Implementing Zero Trust Access: The Hexnode and Okta Integration Guide

The era of the “Trusted Network” is over.

For twenty years, enterprise security relied on a castle-and-moat architecture. If a user was inside the firewall (or connected via VPN), they were trusted. If they were outside, they were blocked.

Cloud computing, remote work, and mobile fleets have dismantled the castle. Today, your data lives in Salesforce and AWS, and your users are in coffee shops, not cubicles. The “Perimeter” is no longer a firewall; it is the Identity of the user and the Health of their device—a gap bridged perfectly by the Hexnode-Okta merging.

This shift has given rise to Zero Trust Architecture (ZTA). The core tenet of Zero Trust, as defined by NIST 800-207, is simple: “Never Trust, Always Verify.”

However, most organizations fail to implement Zero Trust because they only solve half the equation. They secure the Identity (using MFA/SSO) but ignore the Device.

• The Risk: A hacker with stolen credentials can bypass MFA if they push a prompt to a fatigued user.
• The Greater Risk: A legitimate user with valid credentials can access sensitive data from an infected or jailbroken device, instantly compromising the cloud environment.

This guide details the architecture of a true Zero Trust ecosystem, leveraging the Hexnode Okta integration to use Hexnode UEM as the source of truth for device health and Okta as the enforcement engine for identity.

The Zero Trust Equation

To achieve true security, you must stop thinking in silos. Your UEM and your IdP are not separate tools; they are two variables in a single logic statement.

The Zero Trust Logic:

1. Create a kiosk user:

If either variable is zero, the result is Access Denied.

• Identity Valid + Device Unknown = Block
• Identity Valid + Device Infected = Block
• Identity Valid + Device Managed & Healthy = Grant

Chapter 1: Context-Aware access with the Hexnode Okta integration

True Zero Trust requires context. Before granting access to corporate resources (like Office 365, Slack, or AWS), the authentication system must ask two distinct questions:

1. Who is the user? (Identity assurance)
   • a)Is this John? Did he pass MFA?
2. What is the device? (Device assurance)
   • a)Is this a corporate laptop? Is it encrypted? Is the OS patched? Is there malware present?

The “split brain” problem

In most environments, these two questions are answered by different tools that don’t talk to each other.

• Okta knows who John is but has no idea if his laptop has ransomware.
• Hexnode knows the laptop has ransomware but can’t stop John from logging into salesforce.

The Hexnode-Okta merging solution

By integrating Hexnode with Okta, we bridge this gap. We create a context-aware access pipeline.

1. Hexnode continuously monitors the device. It calculates a compliance state based on encryption, patching, and security signals.
2. Okta pauses the login request to query the device state.
3. The Decision: If Hexnode reports the device is “non-compliant,” Okta denies the login, even if the password and MFA are correct.

This is conditional access without the Microsoft ecosystem lock-in.

Chapter 2: The kill chain – Blocking Office 365 on a rooted device

You asked for proof that Hexnode is a Security Tool, not just a management tool. Here is the definitive workflow.

We will demonstrate how to automatically block access to Microsoft Office 365 the moment a device is detected as “Rooted” (Android) or “Jailbroken” (iOS).

Step 1: Define the Risk (In Hexnode)

First, we tell Hexnode what a “Bad Device” looks like.

• Navigate to: Policies > Compliance.
• Rule: “Device is Rooted / Jailbroken.”
• Action: “Mark as Non-Compliant” (Immediate).

Step 2: Connect the Intelligence (Hexnode + Microsoft Entra ID)

We need Hexnode to whisper this status to Microsoft.

• Navigate to: Admin > Integrations > Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD).
• Action: Enable “Compliance Status Sync”.
• Result: Hexnode now writes a boolean value (isCompliant=True/False) directly to the device object in the Microsoft Entra directory in real-time.

Step 3: The Enforcement Gate (In Entra ID)

Now we configure the lock.

• Navigate to: Entra Admin Center > Protection > Conditional Access.
• Create Policy: “Block O365 for Non-Compliant Devices.”
• Assignment: Users = “All Employees”; Target Resources = “Office 365”.
• Conditions: Device Platform = “Android/iOS”.
• Grant Control: “Require device to be marked as compliant.”

Step 4: The Attack Scenario (Real-Time Block)

1. Event: An employee roots their Android phone to install a game cheat engine.
2. Detection: Hexnode’s agent detects the binary change instantly.
3. Signal: Hexnode tags the device as Non-Compliant and pushes this status to Entra ID via API (< 2 minutes).
4. Block: The employee tries to open Microsoft Teams.
5. Result: Entra ID checks the device status. It sees isCompliant=False.
6. Deny: Access is blocked. The user sees a message: “You cannot access this resource because your device is non-compliant. Contact IT.”

This is Automated Security Operations. No human admin had to click a button. The system defended itself.

Chapter 3: Configuring the Hexnode Okta Integration

For the Enterprise Architect, understanding the “Handshake” between UEM and IDP is critical. Hexnode leverages standard protocols (SAML/OIDC) and proprietary APIs to exchange signals.

The authentication flow

1. Initiation: The user navigates to a protected app (e.g., Google Workspace) and is redirected to Okta.
2. Certificate check: Okta prompts the device for a client certificate (pushed previously by Hexnode).
   • If no certificate: The device is unmanaged. Access Denied.
3. Signal exchange: If the certificate exists, Okta queries the Hexnode API (or interprets the certificate claims) to check Device Compliance.
4. Compliance check: Hexnode evaluates the device against your “Zero Trust Policy”:
   • Is Passcode enabled?
   • Are any blacklisted apps installed?
   • Is Disk Encryption (BitLocker/FileVault) active?
   • Is the OS version compliant (e.g., iOS 17.5+)?
5. Enforcement:
   • Pass: Okta issues the session token. User logs in.
   • Fail: Okta denies access. Hexnode pushes a notification to the device: “Your device is non-compliant. Please update iOS to gain access.”

Platform coverage

Unlike niche solutions that only support Mac (Jamf) or Windows (Intune), the Hexnode + Okta integration provides Unified Conditional Access across:

• macOS & Windows: Via Device Trust Certificates and Okta Verify.
• iOS & Android: Via Managed App Config and Mobile SSO.

Chapter 4: Implementation guide – Zero Trust in 5 steps

This is a high-level guide to configuring the integration. For specific API endpoints, refer to our technical documentation.

Phase 1: Prerequisites for the Hexnode Okta Integration

• Hexnode Enterprise Plan: Required for API and Integration access.
• Okta Tenant: Must have “Device Trust” or “Okta FastPass” capabilities enabled.
• Managed Fleet: Devices must be enrolled in Hexnode to receive the trust certificates.

Phase 2: Configuring Hexnode

1. Define Compliance: Go to Policies > Compliance. Set your baseline:
   • Mandatory: Encryption, Minimum OS Version, No Root/Jailbreak.
   • Action: Mark device as “Non-Compliant” immediately upon violation.
2. Okta Integration: Navigate to Admin > Integrations > Okta.
   • Input your Okta Org URL and API Token.
   • Enable “Device Compliance Sync.”

Phase 3: Configuring Okta

1. Identity Provider Routing: Set Hexnode as a trusted signal source.
2. Authentication Policy: Create a new App Sign-on Policy for critical apps (e.g., Salesforce).
   • Rule: “Allow Access”
   • IF: “User is authenticated”
   • AND: “Device is Managed” (Registered)
   • AND: “Device is Compliant” (No Risks)

Phase 4: The Rollout (Deployment rings)

Never switch on Zero Trust for the whole company on Friday at 5 PM.

1. Audit Mode: Enable the integration but set the Okta policy to “Log Only.” Review logs to see how many legitimate users would have been blocked due to non-compliance.
2. Remediation Campaign: Use Hexnode to push updates and fixes to non-compliant devices found in the Audit.
3. Enforcement (IT Dept): Turn on “Block Access” for the IT team first.
4. Global Enforcement: Roll out to the entire organization.

Chapter 5: Competitive advantage – Why Hexnode?

Enterprise Architects often ask: “Why shouldn’t I just use Microsoft Intune?”

While Intune is natively integrated with Entra ID, it forces a Monoculture.

1. Cross-Platform depth: Intune is optimized for Windows. Hexnode provides superior, granular compliance checks for Apple (macOS/iOS) and Android. If your creative team uses Macs and your drivers use Android, Hexnode provides deeper “Device Trust” signals than Intune.
2. Speed of sync: Microsoft’s architecture relies on polling. A device might remain “Compliant” in the IdP for hours after it has been compromised. Hexnode’s architecture prioritizes faster state synchronization, closing the vulnerability window.
3. IdP agnostic: Hexnode plays nice with everyone. Whether you switch from Okta to Entra ID, or add Google Workspace, your Device Trust engine (Hexnode) remains the constant source of truth.

Conclusion: Identity is the key, device is the door

Zero Trust is not a product you buy; it is a strategy you implement. Buying Okta secures your keys. Buying Hexnode secures your doors. To protect the house, you need both working in unison.

By leveraging the Hexnode Okta integration to combine deep device telemetry with adaptive authentication, organizations can move beyond the outdated “Password & Firewall” model to a modern, context-aware security posture.

Ready to close your security gaps?

Frequently Asked Questions on Zero Trust

Does Okta replace the need for an MDM like Hexnode?

No. Okta manages Identity (Who you are), while Hexnode manages Device Health (What you are using). Okta cannot see if a device is encrypted, jailbroken, or patched without an MDM. Integrating them allows Okta to use Hexnode’s device data to make secure access decisions.

What is “Device Trust” in Okta?

Device Trust is a security configuration where Okta denies access to applications unless the request comes from a “Managed Device.” This verification is achieved by checking for a client certificate on the device, which is typically installed and managed by an MDM solution like Hexnode.

How does this compare to Microsoft Intune Conditional Access?

Hexnode + Okta offers a comparable “Conditional Access” workflow but is platform-agnostic. While Intune is optimized for Windows/Azure, Hexnode provides superior granularity for macOS, iOS, and Android devices, making it the preferred choice for heterogeneous (“Best of Breed”) IT environments.

Can Hexnode block access to Office 365 if a device is non-compliant?

Yes. By integrating Hexnode with your Identity Provider (Okta, Google, or Azure AD), you can configure a policy that blocks authentication to Office 365 (and other apps) the moment a device falls out of compliance (e.g., disables encryption or installs a blacklisted app).