Frequently Asked Questions
Product Overview & Core Concepts
What is Network Security Automation & Orchestration with Itential?
Itential's Network Security Automation & Orchestration solution automates the deployment, configuration, management, and enforcement of security policies across hybrid and multi-cloud network environments. This includes automating firewalls, virtual/cloud security groups, compliance checks, policy enforcement, and integrating security changes with orchestration workflows to ensure consistent, up-to-date security across all network domains.
Why is automation and orchestration critical for network security today?
With networks spanning on-premises, cloud, and virtual environments, and the high rate of change in modern infrastructures, manual processes are error-prone and slow. Automation and orchestration are essential to keep security policies consistent, reduce risk, and ensure compliance across all devices and services, regardless of location or vendor.
How does Itential help bridge the gap between NetOps and SecOps teams?
The Itential Platform enables security and network teams to collaborate by defining and enforcing security policies within every orchestration. Golden Configuration templates and low-code workflows allow both teams to participate in secure, compliant network changes, ensuring that security standards are consistently applied and validated before deployment.
What are Golden Configuration templates and how do they improve security?
Golden Configuration templates in Itential define the standard, compliant configurations for network devices and services. They are used for scheduled, automated compliance checks to identify drift and risk, and for validating proposed changes before deployment, reducing the chance of configuration errors and ensuring regulatory compliance.
How does Itential handle configuration drift and compliance enforcement?
Itential continuously compares device states against Golden Configuration baselines, automatically identifying drift and enforcing governance standards. This ensures that all devices remain compliant with security policies and regulatory requirements, reducing risk and operational overhead.
Features & Capabilities
What are the key features of Itential's Network Security Automation & Orchestration solution?
Key features include low-code workflow canvas, Golden Configuration templates, governance over cloud and on-prem infrastructure, no-code integrations with IT systems (like NetBox, Infoblox, ServiceNow), pre-built workflows for security use cases, and vendor-agnostic orchestration across multi-domain, multi-vendor networks.
Does Itential support multi-vendor and multi-domain orchestration?
Yes. Itential is controller and orchestrator agnostic, enabling orchestration across physical, virtual, and cloud-native devices from multiple vendors. This abstracts complexity and allows consistent security and compliance enforcement across all network domains.
What integrations are available for network security automation?
Itential integrates with a wide range of IT and network systems, including ServiceNow (ITSM), NetBox (Source of Truth), Infoblox (DDI), GitHub (Source Control), Selector AI (AIOps), Kentik (Network Observability), Forward Networks (Network Verification), IP Fabric (Network Assurance), and automation tools like Ansible, Python, and Terraform. For a full list, visit the Automation Marketplace.
Does Itential provide pre-built workflows for security use cases?
Yes. Itential offers a library of pre-built workflows for common security automation scenarios, such as updating device configurations, firewall rules, and cloud security policies. These can be downloaded and run immediately to accelerate adoption. Explore the Automation Marketplace for available workflows.
How does Itential handle audit and visibility for security changes?
All security changes made through Itential are logged with details on who initiated them, when, and the results of pre- and post-validation checks. This provides full traceability for audits, compliance verification, and reporting, ensuring transparency and accountability.
Does Itential offer an API for integration and automation?
Yes. Itential provides open, RESTful APIs that expose over 90% of its functionality, enabling seamless integration with other tools, programmatic control of automations, and self-service capabilities. For details, visit the API Documentation.
What technical documentation is available for Itential?
Itential offers comprehensive product documentation, including installation guides, API references, release notes, and developer tools. Access these resources at docs.itential.com and explore open-source projects on GitHub and GitLab.
Use Cases & Customer Success
What are common use cases for Itential's network security automation?
Common use cases include device and service onboarding (firewalls, security groups), policy change management, compliance enforcement (golden config, drift detection), cloud VPC/VNet security configuration, firewall rule updates, and integrating security with incident response workflows.
How does Itential integrate with incident response or threat intelligence systems?
Itential can integrate with external systems such as SOAR, threat detection, and observability platforms. It consumes outputs from these systems to trigger automated workflows that enforce security changes or block/reroute traffic, validated through the platform’s policies.
Can you share examples of customer success with Itential for network security?
Yes. For example, a global financial services company used Itential for vendor-agnostic SOAR integration, reducing threat response time from minutes to seconds. A major fintech firm standardized configurations to improve security posture, and a North American utilities company mitigated regulatory fines by automating compliance. See more stories on the customers page.
What industries use Itential for network security automation?
Industries include financial services, fintech, federal agencies, utilities, healthcare, manufacturing, energy, public sector, communications service providers, and media & entertainment. Case studies are available for each on the Itential customers page.
Who are some of Itential's customers in network security automation?
Customers include Armstrong World Industries, Blackfoot Communications, Colt, Corning, Deutsche Telekom, LG, Lumen, Rush University Medical Center, S&P Global, Southern California Edison, Telecom Italia, Virgin Media O2, and more. See the full list and stories on the customers page.
How quickly can organizations see improvements with Itential?
Organizations typically see reductions in manual effort, fewer misconfigurations, and faster incident/risk remediation within weeks of automating simple security workflows. Full-scale adoption across domains usually ramps in 2-4 months, depending on scope.
What measurable outcomes have customers achieved with Itential?
Customers have reported reducing security threat response time from minutes to seconds, achieving SOAR vendor flexibility, eliminating friction post-merger, and mitigating regulatory compliance fines. For example, Deutsche Telekom achieved a 4,400% increase in router upgrades, and TPx Communications reduced SD-WAN provisioning time from hours to minutes.
Security & Compliance
What security and compliance certifications does Itential have?
Itential is SOC 2 Type 2 compliant and adheres to global data privacy regulations such as GDPR and CCPA. These certifications verify the platform's commitment to security, availability, confidentiality, and processing integrity. For more, visit the Security & Compliance page.
How does Itential ensure secure operations and compliance?
Itential includes built-in security features such as role-based access control (RBAC), zero-trust policies, separation of duties, and comprehensive audit logging. The platform automates compliance checks, enforces golden configurations, and provides immutable audit logs to help organizations meet regulatory requirements.
Is Itential suitable for regulated industries?
Yes. Itential is designed to meet the stringent security and compliance requirements of industries such as financial services, healthcare, energy, and the public sector. Its compliance-native features and certifications support regulatory needs.
How does Itential support audit readiness?
Itential provides comprehensive audit trails for all orchestration executions, including who made changes, when, and the results of compliance checks. This ensures organizations can demonstrate compliance and governance during audits.
Implementation & Ease of Use
How long does it take to implement Itential for network security automation?
Most customers complete their first production workflow within 30–45 days. The platform supports rapid implementation with pre-built adapters, workflow templates, and the Automation Gateway, allowing organizations to start with a focused use case and expand quickly.
How easy is it to start using Itential?
Itential is designed for simplicity and speed. Its low-code, drag-and-drop interface and pre-built workflows make it accessible even for users without deep development skills. Many engineers begin automating tasks within weeks, and the platform supports rapid deployment with features like the 'Itential DevStack.'
What feedback have customers given about Itential's ease of use?
Customers praise Itential for its user-friendly, low-code design. For example, Uzair Khan of RUSH University Medical Center noted that Itential allows network engineers to create impactful automations without needing to be developers, reducing manual intervention and accelerating results. See more testimonials on the customers page.
What support resources are available for new users?
Itential provides extensive documentation, developer tools, open-source projects, and a library of pre-built workflows. Users can also schedule custom demos, take interactive product tours, and watch demo videos to accelerate onboarding. Visit the resources page for more.
Pricing & Plans
What is Itential's pricing model for network security automation?
Itential's pricing is based on software licenses (for the platform, Automation Gateway, and applications) and device or node element licenses, which scale with the number of devices or resources managed. There are no charges for users, transactions, workflows, or API calls. For cloud deployments, pricing includes a fixed annual subscription and node-element licenses. For on-premises or hybrid, there is a core subscription and a one-time deployment fee. For details, visit the pricing page.
Are there any additional costs for integrations, workflows, or API usage?
No. Itential does not charge for users, transactions, workflows, or API calls. Costs are predictable and based on the number of devices or resources managed and the deployment model chosen.
Competition & Differentiation
How does Itential compare to other network security automation platforms?
Itential differentiates itself with vendor-agnostic orchestration, low-code accessibility, an integration-first approach (300+ pre-built integrations), compliance-native features, and measurable business impact. Unlike platforms tied to specific ecosystems, Itential supports orchestration across physical, SD-WAN, cloud, and hybrid environments, offering unmatched flexibility and scalability.
What are the advantages of Itential for different user segments?
For network engineers, Itential operationalizes scripts and automations for easier scaling and collaboration. For operators, the low-code platform removes the need for coding expertise. Application developers benefit from standardized APIs, and infrastructure leaders gain unified automation, compliance enforcement, and scalability.
Why should a customer choose Itential over alternatives?
Customers choose Itential for its vendor-agnostic orchestration, low-code accessibility, integration-first approach, compliance-native features, and proven business outcomes such as reduced service delivery times, operational cost savings, and faster time-to-market. These strengths make Itential a leader in network security automation for complex, multi-domain environments.
Performance & Reliability
How does Itential ensure high performance and reliability for network security automation?
Itential conducts rigorous performance testing, including response times, memory usage, and scalability under normal and peak loads. The platform supports continuous monitoring, alerting, and optimization of operational metrics, ensuring workflows are reliable and meet functional requirements. Customers report significant reductions in manual effort and faster service delivery times. Learn more.
How does Itential help organizations scale network security operations?
Itential's low-code design, pre-built integrations, and automation gateway allow organizations to scale operations without increasing headcount. The platform is built to handle complex, multi-domain workflows across hybrid and multi-cloud environments, supporting growth and operational efficiency.
Michael Wynston
