Privileged Access Management - PAM
PAM stands for Privileged Access Management. It’s a cybersecurity practice and set of technologies designed to control, monitor, and secure access to privileged accounts and sensitive resources within an organization’s IT environment.
Privileged accounts have elevated permissions and access rights that allow users to perform critical or administrative tasks, such as configuring systems, installing software, and accessing sensitive data. These accounts are often targeted by cyber attackers because compromising them can provide unauthorized access to valuable resources and enable malicious activities.
Key responsibilities
Key components of Privileged Access Management include:
Privileged Account Discovery:
PAM solutions identify and inventory privileged accounts across the organization’s IT infrastructure, including user accounts, service accounts, application accounts, and administrative accounts.
Credential Management:
PAM solutions securely store and manage privileged credentials, such as passwords, SSH keys, API tokens, and certificates, using encryption, rotation, and access controls to prevent unauthorized access and misuse.
Access Control:
PAM solutions enforce least privilege access principles by restricting access to privileged accounts and resources based on the principle of least privilege. This includes implementing policies and workflows to grant, revoke, and manage access rights dynamically based on user roles, responsibilities, and business needs.
Session Monitoring and Recording:
PAM solutions monitor and record privileged sessions in real-time, capturing user activities, commands, and keystrokes performed during privileged sessions. This enables organizations to track and audit privileged access, detect suspicious behavior, and investigate security incidents.
Privilege Elevation and Delegation:
PAM solutions enable organizations to implement granular privilege elevation and delegation policies, allowing users to temporarily escalate their privileges to perform specific tasks while minimizing the risk of privilege abuse and lateral movement.
Audit and Compliance Reporting:
PAM solutions provide audit trials, logs, and reporting capabilities to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements and internal security policies. This includes generating audit reports, dashboards, and alerts to monitor privileged access activities and enforce accountability.