Integrations

Getting started with Integrations


title: Getting started with Integrations description: Introduction and overview of external system integrations in Tidal Control sidebar_position: 1

Getting started with Integrations

What are Integrations in Tidal Control?

Integrations enable Tidal Control to connect with external systems and tools for real-time compliance monitoring. By configuring integrations, external tests can automatically retrieve data from your existing IT infrastructure.

Core functionalities:

  • Real-time data retrieval from external systems for compliance validation
  • Automatic compliance tests based on actual system configurations
  • Centralized monitoring of distributed IT infrastructure
  • Objective compliance measurements without manual data collection
  • Continuous compliance monitoring instead of periodic audits

Integrations vs manual compliance controls

Integrations are ideal for:

  • Technical configuration validation (encryption, access control)
  • Real-time security baseline monitoring
  • Automatic collection of compliance evidence
  • Large-scale infrastructure compliance monitoring

Manual controls remain necessary for:

  • Procedural compliance (training, awareness)
  • Qualitative assessments (policy effectiveness)
  • Business process evaluations
  • Strategic compliance decisions

Navigating the Integrations overview page

The Integrations page in Settings shows all available external system connections and your current configuration status.

Integrations overview

What you see in the overview:

  • Configured Integrations - Active integrations already set up
  • Available Integrations - Available systems for new connections
  • Integration tiles - Visual cards per external system

Configured vs Available Integrations

Configured Integrations section:

  • Active connections already set up and working
  • Test execution possible via these integrations

Available Integrations section:

  • Available systems for new connections
  • Click the plus icon to configure integrations for use

Initial setup status:

"You have not configured any integrations yet."

This means you haven't connected any external systems yet and all integrations are still available for configuration.

Understanding available integrations

Cloud Platform Integrations

Amazon Web Services (AWS):

  • Security baseline compliance monitoring
  • IAM configuration validation
  • Encryption settings verification
  • Network security group compliance

Microsoft Azure:

  • Azure Security Center integration
  • Azure Active Directory configuration checks
  • Azure Policy compliance monitoring
  • Resource encryption validation

Google Cloud Platform:

  • Cloud Security Command Center integration
  • Identity and Access Management monitoring
  • Cloud Resource Manager compliance
  • Security configuration baseline checks

Development Platform Integrations

GitHub:

  • Repository security settings monitoring
  • Branch protection rule compliance
  • Code scanning results integration
  • Dependency vulnerability tracking

GitLab:

  • Project security configuration validation
  • CI/CD pipeline security compliance
  • Container scanning results integration
  • License compliance monitoring

Jira Cloud:

  • Issue tracking integration for compliance workflows
  • Project management compliance monitoring
  • Audit trail integration
  • Change management process tracking

Workspace and Productivity Integrations

Google Workspace:

  • Admin console security settings
  • User account management compliance
  • Data loss prevention configuration
  • Mobile device management settings

Kandji:

  • macOS device management compliance
  • Security policy enforcement monitoring
  • Software deployment compliance tracking
  • Device security baseline validation

Integration activation process

General activation steps

For each integration, follow a similar process:

  1. Select integration from Available Integrations section
  2. Click plus icon to start setup
  3. Follow configuration wizard for specific integration
  4. Configure authentication (API keys, OAuth, service accounts)
  5. Test connectivity to verify operation

Authentication and security

When setting up authentication, pay attention to the following security measures:

  • Least privilege principle - Don't give Tidal integration more rights than necessary. It's often sufficient to give Tidal read rights to specific system functionality.
  • Encrypted connections to all external systems
  • Regular credential rotation according to best practices
Info

Tidal stores credential information securely in a protected 'key vault' and only communicates with encrypted connections.

Suspect credentials are compromised? Change or remove them immediately, and send an email to support@tidalcontrol.com

Integration impact on Tests

How integrations activate Tests

Integration configuration enables external tests:

  1. Integration becomes active after successful configuration
  2. External tests become available for that integration
  3. Tests can retrieve data from connected systems
  4. Real-time compliance monitoring becomes possible
Tip

Read more about using automatic tests.

Next steps

Now that you understand Integrations:

  • Identify critical external systems for compliance monitoring
  • Prioritize integrations based on business and compliance impact
  • Start with one integration to learn the process
  • Select specific integration from articles below for detailed setup instructions

For specific integration setup instructions, see the individual articles in this section for each available integration.