Privileged Access Management (PAM) is a critical cybersecurity strategy designed to protect and manage privileged accounts within your organization. These accounts, often held by administrators or systems with elevated access, are gateways to sensitive data and critical infrastructure.
Without proper safeguards, they become nice-looking targets for cybercriminals and internal threats. For example, a mismanaged privileged account could lead to catastrophic data breaches, such as when compromised credentials are used to access confidential customer information – which could then be sold on the dark web.
PAM ensures strict control over who can access these accounts, how they are used, and when – significantly reducing security risks. By implementing PAM, organizations enhance their ability to prevent unauthorized access, protect sensitive assets, and meet regulatory compliance standards, greatly improving their cybersecurity posture in a number of key areas.
Overview of Privileged Accounts
Privileged accounts are high-level user accounts with elevated permissions and access rights within an organization’s IT infrastructure. These accounts typically have full control over critical systems, databases, applications, and network devices, making them highly valuable targets for cybercriminals.
There are various types of privileged accounts, including:
- Administrator accounts: These are the highest level of privileged accounts that have complete control over an entire system or network.
- Root/superuser accounts: Similar to administrator accounts, these have full privileges on a specific operating system.
- Service/daemon accounts: These are used to run specific services or applications with elevated permissions.
- Emergency/backup accounts: Created for emergency situations when the primary privileged account is unavailable.
- Shared accounts: Used by multiple users, making them difficult to track and manage.
It’s crucial to note that privileged accounts are not limited to human users; they can also be held by automated systems or applications. Therefore, managing and securing these accounts is critical for maintaining the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of an organization’s sensitive data and infrastructure.