What is it?
Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a security concept that focuses on controlling, monitoring, and managing access to an organization’s critical systems, resources, and data. It aims to ensure that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive information, reducing the risk of security breaches and data leaks.
PAM is not a single program but rather a set of practices, processes, and tools designed to safeguard privileged accounts. These accounts, such as system administrators, service accounts, and application accounts, have elevated access to sensitive systems and data. Through implementing PAM, organizations enforce the principle of least privilege, which dictates that users should only have the minimum access necessary to perform their job duties. This is achieved through a combination of strategies, including credential vaulting, session monitoring, access request and approval workflows, password rotation and complexity enforcement, and multi-factor authentication. PAM solutions are typically provided by specialized vendors who offer a range of tools and software to support these practices.
What is PAM for?
IT Departments utilize PAM by adopting a combination of practices, processes, and tools to protect privileged accounts that have access to sensitive systems and data. Misuse of these accounts can lead to security breaches of a company’s data. To put PAM into practice, IT departments typically use specialized software provided by vendors such as CyberArk, Thycotic, or BeyondTrust.
These PAM solutions offer features like the following…
• Credential vaulting (Credential vaulting is the practice of securely storing and managing privileged account credentials, such as passwords and keys, in an encrypted and access-controlled digital repository called a vault.)
• Session Monitoring (Session monitoring is the process of observing and recording privileged user activities during their sessions, enabling real-time detection and prevention of unauthorized or suspicious actions.)
• Access Request and Approval Workflows (Structured processes that manage temporary privileged access by requiring users to submit formal requests for access to sensitive resources. These requests are then reviewed and approved or denied by designated personnel, ensuring only authorized users gain access.)
• Password Rotation and Complexity Enforcement (Password rotation and complexity enforcement are security practices that involve automatically changing privileged account passwords at regular intervals and enforcing strict complexity requirements, such as length, character types, and uniqueness, to reduce the likelihood of unauthorized access.)
• Multi-factor Authentication (Security measure requiring users to provide multiple forms of identification, such as passwords and tokens, to verify their identity and grant access.)
Many of the services offered from a PAM could be accomplished through a collection of other software, rather than purchasing a single system, but there is benefit in consolidation, and depending on the business’ systems you might find features in a purchase system that you can’t with out of the box software. I find examples are always the best, so let’s take credential vaulting and session monitoring into consideration.
With credential monitoring you could easily get a system like 1Password or LastPass and simply manage your systems manually there. With credential monitoring you could theoretically not buy anything if you are on-premises AD DS (Active Directory Domain Systems) and instead use a mix of Group Policy – Security Groups and Event Viewer to log when accounts are used. This is a decent amount of setup and direct involvement though so you might be better off purchasing a solution such as Netwrix Auditor, ManageEngine AD Audit Plus, or SolarWinds Access Rights Manager.
PAM Tools and Vendor Options
- CyberArk: A leading PAM solution provider that offers comprehensive privileged account security.
- Thycotic: Offers Secret Server, a powerful PAM tool designed to protect and manage privileged account credentials.
- BeyondTrust: Provides a suite of PAM solutions that include password management, session monitoring, and vulnerability management.
- Centrify: Offers a cloud-native PAM solution with integrations for multi-factor authentication, access request workflows, and more.
- One Identity: Delivers an extensive PAM portfolio that includes privileged account governance and session management.
Implementation and Best Practices
To effectively implement PAM, consider the following best practices steps.
- Conduct a thorough assessment: Identify all privileged accounts, systems, and data within the organization.
- Enforce the principle of least privilege: Limit user access to the minimum required for their job functions.
- Implement multi-factor authentication: Require multiple forms of identification for privileged account access.
- Monitor and audit: Regularly review and monitor privileged account activities to detect anomalies and unauthorized access.
- Continuously improve: Periodically review and update PAM policies and procedures to adapt to evolving threats and business requirements.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Privileged Access Management (PAM) is an essential security practice for organizations looking to protect their critical systems, resources, and data from unauthorized access and potential breaches. With a set of practices, processes, and tools, PAM enables organizations to enforce the principle of least privilege, limit access to sensitive information, and monitor privileged account activities. IT departments can choose from various PAM solutions provided by specialized vendors such as CyberArk, Thycotic, and BeyondTrust, or explore alternative approaches using a mix of individual software applications.
To successfully implement PAM, organizations should follow best practices, including conducting assessments, enforcing least privilege, implementing multi-factor authentication, and continuously monitoring and improving their PAM policies. By doing so, organizations can significantly reduce the risk of security breaches and data leaks while maintaining a strong security posture.