their chosen app. within Okta Mobile.
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Securing access to Box — To secure access to the Box app, we recommend that you use Box for EMM. If you want to use this Okta Device Trust solution instead of Box for EMM, you must contact Box Support and ask them to enable Safari View Controller (SVC) for your Box tenant
- If Device Trust and Okta Mobile Connect are both enabled — End usersIn Okta literature, we generally refer to "end users" as the people who have their own Okta home page (My Applications), using chiclets to authenticate into all of their apps. End users do not have any administrative control. When we refer to "users" we are generally referring to the individual(s) who have administrative control. trying to access an app enabled for Okta Mobile Connect (OMC) and secured by Device Trust go through the Device Trust authentication flow if the app has been configured with any Device Trust Sign On policy rule. Otherwise, they go through the OMC flow.
- End usersIn Okta literature, we generally refer to "users" as the people who serve as Okta administrators. When we refer to "end users" we are generally referring to the people who the administrators serve. That is, those who use Okta chiclets to access their apps, but have no administrative control. are not redirected to the app sign-in page under some circumstances — When this Device Trust solution is enabled, if end users sign into an Okta-federated Gmail or Salesforce account and later delete the account, they are redirected to the Okta Home page instead of the app's sign out page.
- Okta supports password-less authentication only for Office 365 apps (assumes that Okta Mobile is installed) — For all other apps, end users are presented the Okta Sign In page to enter credentials. Users are then prompted to let Okta Mobile assess the trust status of their device. If the device is trusted (MDM-enrolled), end users can access the app. If Okta Mobile assesses the device to be untrusted, one of the following occurs:
- If you configured a Sign On policy rule to deny untrusted devices, users with such devices are prompted to enroll in your MDM provider.
- If you configured a Sign On policy rule to present an MFA challenge to users with untrusted devices, such users are challenged with MFA.
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Web-based MDM enrollment fails for SVC-enabled apps — For customers integrated with an MDM provider that supports web-based enrollment (such as MobileIron), the automatic enrollment flow designed to occur in this device trust solution fails if end users try to access a Safari View Controller-enabled native app (SVC). This happens because SVC apps do not support opening the device’s Settings page, which is required to complete MDM enrollment. If the app includes a button to launch Safari, end users can tap the button and complete MDM enrollment.
- End users might disable Universal Links inadvertently and be prevented from accessing Device Trust-secured apps — If Okta Mobile is installed on the device and an end user taps the upper right corner of the screen (where breadcrumbs are typically located), the user is prompted to install Okta Mobile even though it's already installed. This happens because tapping that part of the screen inadvertently disables the Universal Link configured to open Okta Mobile. An Okta Mobile session is required in order for the user to be authenticated into the app. Advise affected end users that they can open Okta Mobile in this case by performing the following workaround:
- Open the Notes app.
- Create a new note containing this URL: https://login.okta.com/auth/oktamobile
- Click Done. This is necessary to make the URL a hyperlink.
- Long press on the link https://login.okta.com/auth/oktamobile.
- In the list that opens, tap Open in "Okta Mobile" to launch Okta Mobile. Screenshot
- Securing an Okta-federated MDM application with this Device Trust solution — Okta recommends that you not apply a Not Trusted - Deny app sign policy to your Okta-federated MDM application. Doing so will prevent new users from enrolling their device in your MDM application and accessing other device trust-secured apps.
Procedures
This procedure has three main parts:
Part Ⓐ — Enable the global Device Trust setting for your org
- (Necessary only during the Early Access phase of this Device Trust solution) Make sure that Okta Customer Support has enabled this Device Trust solution for your orgThe Okta container that represents a real-world organization.. This is in addition to the global Device Trust setting that you enable in this procedure.
- From the Okta AdminAn abbreviation of administrator. This is the individual(s) who have access to the Okta Administrator Dashboard. They control the provisioning and deprovisioning of end users, the assigning of apps, the resetting of passwords, and the overall end user experience. Only administrators have the Administration button on the upper right side of the My Applications page. dashboard, go to Security > Device Trust.
- In the iOS Device Trust section, click Edit.
- In the dialog box that opens, select Enable iOS Device Trust.
- In Trust is established by, select your Mobile Device Management (MDM) provider.
- In the Enrollment link field, enter a web address where end users with unmanaged devices will be redirected. For example, you may want to send these users to a page with enrollment instructions, or the enrollment page of your selected MDM if the MDM provider supports web-based enrollment.
- Click Save and generate secret keys. Screenshot
- Copy the Secret Key value that displays in the Generate Secret Keys window. You'll enter it later in your MDM provider's app configuration as described in Part B. Screenshot
- Proceed to Part B.
Depending on the provider you select, unenrolled end users are shown either an MDM-specific or a generic enrollment prompt. Screenshot
Important: Make a note of the secret key, as this is the only time it will appear in Okta. If you generate a new key by clicking Reset iOS secret key, make sure to also update your MDM configuration with the new key.
Part Ⓑ — Integrate Okta into your third party MDM provider
Click: Important to know before you begin
Recommended MDM capabilities
At minimum, your MDM must support managed app configuration. For best results, we recommend that you integrate with an MDM that can do the following:
- Set Okta Mobile to be a managed app
- Set Okta Mobile to install on end-user devices automatically upon enrollment to the MDM
- Set the MDM to convert end user-installed Okta Mobile app instances to a managed app
- Use the managed app configuration to configure the key-value pair
Ensure the best end user experience
Your end users will have a better experience when accessing your managed corporate resources if their iOS device is already enrolled in your MDM provider and Okta Mobile was already installed on the device through the MDM provider's app store. If Okta Mobile is not installed already, end users are guided to install it through the MDM app store. If Okta Mobile is installed but not already managed by the MDM provider, end users are guided through the app management process before they can access device trust-secured apps.
- Obtain Okta Mobile from the App Store.
- Configure your MDM provider to manage Okta Mobile and to install it on end user devices if it is not installed already.
- Configure the key/value pair through your MDM provider's managed app configuration:
- Key: managementHint
- Value: Use the Secret Key value that you saved in Part A.
Note: The Key/Value pair is case sensitive.
- Proceed to Part C.
Part Ⓒ — Configure app Sign On policy rules in Okta
Click: Important to know before you begin
- Only App, Org, and Super admins can configure app Sign On policies.
- When processing a Sign On policy rule for an app configured with the Trust or Not trusted condition, Okta suspends normal rule processing and redirects the user to Okta Mobile to assess whether or not the device is trusted. If Okta assesses the device to be untrusted, one of the following occurs:
- If you configured a Sign On policy rule to deny untrusted devices, users are prompted to enroll in your MDM provider.
- If you configured a Sign On policy rule to issue an MFA challenge to users with untrusted devices, such users are challenged with MFA.
- (Applies only during the Early Access phase of this Device Trust solution) If you ask Okta Support to disable this Device Trust solution for your org (which is separate from the global Device Trust setting that you enabled in Part B), make sure to first change the Device Trust setting in the app sign on policy rules to Any (Applications > app > Sign On). If you do not make this change and then later have Okta Support re-enable Device Trust capability for your org, the Device Trust setting in app sign on policy rules will take effect immediately, which you may not have expected.
Overview
By default, all ClientEssentially, a client is anything that talks to the Okta service. Within the traditional client-server model, Okta is the server. The client might be an agent, an Okta mobile app, or a browser plugin. options in the App Sign On Rule dialog box are pre-selected. Notice that the Trusted and Not trusted options in the Device Trust section are not available unless you deselect all options in the Client section except the following, as applicable:
- Web browser (this option is available only when configuring Office 365 apps)
- Modern Auth client (this option is available only when configuring Office 365 apps)
- iOS and/or Windows and/or macOS and/or Android, as applicable
To configure more granular access to the app, selectively apply conditions as you create one or more prioritized rules based on:
- Who users are and/or the groupsGroups allow you to organize your end users and the apps they can access. Assigning apps to large sets of end users is made easier with groups. to which they belong
- Whether they are on or off network or within a defined network zone
- The type of client running on their device (Office 365 apps only)
- The platform of their mobile or desktop device
- Whether or not their devices are Trusted
Whitelist approach to creating Sign On policy rules
- Create one or more permissive rules to support the scenarios that will allow access to the app, then assign those rules the highest priority.
- Create a Deny catch-all rule that will apply to users who don't match the permissive scenarios you created in Step 1. Assign the Deny catch-all rule the lowest priority, just above Okta's Default RuleThe Default Rule is already created and cannot be edited. The Default Rule is designed to allow access to all client types from any device and platform and network locations. It is applied to users who don't match any of the more restrictive rules that have higher priority. . In the whitelist approach described here, the Default rule is never reached because it is effectively negated by the Deny catch-all rule.
For important information about creating Sign On policy rules, see Add Sign On policies for applications.
Procedure
Note: This example shows Device Trust rules for managing access to Office 365. For other apps, note that the section If the user's client is any of these is not present.
- In Okta, go to Applications and click the SAML or WS-Fed-enabled app that you want to protect with Device Trust.
- Click the Sign On tab, scroll down to the Sign On Policy, and click Add Rule.
- Configure one or more rules using the following examples as a guide.
This example illustrates how you can design an app sign on policy that allows access to web browsers and Modern Auth clients, require MFA for all access, and deny access to untrusted iOS devices.
Example Whitelist
- Enter a descriptive name for the rule.
CONDITIONS
- Under People, specify whether to apply the rule to individuals only or to individuals and groups. The People option you select must be the same for all the rules you create for this example.
- Under Location, specify the user location to which the rule will apply. The Location option you select must be the same for all the rules you create for this example.
- Configure client settings:
- Configure Device Trust.
Type:
þ Web browser or Modern Auth client is selected.
¨ Exchange ActiveSync client is is unselected.
Mobile:
þ iOS is selected.
¨ Android is unselected.
¨ Other mobile is unselected.
Desktop:
¨ Windows is unselected.
¨ macOS is unselected.
¨ Other desktop is unselected.
Note: In order for options in the Device Trust section to be available, you must deselect all options in the Client section except Web browser or Modern Auth client and iOS.
¨ Any is unselected.
þ Trusted is selected.
¨ Not trusted is unselected.
ACTIONS
- Configure Access:
- Click Save.
- Create Rule 2.
Allowed is selected.
þ Prompt for factor is selected.
- Enter a descriptive name for the rule.
CONDITIONS
- Under People, select the same People option that you selected in Rule 1. The People option must be the same for all rules in this example.
- Under Location, select the same Location option that you selected in Rule 1. The Location option must be the same for all rules in this example.
- Configure client settings:
- Configure Device Trust.
Type:
þ Web browser or Modern Auth client selected.
¨ Exchange ActiveSync client is unselected.
Mobile:
¨ iOS is unselected.
þ Android is selected.
þ Other mobile is selected.
Desktop:
þ Windows is selected
þ macOS is selected
þ Other desktop is selected
Note: In order for options in the Device Trust section to be available, you must deselect all options in the Client section except Web browser or Modern Auth client and iOS.
þ Any is selected.
¨ Trusted is unselected.
¨ Not trusted is unselected.
ACTIONS
- Configure Access.
- Click Save.
- Create Rule 3.
Allowed is selected.
þ Prompt for factor is selected.
- Enter a descriptive name for the rule.
CONDITIONS
- Under People, select the same People option that you selected in Rule 1. The People option you select must be the same for all rules you create for this example.
- Under Location, select the same Location option that you selected in Rule 1. The Location option you select must be the same for all rules you create for this example.
- Configure client settings:
- Configure Device Trust.
Type:
þ Web browser or Modern Auth client selected.
¨ Exchange ActiveSync client is unselected.
Mobile:
þ iOS is selected.
¨ Android is unselected.
¨ Other mobile is unselected.
Desktop:
¨ Windows is unselected.
¨ macOS is unselected.
¨ Other desktop is unselected.
Note: In order for options in the Device Trust section to be available, you must deselect all options in the Client section except Web browser or Modern Auth client and iOS.
¨ Any is unselected.
¨ Trusted is unselected.
þ Not trusted is selected.
ACTIONS
- Configure Access.
- Click Save.
Denied is selected.
Rule 4: Default sign on rule – Any client, All platforms; Any Trust; Allow access
The Default sign on rule is already created and cannot be edited. In this example, the Default rule is never reached because it is effectively negated by Rule 3.
Known Issue
If Intune is your MDM provider and also federated to Okta and you apply a Not Trusted - Deny sign-on policy to an Okta-federated O365 app, end users trying to access the app from unmanaged iOS devices become stuck in a redirect loop. This happens because your O365 app sign-on policy is applied also to Intune. Okta is investigating this issue.
Related topics
From Okta
External resources
AirWatch
Intune
What is Microsoft Intune app management?
How to add an app to Microsoft Intune
The AppConfig Community
Security and Configuration Framework for iOS
Apple
Introducing Safari View Controller (for best results, open this link in Safari)